Corporation records available publicly through a local Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, a Secretary of State, a State Accountancy Board, a State Corporation Commission or a State Registrar of Contractors allow you to run a background check on a company. Learning how to run such checks effectively is important. However, most business records search education and training is self-directed.

There is no formal business records search education and training in the form of certification, schools or even classes. Most professionals who learn how to conduct such searches do so on their own. However, there are some online guides and tutorials that may be useful. When learning how to conduct your first searches, consider the following:

1. Find lists and step-by-step "how to" articles to learn the basics.
2. Work through tutorials and online guides about small business records and public records.
3. Practice your own searches as hands-on training in using simplified databases.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for step-by-step explanations of running business records searches

There are a number of good step-by-step 'how to' style articles online that teach the basics of running a business public record search. These articles are essentially a checklist that allow you to learn about every step you need to take to run an effective and thorough investigation.

I recommend: Polson Enterprises has a detailed explanation of how to use public corporate records to research a company. The step-by-step format and the live links make the process very clear. Experian provides a detailed breakdown of what can be learned from business public records. The list is a useful way to understand your search results.

Find tutorials that teach you how to run government business records searches

Some online tutorials go well beyond basic 'how to' articles, offering examples of searches and samples of records with thorough explanations. These are a good second step to learning some of the language and understanding the process of corporate records.

I recommend: HowToInvestigate.com offers an educational guide to running a corporate records search when conducting an investigation of a business. SmartBusinessReports.com provides an example of a company records search and explains each element of a business report. The US Securities and Exchange Commission offers an online tutorial of its EDGAR system for finding government business records.

Learn by running public business records searches with simple databases

Most professionals who run public records searches of businesses learn to run effective searches simply through hands-on training and practice. There are a number of databases that are designed to make running such searches quite simple. For hands-on training, simply dive in and run a few practice searches using these online databases.

I recommend: PublicRecordsWire is a visual, comprehensive and easy-to-use site that allows anyone to access company business records easily and quickly. PublicRecordFinder.com is a comprehensive and user-friendly business records database that is organized by state.

Researching business public records used to mean spending hours on the phone or in a library trying to dig up as much information as possible. These days, you can do your research with a couple of keystrokes and the click of a mouse. If you're on a tight budget, you can find the needed info for free; or, if you have money to spend, an outside company can give you all of the information you would ever need in just a couple of seconds.

By conducting a business records search, you can find out valuable information about a business. For example, you can:

1. Find out if businesses have a history of bankruptcy or have any liens or judgements in their corporate records.

2. Get a good idea of a company's financial standing by examining its past performance.

3. Get a detailed history of the company by finding out when it started, what other trade names it has and who is in charge there.

Action Steps
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Use a business records search to find court records

If you are thinking of doing business with a company, the first thing you should do is find out if it is reputable. By searching company business records, you can find out if a business has a history of bankruptcies or has judgements or liens on its records.

I recommend: Pretrieve will let you easily search for business public records, which includes court records. At PublicRecordsWire you can search court cases and records. At Choicepoint, for a fee, you can research a company’s history of bankruptcies, liens, judgments and lawsuits.

Search a company's government business records

Every company that exists in the U.S. has to file records with the state and federal government. By searching this public information you can find critical information on a company such as how long it has been in existence, what its standing is in the state and if it has been keeping up on paying its taxes.

I recommend: Public Record Finder has links to each state’s Secretary of State Office, where you can find state business records. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has a free searchable database for the company’s filings with the commission.

Conduct a corporate records search on a business you are thinking of investing in

Before you invest in a company, you should have as detailed a financial history as possible. Thankfully, there are many ways to access this information.

I recommend: Use Experian to research the creditworthiness of suppliers, customers or partners. Lexis Nexus has a business records database that includes key personnel and other pertinent financial and litigation records.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember that business public records are, in fact, open to the public. All of the companies that charge for information have gotten it for free and are now charging consumers for it. It may take longer, but if you search wisely, you shouldn't have to pay for the records.
• •  Public business records aren't always updated automatically. It may take some time for the most recent filings to become available.

Businesses today operate in an environment where more information than ever before is available to an ever-widening range of people. This includes significant details regarding a company's solvency, profit growth and even legal status in any state. Business records searches have become commonplace among potential clients and business associates who want to make sure the companies they deal with are stable. Learning the key terms relating to business records searches can give you insight into how these investigations can affect your company.

Action Steps
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Unclaimed property

Unclaimed property refers to money and accounts that have not received any activity from their owners for a specific amount of time.

I recommend: The National Association Of Unclaimed Property Administrators explains why financial institutions undertake business records searches for unclaimed property. It also identifies the most common forms of unclaimed property and what happens to accounts that fall within this category.

Census Bureau Business Division

The Business Division plays a role in business records searches by providing information and statistics on active and inactive businesses.

I recommend: Visit the National Archives to gain an understanding of the history of the Business Division. Read how the Census Bureau has become a repository of data frequently accessed by those performing business records searches and learn the kind of data those records contain.

Entity search

When you perform an entity search, you're looking for business profiles on active corporations in a state.

I recommend: The Virginia State Corporation Commission's entity search data base is indicative of the business records searches you can perform on almost any state's entity data base. Find out how the Virginia State Corporation Commission suggests these searches be done and the information they may and may not include.

Uniform Commercial Code

The Uniform Commercial Code refers to uniform laws throughout the United States that all companies are expected to comply with.

I recommend: The University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science discusses how the UCC came into existence. It also presents the nine main articles the UCC is based on and which provide the basis for many business records searches.

EDGAR

EDGAR is the name for the Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system that the Securities and Exchange Commission depends on.

I recommend: Go straight to the source at the Securities and Exchange Commission to learn which business records you can search with EDGAR. The commission further explains how to search for official filings, such as annual reports, that are stored on EDGAR.

Business credit report

Perform a business credit report search through business records when you are not convinced of a company's financial solvency.

I recommend: At USA Records Search you'll learn what information you can expect to obtain from a business credit report search.

Business records provide a window into a given corporation. Things such as financial filings, corporation status, contact info and more are all part of the public record. Other items such as legal judgments, liens or other court ordered decisions may also be located about various businesses. It's imperative that you perform a business records search on the companies you deal with to ensure they are presenting themselves properly.

Take the time to learn about business records search pricing and costs so that you understand approximately how much it will cost you to obtain certain business records info. Here are some resourceful links to get you started on your journey.

1. Find websites dedicated to performing and executing business public records searches.

2. Locate corporate records on websites that are dedicated to government business records.

3. Find business records on state sponsored websites.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Go to websites dedicated to performing searches for personal and business records

There are many websites dedicated to performing a corporate records search. These websites typically charge a one-time search fee or an annual subscription fee. The pricing largely depends on the kind of information you are looking to locate. Take the time to browse several websites that perform company business records searches and determine what service is best for your business needs.

I recommend: Visit the website for Search Systems. This provides search services for both business and corporate records at a price of around $9.95 per month or about $30 annually. The website KnowX also allows searching of both business and personal public records for about $1 for a single search to about $60 for a month pass.

Locate public business records by searching websites that specialize in government business records

Many federal and state business records can be located by searching databases that are geared toward government record keeping. This is because many businesses are required to file records on a yearly basis with their federal and state government. The government may also publish reports based on this information that is also accessible through these websites. Take the time to locate websites dedicated to government business records.

I recommend: Visit the website for Government Search Records for more information on subscription pricing. Prices range from free checks (for limited information) to a life-time subscription of around $40. Also the website Government Files Online provides comprehensive records searches. Prices range from free to $1,500 per year depending on the information you are seeking.

Locate business public records on federal or state websites

Some cursory information can be gained by visiting the Secretary of State websites for each state within the union. Every business must register and provide yearly filings with the Secretary of State where their business operates. Types of records will include financial filings, corporation papers, corporation status, corporation contact information and more. Visit the Secretary of State website where the business is located to find these records and more.

I recommend: Visit the websites for the State of Washington or the State of California for examples of the free searches that you can perform to locate state business records.