In any business, it is important that records are kept in the interest of transparency. When somebody becomes the director of a company or starts an LLC there will likely be a record of this, meaning that people can search for those who are involved in companies. This can be a way to check peoples’ assets or find out who you need to contact within a business.

Strategies to Find Business Owners

There are a number of steps you can take in order to find business owners. Some of them are relatively simple but if you have to delve a little bit deeper then it can be more complex.

• Make a call. This is the most simple way of finding business owners. If you have a contact number for the company, give them a call and simply ask for these details. You may or may not get what you are looking for.
• Check the company website. Similarly, company websites often have staff pages or information about the corporate structure of a business. You may find the owners here.
• Do a little social media digging. Who is an admin on the Facebook page? Is there information listed on the “about” section of Facebook? This kind of digging might be required to find LLC owners.
• Domain lookup. You can look up the owners of a domain to see what name it is under. This will often be the company owner. These are sometimes switched to private.
• Read the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Reports. The BBB allows data about businesses to be collected for the transparency of customers and finding trustworthy business owners. The reports might outline who is involved in the company.
• Search State Databases of Registered Businesses. In the US, each state has its own registry. Check what is available within the state where you live, as you might be able to find the information on the database.
• Contact Local Business Licensing or Regulatory Agencies. Some businesses require a license, and disclosure on the owners of the LLC involved. The regulatory agencies may have a public database showing the owners of the business.
• Use Public Records to Find More Information. There is some skill to finding the right data. You might need to look at state records such as court records of incorporation. If the company is British, UK publicly available data includes the company’s house, which shows directors and director changes and is searchable by anyone.

Which Records are Accessible to the Public in UK?

There are different laws dictating what is available in different parts of the world. People have a right to privacy, to an extent, but if you are involved in a company you must also be accountable.

The Freedom of Information Act allows access to a number of different records. This is all about transparency, and giving people the chance to check information such as court records and those involved in certain businesses. These records come in useful in many different scenarios including probation, or as an employment check to establish someone’s history. They can also show you LLC owners.

A people search might allow you to see all businesses that someone has been involved in as a director. Details on the electoral roll may also be kept and made available.

Registered Business Structures

Business structures can dictate how much information needs to be provided. For an LLC, articles of organization with the company structure must be filed with a state and may become public record.

Different business structures have different levels of responsibility when it comes to publishing details. So, a sole proprietor might not have to make the same level of information available.

When and Why You Might Need These Data

There are a lot of different reasons why you might need to find LLC owners. For example, you might need to know who to pursue in legal proceedings.

Alternatively, you might want to check that someone is being legitimate before signing a contract or lease with them, so that you don’t get scammed. Public records can help with this.

If an LLC owes you money, finding the individuals involved might allow you more routes to pursue in terms of getting money back.

Law Regulations on People Search

The laws are different for each state, but there are some regulations on what you can or cannot use the information for. Public data is available for the sake of transparency. It doesn’t mean that you should be able to stalk people. People may also have the right to request some public records are taken off the records. Things like court information are likely to stay public, though.

Check your local state law to see what information is made public under the Freedom of Information Act.

Conclusion

People who run businesses should be accountable, and the fact that you can find the owners of an LLC by using a public search ensures that people cannot get away with breaking the law or trying to scam you anonymously. Often, it is incredibly easy to find this kind of information online or using a public records search.

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