Making precise records can help you monitor the health of your business. It is difficult to identify patterns, calculate ratios, or make decisions in the future without them. You’ll also require these records when you file tax returns, and to back up the information you report in your financial statements. These include income statements (profit and loss statements) and balance sheets.
The majority of states have corporate departments or secretaries of state offices who require companies to submit an official statement of ownership. These documents are available online in the majority of cases. You can search these records using the name of the company and websites usually provide a list of names of directors and officers along with their addresses, as well as additional details about the business. Certain private companies or firms compile directories of businesses. These may list the headquarters city as well as the city where the company is registered. Typically, directories include contact details and the principal officer or the officers of the company and a brief description about the kind of business with which the company operates.
Many cities require anyone who wants to conduct business within their city to be registered. These documents are accessible online. Some counties also have fictitious business name indexes, where the top officers or partners of a partnership can be listed with their addresses. Some states have a master list of all fictitious business names and a few counties as well as the secretary of state or corporation departments have made them available online.