Keep accurate records for monitoring the health of your company. Without them, you’ll be unable to quickly identify trends, calculate ratios, or make any decisions for the future. You also need these records when you file tax returns, and to support the information you include in your financial statements. These include income statements (profit and loss statements) and balance sheets.
The majority of states have departments of corporation or secretary of state offices that require companies to file an official declaration of ownership. Many have these documents on the internet. You can search these records using the name of the company and the websites generally include a list of the names of the officers and directors as well as their addresses and additional information about the business. Certain private firms or companies create directories of business. These directories could include the city in which a company has online business records its headquarters or where it is registered. They may also include contact information, the primary officer or officers, as well as an overview of the kind of business the company is involved in.
Many cities require those who wish to conduct business in their area to register. These documents are available on the internet. Certain counties keep fake company names indexes, where the top officers of a partnership or their addresses are listed. Certain 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 these available online.
