Maintaining accurate records can help you assess the performance of your business. You can’t easily identify patterns, calculate ratios, or make decisions in the future without them. You’ll also require these records when you file tax returns, as well as to verify the information you report in your financial statements. These include income (profit and loss) statements and balance sheets.
Most states have departments of corporation or secretary of state offices that require businesses to file an official statement of ownership, and most have made these documents available online. You can search for these records by name of the company, and often the websites will give an inventory of officers or directors, addresses, and other details regarding the company. Some private firms or companies publish directories of businesses. These directories can list the headquarters city, or the city where the company is registered, and often include contact details and the principal officer or directors of the company and a short description about the type of business in which the firm is involved.
A lot of cities require that any person or company operating an activity within the city file a registration and many cities have put these documents online. Some counties also maintain fictional business name indexes where the principal partners or the top officers of a company could be listed along with their addresses. Some states have a master list of all business names that are fictitious and some counties and the secretary of state or corporate departments have made these available online.