Making precise records will help you keep track of the health of your business. You won’t be able to easily spot patterns, calculate ratios or make decisions in the future without these records. Also, you need these records when you file tax returns, and also to support the data you provide in your financial statements. These include income statements (profit and loss statements) and balance sheets.
Most states have corporate departments or secretaries of state offices that require companies to submit an official statement of ownership. These documents are available online in most cases. You can search for these documents by name of the company and the websites will give a list of officers or directors, their addresses and other information regarding the company. Certain private firms or companies create directories of business. They may include the headquarters city or city in which a company is registered, and often include contact information, as well as the chief officer or company’s officers, and a brief profile on the kind of business in which the firm is involved.
Many cities require that every person or company that operates any business within the city must register, and many cities have put these documents online. Some counties maintain fictitious names of companies, in which the top officers of a partnership or their addresses are listed. Some states maintain an inventory of all names used in fictitious business. States, the secretary of state and corporation departments have made these online.