How to find out who owns a company

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When it comes to creating leads for the purpose of marketing, businesses often have to do some research for contacts. When you are just initiating, you can get business ideas from sites like Bizop, but after you have started the business, you need help to expand it.

Business owners contact each other for partnerships or joint efforts on projects. Whatever the reason, finding out who owns a business can create great opportunities, especially if you aren’t quick to give up. We’ll show you how to find people online, including business owners.

Check the Website

Almost every business today has some kind of online presence. In the digital age, most companies have sites, social media, and blogs. The owner’s details are usually in “Contact” or “About Us.” On the website, you can often see video presentations of companies in which they briefly talk about themselves, their history or corporate ethics. At the same time, they convert the text into a video so that the reader can more easily perceive the information. Have a look at the testimonials as well, if any. This might give you an idea of who the owner might be.

If there isn’t one on the site, look the business up in an online or local phone directory. Encountering a gatekeeper is very likely with cold calls like these, but you can still try to obtain the required information. 

The company probably uses social media accounts to interact with customers and followers. Social media can be very powerful. Search LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Google, Bing, and Yahoo can provide contact information like an email. Look for mentions of the owner on Facebook or if they responded to one or more comments. If the standard search isn’t helping, use the Graph Search and Timeline options. LinkedIn’s advanced search function comes with a business name search.

Get a Report from the BBB

Businesses that want to be perceived as serious usually register with the Better Business Bureau. Keep in mind that some of the information here might be outdated. Moreover, the main contact listed isn’t necessarily the owner of the business. Make sure you check and verify the BBB report date.

Use a Background Check Service 

People finders can help reveal the owner of a business. If not, they will provide relevant information, which you can use to further your search. These services are often available at little to no cost.  

Do a Domain Lookup

Look up the domain if you can’t get enough information from the site. Generally, each domain has a registered owner because the owner of a company must give the domain registrar their contact info. This search is not hard to do. Type “whois” in Google, select a service provider and enter the business’s domain name. The registration data will pop up unless the owner of the domain paid a third party to hide their details. This is the case if you get “Domains by Proxy” as the domain owner. 

Get in Touch With Regulators 

You can contact the local authority responsible for business licenses. Your outcome will depend on the business’s industry and the location of the company. Your search should start with the local authorizing body. You can use a combination of search terms containing the words below, adding the city and state after each:

• Certificate occupancy 
• Business permits 
• Business licenses
• Licenses inspections

You need the company’s city and state for these queries to work. For example, the hospitality industry requires most business owners to have a license issued. You can call the regulatory authority and make an official inquiry into the name of the owner. You can also search for a database of licenses, inspections, or permits on the regulator’s website. Keep in mind that the agency is not required to divulge the owner’s name. 

Search Registered Business Databases

No business can operate without state registration. Registration data can be found within the database of the registered businesses in the respective state. As long as you get the right database, all states can provide at least some data on registered entities. However, not all state databases will have the actual owner’s name.  When conducting the searches be sure to protect your online privacy by using the best VPNs which will encrypt your internet traffic.

Don’t Rely on Factual Accuracy 

You need information beyond the business owner’s name in order to get in touch with them, especially if you want to enter into a partnership. Look for additional details in bankruptcy or public records to include in your file. These can prove to be of paramount importance.  

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