How To Find Out Who Owns A Business?

How To Find Out Who Owns A Business

A business needs to research other businesses for marketing purposes as well as to create leads. Moreover, business communication is a very important factor that plays a vital role in the development of a business. Therefore, it is necessary to find out who owns a business or who is the decision-maker to make a contact or to create a new collaboration. However, it is not that simple to find out who owns a business. If you are wondering how to find out the owner’s name of a business then keep reading the article.

There are many ways you can find out who owns a business. You can call the company or check the official website for the owner’s information. These are two basic methods to find out the owner of a business. Moreover, you can also search for Better Business Bureau reports or the state’s database of registered businesses and find the contact information of the owner or the decision-maker of the business. Finally, you can call the local agency to find out the owner’s information.

Methods To Find Out Who Owns A Business

Methods To Find Out Who Owns A Business

There are several resources and methods available that you can use to track down the name of a business owner. Some of these methods are very easy while others require time and patience. The best part of these methods is they are all free so, you don’t have to invest money. Some proven methods are – 

1. Make a Call

2. Check the Company Website

3. Check the Social Media

4. WHOIS Domain Lookup

5. Check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Reports

6. State Databases of Registered Businesses

7. Contact Local Business Licensing or Regulatory Agencies

8. Use Private Search

1. Make A Call

This is the first method and it is the most obvious option. If possible then you can easily find the name of the owner of the business by phone call. You can search the local or online phone directory and look up the business name and number. Moreover, you can also look for the number on the company’s official website. You should note that when you are making a call, you will inevitably encounter a gatekeeper. So, in order to get past the gatekeeper, you have to be respectful and appreciative of their efforts. It’s totally up to them to share the information with you. Therefore, give your best effort to get the information you need.

2. Check The Company Website

You can use the search engine to check if the business has an official website. If it has an official website then check the website and see if you can find any information regarding the owner of the business, like name, address, phone number, etc. Look for the “About Us” and “Contact” pages of the website to see if there’s any information on the business owner. Moreover, if there is a testimonial page on the website then you can also check it for any hint about the company owner.

3. Check The Social Media

Nowadays most businesses have a presence on social media. Therefore, you should check social media and find out whether the business has a social media account and whether the company interacts with followers and clients. You can use the power of social media and search Facebook, LinkedIn, and other sites. You can check the reviews on Facebook and if someone has mentioned the owner by name or if he or she responded to any comment. LinkedIn provides a company name search option that you can also use to find the desired information.

4. WHOIS Domain Lookup

If the number 2 and 3 methods don’t yield you any information about the owner of the company then you can dig a little deeper and conduct a domain lookup. Every domain must have a registered owner and while registering a business the business owner must provide their contact details to the domain registrar. It is very simple to do a “who is” search. Just type “whois” in any search engine and choose the service that you need. Now enter the domain name of the business you want to check to see if there’s any registration information. The only problem with this method is, the domain owners can choose to remain private and pay a third party to mask their information.

5. Check The Better Business Bureau (BBB) Reports

Big companies and organizations that want recognition as serious industry players usually register with Better Business Bureau (BBB). While registering with BBB, the business has to provide full details of the managing body. However, you should remember that the primary contact may not be the owner of the company and the information of the BBB might be old. But it is worth giving it a try.

6. State Databases Of Registered Businesses

All the states in the USA require businesses to register so they can operate. You will find the registered information on the state’s database of registered companies. So, if you can able to check the right database then you will be able to find the information you were looking for. However, it’s not guaranteed that you will find information regarding the owner of the business.

7. Contact Local Business Licensing Or Regulatory Agencies

You can contact the local city government office to see if you can find any information about the business owner. Depending on the location of the company you’re trying to find, your search term will vary. You can use a combination of the below queries:

1. Business permits city, state/Prov

2. Certificate occupancy city, state/Prov

3. Licenses inspections city, state/Prov

4. Business licenses city, state/Prov      

You should also know that these queries will only work if you use the exact city and state of the company.

8. Use Private Search

If all the above methods fail then you can take help from private search companies. There are many private search companies available like Manta.com, Dunn & Bradstreet, etc. that you can use to find out who owns a business. But you should remember that private search is not free. You can use the business name, city, and state to find the required information. It’s not guaranteed that you will find the information you are looking but if you are lucky then you might find the information about the business owner.

FAQs About How To Find Out Who Owns A Business

Can I Find Out Who Owns A Company?

Yes, you can find out who owns a company or a business. You can search the online database of businesses on the website of the secretary of state or the department of revenue in the state and find owner-related information.

How Do I Find Company Details?

There are many ways you can find company details. They are – 

1. Company Websites

2. Directories 

3. Yellow Pages

4. Local Economic and Business Journals

5. Newspapers, etc.

How Do I Find Out Who Owns A Small Business In The USA?

If you are living in the USA and looking for owner information of small business then you can follow the below steps – 

1. Check With the Local Chamber of Commerce

2. Contact the Secretary of State

3. Check the local media

4. Check the local library, etc.

How Do I Get Company Contact Information?

Finding the company contact information is very easy. If the company has an official website, then you can check the “Contact Page” of the website to find the contact information. If you don’t find related information on the website then you can follow the below steps – 

1. Check the company’s profile on LinkedIn

2. Search on contact management database

3. Use online tools like Manta.com

4. Search company profile on Yelp

References:
1. https://www.benefitspro.com/2020/10/20/how-to-find-out-who-owns-a-business/
2. https://businesspartnermagazine.com/how-find-out-who-owns-business/

Last Updated on January 26, 2022 by

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