Confirming what you know and finding what you don't
In investigations and research, we often need information about companies and their owners, and one of the best places to look is in business registration records. Required by law, private and public companies register and file periodic reports that include names, addresses, dates, partnerships, and more. Registering a business adds legitimacy, protects the business name, […]
This post was originally published in February 2022. As business professionals, we often need to know the ins and outs of a new industry. Maybe you have a new client or a new job. Perhaps it’s a valuation case or a merger. Or maybe you just need to understand what’s going on now and in […]
News and social media searching is a big part of most of our investigations. Without the news, I wouldn’t have learned about a company’s legal issues that never made it to the courts. Without social media, I wouldn’t have seen what our due diligence subject did during a two-year gap in their work history. Without […]
Investigations involve working with clients from a variety of industries, and that means learning about the environment in which they operate. It’s the only way to get to the heart of client concerns. For example, when I started working with my hedge fund clients years ago, all I knew about alternative investments was the Madoff […]
As business professionals, we often need to know the ins and outs of a new industry. Maybe you have a new client or a new job. Perhaps it’s a valuation case or a merger. Or maybe you just need to understand what’s going on now and in the future within your own rapidly-changing business environment. […]
Using Google for research and investigations can be a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that Google is a great starting point for finding answers and leads to even more answers. The bad news? Sometimes, it’s not so great. Most often, you get too much information, increasing the risk of missing something important. […]
No matter what type of work that you do, gathering information is an important first step. Planning an investigation? Preparing for big business decision? Conducting due diligence? All require some digging into the backgrounds and actions of individuals or businesses, looking at industry trends and best practices, or generally getting smarter before taking action. A […]
This post was originally published in September 2018. Due diligence background investigations come in all flavors. They’re generally customized according to industry, level of risk, and time constraints. There’s one component, though, that should be included in all background checks on people and companies–the media report. What’s a media report? It’s the section of a […]
At one time, if you needed access to court records, you went to the courthouse and manually searched through paper filings. Thankfully, things have changed through the years, with more and more court records posted online. It’s made our jobs a lot easier, but it doesn’t come without its own set of myths and challenges. […]
When we’re at the library, there are generally two methods for finding books or other items in the collection. We can search the catalog for specific titles, authors, or subjects that interest us. Or, we can browse the shelves or scan suggested reading lists to see what looks interesting. It’s the same with online research. Most […]