How to check about a company's viability?

so I know the company is clean.....

[brakkar]

Hi,
i'm about to sign a contract with a US company (located in Vermont ) but before I do so, I would like to check about the company's viability: is the company legally registered, didn't it commited some outlaw stuff and such, you know, the things you want to know from someone you are going to sign with.

Is it possible? (possibly from the web?)

If yes how?

Thanks,
Brakkar

[mona]

Online:
- Check with the Better Business Bureau.
- Search the company name along with things you're concerned about. Such as "company name pyramid scheme".

Offline:
2) Ask for and check their references.

That's all I can think of for now. Good luck!

[andye]

Try the vermont.gov corporations database, maybe?

hth, a.

[digitalv]

Do a google search for companyname & complaint, complaints, scam, etc. I wouldn't trust the BBB though, they're nothing more than a modern-day version of a mafia shakedown.

A clean BBB record does not always mean that there has never been a complaint, it means either there has never been a complaint or there was a complaint and the person is a BBB member. I've dealt with those "thugs" before - if someone complains about your business, they basically call you and offer to 'resolve' the complaint if you join as a member. By their definition, resolve means you give the BBB your money ($300 at the time), give the customer what they want, and it never shows up on their website. If you refuse to join, the complaint gets posted and you're not allowed to submit a follow-up or your side of the story.

Like I said, it's a friggin shakedown... don't trust the BBB. The word "bureau" for some reason makes people think they're a government-affiliated agency but they're not, they're a regular FOR-PROFIT corporation just like yours and mine.

[Matt Mickiewicz]

There's several online services that for a nominal fee will let you run background checks, criminal record checks, court searches, etc. on any person in the USA.

[gigalot]

You can also check Duns and Bradstreet. It is one of the business credit reporting agency.

[cabowabo]

A place to avoid would be Hoovers.com. Old, outdated information and the $5k entry fee is never realized.

[mattglet]

Send a sticky to one of our Mods, Lorax [webmasterworld.com]. He's located in Vermont, and might have some info for you.

You can also sticky me the company name, I lived there for a few years and have my connections.