Buying a private company database? Test the evidence before the file
A buyer's test for a private company list: define the population, check entity and operating evidence, inspect missing fields, and confirm availability and licence terms.
Before buying a private company database, decide whether it can support your specific list: which operating businesses, in which market, for which task. Request the population rule and field definitions, then have the vendor explain a few entities you choose from public sources. Buy only when legal identity, operating evidence, missing fields and permitted use are clear enough for that task.
Set the acceptance question before comparing files
Write down whether your output is a legal-entity list, an operating-business target list or a territory map. Specify the market, business type and fields you actually need. A holding company and its operating subsidiary may both be valid legal entities but should not automatically become two distinct operating targets. A company appearing in a list says nothing about whether its owners want to sell, raise capital or receive an approach.
Ask each vendor which register and research date define the population, how dissolved entities are excluded, and how a period-specific dormant filing is handled. In the UK, the Companies House register exposes legal status, registered office, filing history and identifiers. That makes it useful for checking identity, while current trading requires separate evidence. GOV.UK’s dormant-company guidance ties Companies House dormancy to significant transactions in a financial year; a past filing is not a permanent trading-status verdict.
Run a small, independent evidence check
Choose a few public companies relevant to your task, including one with a trading name or group relationship and one where the operating location is unclear. Ask how the vendor would represent each one. The vendor can explain its field rules and a redacted source trail without giving you paid rows or private contact data. Check the public register yourself and compare each claimed field with its stated source and observation date.
| Question to test | What the answer should identify | If it cannot |
|---|---|---|
| Which entity is this? | Jurisdiction, register identifier, legal name and check date; a separate link to any trading name | Keep the name match unresolved |
| Is this entity currently operating? | A dated activity signal linked to that entity, assessed separately from legal status or an own-site claim | Keep current trading unconfirmed |
| Where does it trade? | A trading location with its own source, distinct from the registered office | Leave trading location blank |
| Is this financial value usable? | Whether it is reported, calculated or modelled, plus the entity, period and source or inputs | Leave the value unavailable for the decision |
| Can our team use the file as intended? | File format, permitted internal users and uses, sharing terms and correction process | Defer the purchase until terms are written down |
The registered office has a specific legal role. GOV.UK’s address guidance permits a UK company to use an accountant’s or solicitor’s address as its registered office. Do not turn that address into a trading location merely because it is the only postcode in the export. Equally, a live company website describes what the company says it does; the analyst still needs to connect that business to the legal entity and record when the page was observed.
Inspect what is missing and why
Ask for a field dictionary that defines blank, reported, calculated and modelled. A blank revenue or headcount field is not zero. For a reported financial figure, require the entity, accounting period, currency and public source. A calculation needs its inputs and method; a modelled figure should be clearly identified as an estimate and kept out of any reported-facts column.
Public filing rules can explain a missing value. Companies House account guidance describes filing options under which public accounts may omit a profit and loss account. A vendor cannot make an unavailable public figure reliable by filling the gap with a model. Apply the same question to ownership, contact routes and trading addresses: which source supports the value, and what is left unknown?
Make a task-specific purchase decision
Proceed only if the available market, population, evidence method, field coverage, delivery format and written licence fit your intended work. Defer if a critical field is unresolved but the vendor can explain how it is flagged and corrected. Rule out a file for a location-led task if registered offices silently stand in for trading sites, or for an operating-company screen if register status is the only activity check. A larger row count cannot repair those mismatches.
SeekCompanies is still researching its planned spreadsheet. No finished market file, count or price is available. Use the coverage and field standard to assess the intended method, then check pricing and availability before emailing a market-specific enquiry. An enquiry does not reserve a file or set a release date.
Frequently asked questions
What should I request before buying a private company database?
Request the exact market and population definition, field dictionary, source and observation-date rules, treatment of unresolved entities, available file format, and written licence terms. Ask the vendor to explain how it would resolve a few public companies you choose, without requiring access to its paid rows.
Is an active company-register status enough to include a business in a target list?
No. Register status establishes a legal-status fact at a point in time, not current trading. Ask for separate, dated operating evidence linked to the legal entity. A dormant filing describes an accounting period and is not a permanent label.
Can a registered office be used as the trading location?
Only if independent evidence establishes that the business operates there. A UK registered office is an official correspondence address and may be an accountant or solicitor's address. Keep the trading-location field blank when its role cannot be established.
Does blank revenue mean the company has no revenue?
No. A blank means the vendor has no publicly supported value for the relevant entity and period. Require reported, calculated and modelled figures to be labelled separately; do not accept a modelled value as a filed fact.
Sources
- Searching the Companies House register — Companies House; accessed October 18, 2026
- Dormant for Companies House — GOV.UK; accessed October 18, 2026
- Check the rules for registered office addresses and email addresses — GOV.UK; accessed October 18, 2026
- Preparing and filing Companies House accounts — Companies House; accessed October 18, 2026
Tell us which market you need.
Research is under way. No market file, price or release date is available yet. Review the planned licence, then email the market you need to ask about its research status.