We are researching a hand-checked private company spreadsheet for teams mapping acquisition targets and markets. The planned records will connect legal identity to separate evidence of trading, with public contact routes only where supported. No market file is on sale yet. Review the method and register interest in the market you need.
Schematic only · no company record shown
Choose the list
Before comparing a private company database, decide whether a row should mean a legal entity or an evidenced operating business. For location-led work, decide whether registration or a supported trading location sets the geography.
Start with legal entities that fit your market and activity criteria. Check which one operates the business, then retain the source and date behind each inclusion.
Limit: A company in a longlist has not signalled that it is for sale or open to an approach.
See the screening methodDefine the population first: legal entities, trading businesses or group operators. Keep unresolved name matches and registry-only records out of a confirmed-operating subset.
Limit: A register status alone does not establish current trading, revenue or headcount.
See the mapping workflowChoose whether to assign an account by legal entity, operating business or supported trading site. Keep the registered office separate from any evidenced trading address.
Limit: A company record is not a warm lead, and missing contact routes stay blank.
See the territory workflowOnce you have defined the list, check the markets, fields and evidence standard, then see pricing and availability. No finished market file is on sale yet.
What's in a record
A register can anchor a legal name, number, status and registered office. It does not by itself establish current trading or a trading address. The planned file is designed to keep those checks distinct, with sources and dates that a buyer can assess.
Registered name and any trading name, legal form, incorporation date, and the registry identifier that makes the record checkable.
The company’s published description of its activity and its filed industry code, kept as separate pieces of evidence.
Registered office and, where it differs, the address the business actually trades from. Recorded as two fields, never merged into one.
A website, general company email or switchboard only where a public source supports it. Missing routes stay blank.
Depth varies by jurisdiction, because filing requirements do, and we will publish that detail on the coverage page rather than average it away. Fields a company does not publish are left blank, never estimated. See what a private company record can establish before using one in a target list. If you are comparing suppliers, use the private company database evaluation checklist to test the source and operating-evidence standard first.
How it's built
A registry search can include dissolved entities, holding companies and similar names. Companies House lists legal status, filings and registered office for UK companies; its records still need to be connected to current operating evidence.
The planned method starts with registry identity, then checks dated operating evidence and the link to the trading business. Unresolved matches cannot be presented as checked operating companies.
A filed legal status, an own-site activity claim and a separately evidenced trading address answer different questions. Revenue and headcount remain blank unless publicly reported.
The intended model is a one-time purchase per finished market. No file, price or purchase route is available while research is in progress.
What it won't tell you
Public filings vary by entity and jurisdiction. In the UK, small and micro companies can omit a public profit and loss account. The planned file will show what the sources support and leave other fields blank.
Research is under way and no market file is available yet. Say which country and sector matter to you so we can discuss the research scope by email.