running a business

License Lookup page

How to verify Connecticut Licenses and Businesses

running a business

If you have ever received business card or have seen an advertisement with a license number, you can verify the license is valid. It is also possible to look up registered businesses in Connecticut. This information is public and there are Connecticut State websites that make looking up this information easily accessible on the web.

License / Registration Difference

Generally the State requires a license to do work when a special skill is needed to perform the task (such as electrical work or plumbing), or if the work could be hazardous. People get licensed by taking and passing a test. Business registration does not require a test but people will need to provide name, address, phone, and general information about the business.

License Lookup pageThe website to lookup a business license is : www.elicense.ct.gov. There is a menu labled “Online Services” and a link for “Lookup a License”. There are a number of search options, if you have the license number enter it in license number field and click the “Search” button. Once the search is complete, you will get the result, look for the Expiration Date and a Status of Active.

License Active Status

Looking up a registered business (such as a LLC) is performed through a Connecticut site called C.O.N.C.O.R.D. Businesses are registered with the Secretary of the State. The website to look up businesses is : www.concord-sots.ct.gov. Once there click on “Search Database / Business”. In the Search field you may need to use a wild card character of “*” for some of the name.

Look up a registered businesss

The information obtained from a search is :

  • Business address
  • The names of the principals (president, treasurer, secretary, etc..)
  • Business Status (Active, Dissolved, etc..)
  • Last Filing date

Summary

There are public records available on Connecticut websites regarding business licenses and registrations. This post lists licensing lookup and business registration lookup.

 

USPS – Where did my Regional Rate selections go?

running a business, , ,

For businesses who use the postal service to ship product to customers, you may have noticed there were some changes including  price increases and the option to print all regional labels is no longer available on the usps website. Regional A and B boxes often offered a better price to ship parcels that were a over a few pounds (but within the 15 or 20 pound weight limit to the regional A or B box. The regional C box is no longer available.

usps-withregional

Screen shot of options to purchase regional box postage before the USPS change in January 2016

A few options to ship items since the postal change.

  • Continue to package in Regional boxes and use a third party service provider to print for label such as following.  There is typically a monthly fee to use the service:
  • If you sell products on eBay, Etsy, or another online shop, you may be able to print your label through the online shop system.
  • You could switch to flat-rate or standard priority mail boxes and continue to print postage via usps.com
usps-priority

Options at USPS.com since the Jan 2016 switch.

The postal service offers  a variety of priority packaging for free, you can “purchase” them for $0.00 at store.usps.com.

A couple of excerpts from usps notice123, comparing price charts of regional and priority mail:

regioonalMailPLpriorityMailPL

This blog post welcomes comments and ideas on shipping and prices.