The Public Filing That Reveals Your Next Client
Business licenses, contractor registrations, permit applications, and trade name filings are public records that reveal who is starting, expanding, or investing. Each filing is a signal that someone needs services they do not yet have.
Why the Records Room Is Your Best Prospecting Tool
Most prospecting starts with cold lists. Names pulled from directories, scraped from search results, or purchased in bulk. The problem is that these lists tell you nothing about timing. You do not know if the business opened last week or last decade.
Public filings solve this. What business information is publicly available covers the breadth of public data. This post goes deeper into one specific category: filings that reveal timing, intent, and need.
Public Filing
Definition: A document submitted to a government agency that becomes part of the public record. In a business context, this includes business license applications, contractor registrations, building permits, professional license issuances, and DBA (Doing Business As) filings. These records are accessible to anyone and typically include the business name, owner name, address, filing date, and type of activity.
Cold List Prospecting
- No information about when the business started
- No signal about current spending or investment
- No way to know if they already have your service
- Same list available to every competitor
Public Filing Prospecting
- Exact filing date tells you when the business started or expanded
- Permit values and license types reveal active investment
- New filings mean new needs - they likely lack vendor relationships
- Few competitors monitor these sources systematically
Filing-to-Lead Relevance Formula
A filing from last week for a trade you serve, where the business has no existing web presence or established vendor, scores highest. A filing from six months ago with an established online presence scores lowest. Recency is the strongest factor because needs are most acute in the first weeks after filing.
The Filing Cabinet - Five Drawers of Prospect Data
Think of public records as a filing cabinet with five drawers. Each drawer contains a different type of filing, each with its own signal strength and timing window. Open the right drawer at the right time, and you find prospects who are actively spending money and making vendor decisions.
The key is understanding which drawer matches your service. If you sell to new businesses, Drawer 1 is your goldmine. If you sell to growing businesses, Drawer 3 reveals where the money is flowing. Knowing how to spot underperforming businesses through public signals adds another layer to this approach.
New Business Licenses
A business that just registered with the state or county. They have a legal entity but may not yet have a website, an accountant, insurance, or any vendor relationships.
New businesses need everything. They are actively spending on setup and are open to vendor conversations because they have no existing loyalties.
Web designers, accountants, insurance agents, marketing agencies, IT service providers
Secretary of state websites, county clerk offices, state business registration portals. Most states publish new filings weekly or monthly in searchable databases.
First 90 days after filing. After that, most vendor decisions are already made.
Contractor License Registrations
A contractor who just got licensed or renewed. This means they are either starting a contracting business or actively maintaining their credentials to take on work.
Licensed contractors are verified professionals investing in compliance. New licensees are building their business. Renewals indicate active, ongoing operations.
Lead generation services, equipment suppliers, bonding and insurance companies, business coaching, fleet management
State contractor licensing boards publish new and renewed licenses. Many states have searchable databases by trade type, issue date, and location.
New licenses: first 60 days. Renewals: around the renewal date when they are reviewing all vendor relationships.
Building and Construction Permits
A property owner or business that has been approved for construction, renovation, or expansion. The permit includes the project address, scope, and estimated cost.
A permit filing means money is being spent. Someone who pulled a permit for a commercial renovation is actively investing in their property or business. They have budget and they are making decisions now.
Interior designers, commercial cleaning, security systems, furniture suppliers, signage companies, landscapers
City and county building departments. Many municipalities publish permit data online through open data portals. Some aggregate services compile permits across jurisdictions.
From permit approval through project completion. Outreach is most effective before construction begins, while the business owner is still planning.
Professional License Filings
An individual or firm that just received or renewed a professional license - real estate agents, CPAs, attorneys, healthcare practitioners, engineers, or cosmetologists.
Newly licensed professionals are starting or expanding their practice. They need office space, marketing, technology, and operational support. They are in buying mode for services that help them launch.
Practice management software, marketing agencies, office suppliers, website builders, malpractice insurance, continuing education providers
State professional licensing boards. Each profession has its own board that publishes new licenses and renewals. Most are searchable by name, license type, and date.
First 120 days for new licensees. For renewals, the 30-day window around renewal when they are re-evaluating costs and vendors.
DBA and Trade Name Filings
A business or individual filing a 'Doing Business As' name. This often signals a new venture, a rebrand, or an expansion into a new service line under a different name.
A DBA filing means someone is formalizing a business idea. They may already be operating informally and are now getting serious. Or an existing business is launching something new. Either way, they are in motion.
Branding agencies, graphic designers, domain registrars, print shops, business coaches, legal services
County clerk offices where DBAs are filed. Some states centralize DBA filings. Many counties now publish these records online in searchable formats.
First 60 days after filing. The filing itself is a declaration of intent, so the business is actively forming during this period.
Filing Type Signal Comparison
Not all filings carry the same weight. A new business license is a stronger buying signal than a DBA filing. A building permit with a stated project value tells you more about budget than a professional license renewal. Understanding these differences determines where to focus your time.
This connects directly to the concept of using public signals to predict which businesses will respond. The filing type determines the signal. The recency determines the timing.
| Filing Type | Signal Strength | Best Timing Window | What It Indicates |
|---|---|---|---|
New Business License | Very High | First 90 days | New entity, needs all services |
Contractor License (New) | High | First 60 days | Building a contracting business |
Building Permit | High | Before construction starts | Active capital investment |
Professional License (New) | Medium-High | First 120 days | Starting or expanding practice |
DBA / Trade Name Filing | Medium | First 60 days | Formalizing or rebranding |
Contractor License (Renewal) | Medium | 30 days around renewal | Active operations, reviewing vendors |
Professional License (Renewal) | Low-Medium | Around renewal date | Maintaining existing practice |
Timing Is the Competitive Advantage
The value of a public filing decreases rapidly with time. A business that filed a license last week is actively making vendor decisions. The same business three months later has probably already chosen. This is why monitoring filing databases regularly matters more than doing one big batch search. The businesses that show buying intent through public actions are the ones most likely to respond to well-timed outreach.
Frequently Asked Questions
QAre public business filings really free to access?
Yes. Business licenses, contractor registrations, building permits, professional licenses, and DBA filings are public records. Most states and counties publish them in searchable online databases at no cost. Some jurisdictions charge small fees for bulk downloads or certified copies, but basic search and viewing is typically free.
QHow quickly do public filings become available after submission?
It varies by jurisdiction. Some states publish new business registrations within days of filing. Others take 2 to 4 weeks. Building permits are often posted within a week of approval. The key is to check your target jurisdictions and learn their publishing schedule so you can build a consistent review cadence.
QIs it legal to use public filing data for outreach?
Public records are, by definition, public. Using publicly available business registration data to identify potential clients is legal. However, you must still comply with applicable email and communications laws (CAN-SPAM, TCPA, etc.) when reaching out. The data source being public does not exempt you from outreach regulations.
QWhat types of businesses file the most useful public records?
Service businesses (contractors, professional services, healthcare providers) generate the most actionable filings because their licenses are tied to specific trades, locations, and dates. Retail and e-commerce businesses file fewer location-specific records that are useful for targeted outreach.
QHow do I find public filings for a specific state or county?
Start with the state secretary of state website for business registrations. For contractor licenses, find the state licensing board for that trade. For building permits, check the city or county building department website. For professional licenses, visit the state board for that profession. Most of these have online search tools.
QCan I automate the process of monitoring new public filings?
Some states offer RSS feeds or email alerts for new filings. Third-party services aggregate filings across jurisdictions and provide APIs or dashboards. You can also set a weekly calendar reminder to manually check the databases most relevant to your target market. Start manual, then automate once you confirm the data converts.
Public filings are just one layer of prospect intelligence. For a broader view of how observable data reveals business needs, why cold outreach works better when based on public facts explains the full framework for turning public information into relevant, timely outreach.
File Folder Tabs - Key Takeaways
A new business license means a business that needs everything - website, insurance, accounting, marketing, equipment. The first 90 days after filing is when vendor decisions are made. If you are not in front of them during that window, someone else is.
A business that pulled a building permit is actively investing capital. They have budget, they are making decisions, and they need complementary services. Permit data includes project scope and value, giving you insight into how much they are spending.
Reaching the right business at the wrong time produces the same result as reaching the wrong business. Public filings give you the one thing cold lists never do: a timestamp. The filing date tells you exactly when the need started.
License renewals are not just compliance events. They are moments when business owners review their costs, vendors, and operations. A renewal filing is an opening to offer something better than what they currently have.
Most salespeople prospect from the same directories and the same purchased lists. Very few systematically monitor public filing databases. This means the businesses you find through filings are receiving less outreach and are more likely to engage with a relevant, well-timed message.
The Bottom Line
Public filings are not obscure government paperwork. They are real-time announcements that someone just started a business, just got licensed, just pulled a permit, or just formalized a new venture. Each filing is a prospect raising their hand and saying they need things they do not have yet. The businesses that learn to read the filing cabinet find clients before anyone else knows they exist.