What Business Information Is Publicly Available?
Data availability by source. Matrix, lookup, myth vs reality.
Availability Matrix: Data Type by Source
Rows = data type. Columns = typical source. ✓ common, ~ sometimes, ✗ rare.
| Data type | Yelp | Website | Gov filings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business name | ||||
| Address | ||||
| Phone | ||||
| Website URL | N/A | |||
| Rating | ||||
| Review count | ||||
| Category | ||||
| Hours | ||||
| Revenue | ||||
| Employee count |
What Each Source Type Typically Provides
Google / Yelp Gov filings Business website
│ │ │
├─ name ├─ name ├─ name
├─ address ├─ address ├─ phone (sometimes)
├─ phone ├─ license type ├─ email (sometimes)
├─ website └─ status └─ hours (sometimes)
├─ rating
├─ reviews
├─ category
└─ hours
Revenue, employee count: not public for most local businessesNeed X? Look Here
| You need | Look first | Fallback |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number | Google, Yelp | Business website, Yellow Pages |
| Business website | Google (sometimes), Yelp (rare) | |
| Address | Google, Gov filings | Yelp, website |
| Rating / reviews | Google, Yelp | None - not on most other sources |
| Website status | Google, Yelp | Manual check |
| Revenue / employees | N/A | Not publicly available for most |
Findability by Field
Sources: Google, Yelp, gov, website
Caveat: Spelling variations exist
Sources: Google, Yelp, directories
Caveat: May change; some list multiple
Sources: Google, gov, Yelp
Caveat: Usually reliable
Sources: Google, Yelp
Caveat: Many small businesses have none
Sources: Website, sometimes directories
Caveat: Often missing or inferred
Sources: Google, Yelp
Caveat: Not all businesses have reviews
Sources: Google, Yelp
Caveat: Taxonomy varies by platform
Sources: None for most
Caveat: Only for certain regulated/listed cos
Sources: Website, articles
Caveat: Not systematic
Myth vs Reality
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| All business data is in one place | Scattered across directories, websites, filings. No single source has everything. |
| If it's public, it's complete | Many listings have phone but no email. Website field often empty for small businesses. |
| Public data doesn't go stale | Businesses close, move, change numbers. Freshness varies by source and update cycle. |
| Using public data for outreach is gray area | Generally allowed for B2B. Check CAN-SPAM, GDPR, TCPA for your region and channel. |
Need this data in bulk?
Manually looking up each business works for a handful. For hundreds or thousands, aggregating and filtering becomes a project. Some platforms compile this data so you can filter by location, category, and other criteria without building your own scraper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does public business information come from?
Directories (Google Business Profile, Yelp, Yellow Pages), government filings (licenses, registration), and the business's own website or social profiles. Information is either voluntarily published or legally required to be public.
Is it legal to use publicly available business data for sales outreach?
Yes, in most cases. Business contact info published for commercial purposes is generally fair to use for B2B outreach. Subject to CAN-SPAM (email), GDPR (EU), TCPA (calls). Check regulations for your region.
Why don't some businesses have email in public listings?
Many small businesses list only phone. They may lack a business email, prefer not to share it, or never added it to directory profiles. Completeness varies widely.
How accurate is publicly available business data?
Names and addresses tend to be reliable. Phones usually correct but can change. Websites and emails may be outdated or missing. Ratings reflect source platform at collection time.
Can I find revenue or employee count for small businesses?
Rarely. Most small businesses don't publish this. Private databases may estimate from signals, but for most local businesses it's not publicly available.