ReferenceUSA via Madison Public Library
Small businesses are rarely publicly held (i.e., they do not issue shares and sell them to members of the public, nor are shares traded on stock exchanges). As a result, they have no fiduciary duty to the general public, and are not required to file financial disclosure forms with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other federal or state agencies. This makes it very difficult to find operating or financial information about specific small businesses in any place other than local newspapers or pay-to-use licensed resources (like ReferenceUSA). Basic information (contact information, locations, etc.) can be found on the freely accessible web.