Problem: Before you make the final offer to prospective employer, it is worthwhile to spend a little money now to do a background check on the person. But most small businesses do not have the funds to hire personal investigators to look for problems in the candidate's past.

Solutions: There are a million ways to dig through court, business, and personal records online, but some are cheaper and easier to use than others.

• At KnowX.com, $24.95 will give you everything you need to know about another
  business: bankruptcies, lawsuits, foreclosures and liens, and other corporate information from Dunn & Bradstreet, such as a company’s corporate structure and executive officers.

• If you need to look up personal information, try ZabaSearch.com--a muscular, free “white
  pages” that tells you more than a phone book ever would. Using ZabaSearch, you can find every Sarah Conner in California, and narrow your search based on date of birth or address.

• For an additional fee, ZabaSearch links you to Intelius. For $29.95, Intelius gives you a
  20-year address history, maiden names, aliases, roommates, etc. For $30 more, you can get a full criminal and sex offender background check; personal bankruptcy, liens and small claims judgments; and home value with property details--a must these days for pre-employment screening.

Used these services, or want to recommend another? Add a review by clicking EasyEdit or posting a new comment.