How do I remove my old business from databases?
QMany years ago, I was an independent mortgage adviser who worked from home and was registered with some business directories. Later, I took a job and effectively closed down my business.
As a sole trader, there was no formal process for doing this – I just stopped using the business name. Down the years I’ve noticed some registries still link the business name to our home address. I wonder if over time this will eventually happen less and less? Otherwise, I’ve no idea how to go about getting these listings removed. There’s obviously some main resource that holds this data, which some firms still use. It’s a minor irritation, admittedly, but any idea about how to get it removed would be gratefully received. Daniel Mccoy
AWe’ve changed your name because searching for your real one does indeed reveal your old business and current address. We’re afraid there isn’t a single ‘main resource’ that holds such data. Rather, there are countless ‘data brokers’ holding and trading information about your former business – and many millions more besides. Such organisations do tend periodically to ‘clean up’ their databases to remove discontinued businesses, so over time your old business should disappear.
However, so far as we can tell, your particular business exists on only a handful of sites now. You could contact these individually to inform them that the business is no more. Yelp maintains a listing for your business, for example. On this page, click the ‘Suggest an edit’ link (see screenshot) and then fill in the subsequent form, being sure to tick the ‘Business Closed or Moved’ box, followed by Permanently Closed.