Business Question

Okay, this may be off-topic.  If so, please let me know.  I have a question
to ask you all and get your opinion.

For the most part I only serve the local area around our part of the state.
I have never had any customers out of state.  Recently I got a customer on
the East Coast that wants me to design a site for his company.  With it
being out of state, I wanted to confirm that this guy was for real and that
his business really existed.  So I contacted the Dept of Revenue for the
state to confirm his existence.  They do not have any record for him or his
business.

To make a long story short, I contacted City Hall to find out if he has a
license - they aren't in until tomorrow.  I contacted the Chamber of
Commerce and Better Business Bureau, they don't have any records on him
either.

My question to you is this:  I guess a couple of questions actually....

1.  When you get a potential customer, do you check to make sure they are
actually registered with the State as a business?

2.  Is there any reason to care whether they are licensed?

It seems to me that a web designer has an ethical responsibility to be
concerned whether or not a business is legitimate, and that they aren't
conducting business illegally.

Please give me your opinions on this.
Brandon

HWG hwg-techniques mailing list archives, maintained by Webmasters @ IWA