UK People Finder Startup – Seeking Feedback and Advice

[safecav51]

Hi everyone,

I’m starting a new venture offering people finder services in the UK. I’d appreciate your input on:

1. Market Demand: Is there a strong need for this service?
2. Features: What key features should we include?
3. Legal Concerns: What legal or ethical issues should we consider?
4. Competitors: Any competitors we should know about?
5. Startup Tips: Any advice on getting started?

Thanks for your help!

 

[fisicx]

How do you find people? Is this some sort of private investigator agency thing?

1. No idea
2. Need to know a lot more about how the business works.
3. You need a solicitor.
4. Probably. What research have you done?
5. Money. Lots of it.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Hi everyone,

I’m starting a new venture offering people finder services in the UK. I’d appreciate your input on:

1. Market Demand: Is there a strong need for this service?
2. Features: What key features should we include?
3. Legal Concerns: What legal or ethical issues should we consider?
4. Competitors: Any competitors we should know about?
5. Startup Tips: Any advice on getting started?

Thanks for your help!

When we used such services (many years ago) we called them tracing agents, through as @fisisais, they would come underthe wider banner of private investigators.

There is demand, and there is supply. As with most start ups, the key question is how will you differentiate yourself (what is your USP?)

I'd imagine that GDPR will be a big consideration

 

[Gecko001]

Your competition will be enquiry agents who mostly get their work through solicitors. It is a very old profession.

 

[japancool]

1. Legal Concerns: What legal or ethical issues should we consider?

Sounds like a stalker's charter.

 

[WaveJumper]

Jumping straight to No5 I would seek employment with a relevant agency and gain some experience in the field before going any further

 

[Ozzy]

1. Market Demand: Is there a strong need for this service?
2. Features: What key features should we include?
3. Legal Concerns: What legal or ethical issues should we consider?
4. Competitors: Any competitors we should know about?
5. Startup Tips: Any advice on getting started?

Honestly, if these are the questions you have come to a forum to ask, then you are way too early in your journey and are asking the wrong questions. You need to do market research by getting out there and asking people who use such services, which will answer questions 1-4 and then come back and ask question 5.

If you are truly looking to open a business in this sector then you would have some experience in it to know a bit about it already, otherwise why would you even be thinking about it? Perhaps having worked in the industry for someone else. What has your time in the industry taught you so far?

 

[Gecko001]

"This thread was created by someone new to UKBF. Please bear this in mind when replying."

I wonder who wrote that?

 

[Ozzy]

"This thread was created by someone new to UKBF. Please bear this in mind when replying."

I wonder who wrote that?

 

[Porky]

Yes @Ozzy i’m with @Gecko001 kindness counts, lol

 

[safecav51]

"This thread was created by someone new to UKBF. Please bear this in mind when replying."

I wonder who wrote that?

is there any school forum in UKBF for new members ? we get admission before writing here?

"This thread was created by someone new to UKBF. Please bear this in mind when replying."

I wonder who wrote that?

It seems you have an issue with a smiling newborn baby next to your neighbour — how rude.

 

[Ozzy]

Sometimes threads can drift off-topic as a conversation evolves. If it happens, that is generally fine.

However, and I admit I'm not the best at picking up on social cues and can sometimes misread signals, but I feel this thread has suddenly jarred vigorously off course. Smiling baby? Neighbours?

 

[japancool]

Methinks some misunderstanding is going on here from everyone.

 

[safecav51]

Sometimes threads can drift off-topic as a conversation evolves. If it happens, that is generally fine.

However, and I admit I'm not the best at picking up on social cues and can sometimes misread signals, but I feel this thread has suddenly jarred vigorously off course. Smiling baby? Neighbours?

I think there was a mix-up. My comment about the "smiling baby" was meant to show how off-topic remarks can affect discussions. I didn’t intend to derail the thread. I appreciate any advice you have on my startup.

Thanks!

 

[fisicx]

@safecav51 - you need to tell us a bit more about your business idea. Is this some sort of tracking or tracing system? Are you looking for errant fathers or runaway children? Will you be employing experts in hunting down criminals?

 

[Gecko001]

Yes @Ozzy i’m with @Gecko001 kindness counts, lol

Thanks Porky. I get called rude for pointing out that there is a rule that you should be kind to new members and that a certain owner of this forum was clearly breaking that rule by his broadside that he posted directed at a new member.

 

[Socio South West]

' Who is the d1ck that's a hit with all the chicks???..... SHAFT.... John Shaft!'

Private detection, as others have said, is an old old profession of dirty macs (raincoats) and endless hours sitting in cars watching someone's doorway.

Stacks of competition... I would guess that its not easy to break into in any way more than a one man band earning a few quid.

Lots of legislation to consider - GDPR, Privacy and Trespass for starters - Look at the mess Mirror Group got into when they started tapping phones!
Client confidentiality will probably prevent you from using any successes for promotional purposes.

Interesting work for an enquiring mind and a nose for dark undiscovered avenues!

Best of luck

 

[Nick@Daydot]

Years ago you could get a service - I think it was called 191 - first on disk and then online that contained a lot of information about people. Anyone could buy it. Then data protection came in. You used to be able to view the electoral roll online, now you can't - but I think you can at a physical council office. You used to be able to see marriages online, but now you can't unless you go to the physical register office. Even the old BT phone book isn't the same now.

There are online sources where information can be got - like the land registry, which costs per transaction. And there's (apparently) info available on the dark web, mostly illegally so.

I'm no expert in this, just something I've kept an eye on over time, and I suspect that tracing people has an online component and shoe leather. My own opinion is that I don't think there will be enough available legal data at a price that would attract a mass market, so you're looking at specialists as others have suggested. They will already have their methods. Again as others have said, you need to talk to them (if they'll talk) and see where there's a need you can commercially fulfill (and answer why someone else hasn't already done it).