¶ … Interview with an Information Broker Today, professional researchers who are capable of providing timely and accurate information about markets and even other people are in high demand. One such information broker that has identified a niche opportunity and use it to grow his online business is Mr. Josh Stevens (not his real name), who provides in-depth background checks for his clientele. This paper provides the results of an information interview with Mr. Stevens, followed by a summary of the experience in the conclusion.

Results of Interview

The president of Online Verification, Inc. (not its real name) is Mr. Josh Stevens. Mr. Stevens was selected for this interview because his work as an information broker was appropriate for this project, and just as importantly, he agreed to participate in the telephonic interview after learning of its purpose and intent. Following an introduction period where the interviewer's background and resume (provided as an email attachment) were discussed, a series of interview questions were asked and the responses summarized. Although the interview was not taped, extensive notes were kept of the results and these were typed up immediately following the interview while they were fresh and the handwritten results could be amplified in typed form.

In response to the first question, "Why did this type of work interest...

Stevens stated that the concept of Online Verification, Inc. came to him after listening to his brother-in-law, who was a human resources manager at a Fortune 500 company, complain about his inability to readily verify the credentials of applicants for sensitive positions. In addition, Mr. Stevens indicated that many of his private clients were interested in verifying the backgrounds of people who performed household tasks or who otherwise came into contact with their family members on a regular basis. The background checks conducted by Online Verification, Inc. confirmed degrees, collected criminal histories, and otherwise aggregated everything relevant that is known about an individual. The company was started by Mr. Stevens using his own resources with him as the sole employee at first.
In response to the second question, "What is your typical day like?," Mr. Stevens emphasized that although Online Verification, Inc. maintained a prominent Web presence, much of his day was occupied answering the telephone. In this regard, Mr. Stevens stated that many of his clients were high maintenance and required telephonic updates rather than emails which were viewed as vulnerable to interception (several telephones could be ringing in the background). Besides talking with clients on the phone, Mr. Stevens said he conducted much of the research personally,…