Ownership labels explained
Pre-launch version, last updated .
Some listings carry an ownership label. This page explains what each one means and when it appears.
The labels
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Locally owned and operated | The business is independently owned and operated locally. A listing adds "Owned by [names]" only with the owner's consent. |
| Independently owned, regional | The business is independently owned and operates in several regions. |
| Locally owned franchisee of [franchisor] | The business is owned locally and operates under a franchise. The listing always names the franchisor. |
| Location of [parent company] | The location belongs to a larger company. The listing names the company. |
A listing with no ownership label has not had its ownership checked yet (no ownership label yet). That says nothing about the business.
When a label appears
- A label appears only after an admin checks the ownership against the state business registration (the North Carolina Secretary of State) and, where the trade has one, the licensing board record.
- For a sole proprietor with no registered business, the admin records the evidence used.
- For a franchisee, the franchise relationship is checked too.
- What a business says about itself is not a label.
- Each year the business is asked to confirm its ownership. Reporting a change removes the label until it is checked again.
- "Locally owned" on a trade page filters to locally owned and operated businesses and locally owned franchisees.
Ownership labels are separate from the license and insurance tags. How we verify explains those.
Last updated .