The kind of in depth research and investigations that private investigators used to offer is not that difficult to find online now, if for example you need to do research on someone you are thinking of entering business with. The options include a reverse lookup service or background check lookup, such sites even offer some government records and email lookups. Business and merketing industries are some of the most competitive and risky, and so they also attract big sums of money. This in turn also attracts the scammers and fraudsters who will try to get your money for either no product, or for something worthless. You need to put in as much work into investigating the seller at times as you put into any other part of your business.