Access Profiles, Inc.

At Access Profiles we will be spending the next few weeks recharging our minds and our souls. We will be soaking up the endless wonders fo the season ~ both the quiet times and the chaotic times that, to us, mean "holiday"!


As a new decade begins, we look forward to returning with a renewed focus and commitment to writing articles that address the needs of you and your small business. 




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Imagine this: You've made it to the end of an extensive interviewing process with your dream company. You’ve been given an offer of employment conditional on the successful completion of your background check.

There is only one problem…you have been notified that your background check did not come back clean and the company is rescinding their offer. The worst part? What they found in your background check is not true! Now what do you do?



Job seekers can find themselves confronted with misinformation found in their background checks. They are then forced to prove not only that the findings wrong, but also to keep these errors from popping up again. This can be stressful and hard to do.

If you are looking for a job, or even being offered a promotion, it is best that you learn how to tackle this potential issue head on.



If your new employer finds what you know to be errors during your background check, the best course of action is to take charge! 

Immediately inform the employer that you dispute these findings. Then be ready to do what you can to prove the results wrong ~ and following these tips is a great place to start! They will help you fix misinformation that may be found in your background check and help prevent it from happening again.

Fixing Errors
If there are errors listed in your background check, don’t give up. It is not too late the fix them. In fact, it is your right to be given the chance!

The FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) requires employers to follow a specific process when they are confronted with information that might negatively impact their hiring decision. 

Before making a final decision, Employers must:

• Notify you, in writing, that negative information was found during your background check.
• Provide you with a copy of the background check report, including contact information for the company that provided the report.
• Provide you with a copy of “A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act”.
• Allow you a minimum of 5 business days to provide proof that the information found is in error or mitigate the findings with additional information.

Find out more about your rights when it comes to employment background checks here!

This entire process will undoubtedly cause a delay in the hiring process.

So, instead of being faced with the task of proving the negative information found in your employment background check is wrong, it is better to be prepared and…..


The best way is to Do a Background Check on Yourself before you ever even apply for a job!

Hiring delays are never in your or an employer’s best interest. The wait keeps you both in limbo. You are stalled in your job search and the employer is unable to hire for the position they need. 

Taking the time before you apply to make sure that any information “out there” about you is factual simply makes sense for you both!

It will prevent you from being unduly surprised and allow the employer to more quickly get the information they need to make an informed hiring decision. 

By pre-doing a background check on yourself, you will be able to see exactly what an employment background check will uncover and give you the opportunity to double check the results and see if they are accurate.

Learn more about the benefits of doing a background check on yourself here!

Professional screening companies are familiar with what information employers check, the best sources to use to gather this information, and can help you determine the best way to prove the negative information wrong.


Once you get the results of your own report, or are confronted with a negative report from an employer, there are definitive steps you should take to correct any errors.

First, be sure to check the entire report thoroughly. Pay special attention to:

• Misspellings of your name
• Missing or incorrect date of birth
• Missing or incorrect Social Security number
• Incorrect past addresses
• Criminal charges attributed to you in error

If you find any discrepancies, then you need to take steps to fix them.



Start with documentation that lists your legal name, including full middle name and any suffixes (Jr., Sr., etc.). Include any past names you may have had such as maiden name and past married names. Have your official social security card and valid driver’s license on hand to help provide correct legal name, current address, and date of birth. Also be ready with a list of all past addresses and your dates of residence at each.

If your background check shows incorrect arrests or convictions, and they can’t be disproven with the valid identifying information you provided, then you should contact the court where the case originated. Ask for a copy of the report and find out what steps you need to take to dispute that these cases belong to you.

Background check errors can also occur when verifying education or past employments. These are some of the easiest errors to fix or to avoid entirely!

If you are confronted with this type of error, contact the education institution or employer where it occurred. Find out why the information you supplied on your resume differs from what is in their records. If they are in error, make your case. However, if you have made the mistake, correct it on your resume going forward.

With these type of errors, your best defense is really a good offense. Instead of finding out after the fact that there are inaccuracies either in your resume or in the information being provided by your university or past employer, make your resume “Background Check Ready” before you apply!

Check that all the dates, titles, and degrees or professional licenses you list in your resume are accurate and current. Provide the name and location of each institution to make verifying the information easy.

Do the same for your employments. List the name and location of the company and working contact information including phone and email for your past supervisor or the company’s Human Resources department. Include your dates of employment, last title earned, and reason for leaving.

Be honest. Don’t elevate your role or responsibilities. If there are gaps in your history, don’t try to cover them by fudging the facts. Instead, be ready to explain why you have a gap and what you did during that time to stay current in your field. 

Learn more about how and why you should get your resume “Background Check Ready” here!

Once you have all the proof you need to challenge the errors in your background check, provide them to your potential employer.
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When it comes time to hire for your Small Business, you most likely are looking for the right fit. You need someone who can do the job, work well with you and the rest of your team, and add something to your workplace skill set and productivity that is lacking.

But how does that work when you have a Family Business? Or even if you are simply thinking of hiring a friend or relative for the job?

This question was asked recently on quora.com, “How do Family Offices Perform Due Diligence?”, and it got us thinking……

Do Family businesses do Employment Background Checks? Should they? And if they don’t screen their employees, do they even consider the ramifications of not doing so?

This question was recently posted on the question and answer site Quora. The answer is relevant to anyone who has even a minor criminal record and is searching for a job.

"A lot has to do with the employer requesting the background check. Do they have a policy to reject anyone with any criminal record? If so, it doesn’t matter. Some companies, by law, cannot hire anyone with a criminal past. These types of companies include banks and government jobs. Other employers simply choose to make that their policy. These kinds of “blanket rejection” policies are coming under fire. Background check guidelines are requiring employers to justify why the criminal record would make the applicant unable or unsafe to fill the open position and how long ago the offense occurred. Then there are employers who are willing to hire those with a criminal history. In those cases, a misdemeanor conviction is definitely distinguished from a felony conviction. In addition, many of these employers look at other factors to determine employment such as what type of crime it is and what the applicant has done since their crime to better themselves."
You can read more responses to this question here!

Ex-offenders recognize the stigma that comes with having been convicted of a crime and how it lessens their chances of gainful employment.

What they may not know is that there are laws and regulations that can help. These guidelines govern how criminal histories can be used to determine employment.

When a background check uncovers a criminal history, employers must consider the following:

• How much time has elapsed since the crime? ~ Most background checks go back 7 years so any criminal record that bears weight on a company’s employment decision should have occurred during that timeframe. 
• What type of crime was committed?, Does it relate to the job being filled?,  Would committing that crime result in the job being done unsafely? When hiring someone with a criminal history, employers consider the answers to these questions extremely important. 

To truly answer this question, it is important to understand how employers think. 

Employers are only human. When an applicant has any kind of criminal past, it can have an impact on what an employer thinks about that applicant. This can be true no matter what the crime.

While committing a serious felony would certainly give an employer pause, lesser crimes may not have the same impact. What should really matter is whether the crime could effect how an applicant does the job!  

Even those employers who are forward thinking enough to overlook a criminal past, will most likely want to see evidence that the offender has taken responsibility and tried to improve themselves since being convicted of their crime.

It is important that ex-offenders take the initiative and make themselves a more attractive choice to employers. They have to take any and all steps necessary to get hired.

These steps include: 

• Taking responsibility for their criminal past ~ Don’t try and blame what happened on others. Own it.
• Share what you they been doing since their conviction to better themselves ~ Get any letters of recommendation that they can from current and former employers, mentors, or anyone who can vouch for their commitment to move on from their criminal past.

Find out more in “How Do You get a Decent Job with a Criminal Record?”.

“Many employers are hesitant to hire people with criminal records ….. Employers are concerned about the trustworthiness of those with prior criminal records. And if a position requires a worker to be unsupervised or come in contact with customers, those employers are even more cautious.

There is also the very real fear of the legal ramifications of hiring an ex-offender. Businesses are often held liable for the actions of their employees. Negligent hiring lawsuits are not uncommon”, excerpt from “Once a Criminal, always a Criminal ~ Why We believe in Second Chances!”.

Making a a blanket decision to never hire anyone with a criminal past is unnecessary, and recent suggested background check guidelines are looking to make it unlawful.

We need to make it easier and more appealing for employers to take a chance on an ex-offender.

The best way to accomplish this is to lessen their liability.
One of way is to offer qualified ex-offenders a “Certificate of Relief”. This certificate is a statement by the court that an ex-offender has met a certain pre-defined set of circumstances and conditions concerning their past conviction(s). This certificate is designed to help reduce the risk to employers who hire ex-offenders.

But this certification is not given to everyone. While specific criteria may vary state to state, common conditions that ex-offenders must meet to be eligible for a “Certificate of Relief” are:

• The Offender has had a limited number of felonies and / or misdemeanors
• There has been a specific period of time since the completion of their sentence
• The Offender has completed all the terms of their sentence
• The Offender has not violated or failed to comply with any term of their sentence
• The Offender must be engaged in, or seeking, lawful employment, an education, training, or registered in other rehabilitative programs
• The granting of the “certificate of relief” cannot put the safety or welfare of the public or any individual at unreasonable risk

Find out more about what you need to know about a “Certificate of Relief” here!



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For others it may mean having independence of thought. The freedom to think what they want and to do what they want ~ as long as it is legal!

Then there is the larger kind of freedom we celebrate in the United States on July 4th. On that day we honor and commemorate the independence fought for by the colonists. These brave people dedicated themselves to creating a country free from English rule and the right to form a nation where they were represented in government. 

Many immigrants continue to come to this country looking for much the same thing. They seek freedom from persecution for their beliefs, freedom from the ravages of war and poverty, and freedom to love and care for who they want ~ without risk of death or imprisonment for doing so.  




But when the word Independence comes to mind, we should also think  about the entrepreneurial spirit that is strong in our nation ~ and the many Small Business Owners that embody this spirit!


Entrepreneurs believe in and appreciate the rights we have in this country to pursue our dreams ~ and owning our own businesses are a large part of those dreams!

We recognize and continue to fight for those freedoms. We cherish the opportunities that allow us to reach our goals and build something of our own we can be proud of. 

As Business Owners…."our businesses are what drive us, worry us, and sustain us. Daily, we celebrate our ability to create something that is ours and to take it in the direction we want to go!", excerpt from “Celebrating Our Small Business Independence. 

You can discover even more about what Independence means to Small Business here!






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As parents, we all want our children to be happy and healthy. We make sure they eat the right foods, get the sleep they need, and have time to play with friends and participate in clubs and sports. 

But when it comes to succeeding in life, and ultimately their chosen profession, are we doing all we can to get them there?

This is where teaching them these life lessons will help. Each will instill the skills they need to grow into happy, responsible, and successful adults.


Teach Kids the Importance of Love - Teach them to love themselves first. They should learn to protect their bodies and their mind from negative and unsafe outside influences. They also need to be open to  loving others. Explain the importance of focusing on the kind of person the people around them are, not what they have or how they look. 

Teach Kids to Never Stop Learning - Focus on why it is important for them to keep their eyes and their mind wide open. Share that learning doesn’t only come from books but from the people and world around them.

Teach Kids the Importance of Playing Well with Others - Make sure they learn teamwork and how to work together with others to achieve a common goal. Explain the importance of accepting others’ differences, to learn tolerance, and practice empathy. 

Teach Kids How to Resolve Disagreements - During their lifetime, everyone will have times when they disagree with someone. Children need to learn early how to deal with these confrontations and disagreements. They need to be taught to look at all sides of an issue, ask good questions, and focus on the problem not the person. 

Teach Kids to Stand Up for Themselves and Others - Children should learn to stand up for what is right and defend others when they are being bullied or harmed. They need to know that it is okay to let their voice be heard, and how to do it calmly and effectively.



Teach Kids the Importance of Admitting when They are Wrong and  Forgiving Others when They are Wrong - Children should understand that it is human to make mistakes. However, it is also important to own those mistakes. They need to learn how to apologize when they are wrong and to also accept the apologies of others when they make mistakes.

Teach Kids How to Live Life with a Positive Outlook - Bad things happen. It is how you deal with them and move on that makes the difference. Children need to know that focusing on the positive will help get them through the bad times. Teach them to take pleasure in the “little things”. This is a great way to deal with life’s stresses and disappointments.

Teach Kids the Value of Hard Work - There is pleasure in a job well done. Kids need to learn that satisfaction early in life. You also need to stress the importance of being on time for a job and doing their best at all times. This will serve them well at the first job and for any job after.

Teach Kids the Value of Money - Start young by assigning tasks and rewarding the completion of those tasks. Explain to them, according to their age, about saving and bills, living within their means, and credit and debt. Teach them about saving for the future by helping them open up their first savings account. Being open and honest with your kids about money and your own finances will serve them well in the future.

Teach Kids the Importance of Being Kind and Helping Others - Kindness is an often unrecognized super power! Children should see that often even the littlest gesture of kindness can make a difference in someone’s day. Stressing kindness can also help them develop compassion and empathy towards others ~ something we sorely need in this world!


Bonus Tip: Teach Kids How to Use Social Media Wisely!
“You and your child should be aware that their social media posts will have an impact on how they are perceived. They can result in them being seen in either a positive or a negative light. Examples of posts that will be viewed as positive are ones that feature charity work, love of travel, participation in sports, clubs, and activities. Negative posts include posts that show excessive partying, illegal behavior, hate posts, violent posts, and negative posts on past employers.

Children and especially Teens ~ Be careful what you post. Does it show you in the best light? is it something you want your parents or grandparents to see? If not, don’t post!

Parents ~ Monitor your child’s online activities. Set a good example yourself by using your social media sites in a responsible way”, excerpt from “What We Need to Do to Help Our Children Get Ready for College, the Job Market, and Background Checks!”

People that embody these traits are good friends, partners, and members of society. In addition, future employers will look for many of these traits and skills in their new hires, and promote those employees that practice them. 
Lead and teach by example. Be kind to others. Forgive their faults and admit to your own. Work hard and expect your kids to do the same. 

Only after finding the information we need and checking that it truly is a good deal do we finally feel comfortable putting our hard earned money on the line. 

The key is to know what to look for when we do our due diligence. Recognizing the questions to ask, and why, and also knowing how to verify the answers we get to those questions, will help!

Going into business with or hiring any company comes with a set of risks. The company could have dealt with clients poorly in the past. They may not live up to their promises or do shoddy work. 

Before you know it, you have wasted your time and money by hiring or working with someone that falls way short of your expectations.

So before signing on the dotted line, do your homework!

Any business should be able and willing to provide a list of other companies or individuals that they have done business with. They can be current clients or ones they have worked with in the past. It should be an immediate red flag if they can't, or are unwilling, to give you a list ~ and we suggest walking away now if that is the case.

When you get that list of references, there are a few things you should check. First, make sure each of their references includes the full name of the person or company they worked with and current contact information. You may even want to take note of what kind of work they did / do for them.

Then it is time to contact each of these references and ask the following:

• Are you a current or past client?
• When did you last do business with them?
• How would you rate their quality of service?
• Did you have any customer service issues or complaints about their work or have you heard of them having any?
• Would you consider them trustworthy and reliable?
• Was their billing accurate and timely?
• Would you consider the service they provided worth the price you paid?
• What were the positives and negatives in dealing with this company?
• Would you do business with this company again and recommend them to others?
• Can you provide the name of another person or business who has done business with this company? This is a developed reference not provided by the company. 

For each question be sure to request examples, not just a yes or no response.

Better Business Bureau and your state Business Licensing Agency
Contacting the BBB is an easy first step in vetting a company. By simply typing in the company name on the BBB site, you can see if they are registered, if any complaints have been filed against them, and, if so, how these complaints were handled. Your state licensing agency will help you determine if the company is registered in your state and is running a legitimate business.

Civil Courts
“Civil Court Record Checks are also a valuable tool in vetting anyone you are considering doing business with, either on a professional or personal level, such as home contractors, in home caregivers, etc.”

Knowing if the business you are considering using has a history of contract disputes, personal injury cases, or has sued others or been sued themselves is invaluable. Find out more in “Civil Court Record Checks ~ The Forgotten Screening Tool”!

Criminal Courts
Checking for any records listed in the criminal court system will help you discover whether the company has had any criminal complaints filed against them or against any of their employees while they were on the job. Examples of things you could find would be charges for theft, assault, etc.

Online Reviews 
“Google” the company and the owner’s name. Check out what people are saying about them online. We caution you to take these reviews with a grain of salt. Most companies will have some negative reviews. Unless they are corroborated with other sources, or show a clear pattern, a couple bad reviews alone may not be reason enough not to work with them.

“While (a business) may appear to have a good reputation, and the company people you have had contact with seem above board, following the “trust but verify” rule makes sense. 

Simply trusting that they will bring value to your company or that their products or services will meet your needs is just not wise or good business. That is why you need to take the steps necessary to verify that your trust is not misplaced! Learn more in “Why You need to Trust but Verify!”