Risk taking is part and parcel of being in business nowadays. As an illustration of this court records indicate that 60 % of new startups do not make it past the first year of being in operation (that's about one in every 4) and this number rises even more significantly after 5 years or operation from three to five.

But whilst every business owner knows these figures few realize that other internal factors, as related to the very nature of their specific business have the power to dramatically add to the overall risk factor.

For example any business operating motor vehicles of heavy equipment runs additional risks particularly since such vehicles and or heavy equipment have to be operated manually. This human factor adds to the element of risks and in doing so brings into light the very real possibilities of increased liabilities and even legal litigation.

Market forces play a vital role in businesses, and so can human related forces be even more damaging! These human related risks expose businesses far and beyond the confines of its geographical address. Indeed any business sending employees to customer's homes, or dealing with children or disabled people or involved in other such interactive activities between employees and customers places itself in a position of added risk, with regards to liability issues.

Indeed in such cases, all it takes is a single error, a poor decision, a poor judgment from a company's employee to cause problems such that they can have dire consequences and sometimes even deal a fatal blow to the survival of the business.

Put differently, the actions of a single careless employee can significantly alter the delicate balance between success and failure, and plunge the business in a situation which can at best be costly in terms of customer service and or litigation costs, or at worse be fatal to the business.

Whilst it is not possible for a business owner to forecast such problems in order to take appropriate measures every steps of the way to prevent and protect against them, just imagine the additional hassles the business would face if it turned out that the "careless" employee was in fact someone who should never have been hired to begin with had court records been duly looked at as a matter or pre screening when first hired!

What if this individual had a recorded history of poor decision making or worse court records that indicated a less than perfect past! The tragedy in this case would of course be increased by the fact that this could have been a totally avoidable situation which should never have been allowed to take place in the first place.

There is always an element of unease when talking about the subject of court records. After all we live in a free society where the the right to privacy for all of us is something we should all be proud of, and thus whenever the issue of background check is raised there is a sense of guilt or discomfort showcasing everyone desire to stay out of other people's businesses.

But as a responsible business owner, in a world where companies are involved in costly lawsuits the question becomes not so much that obtaining court records on a prospective employee may on the surface seem to be inappropriate but rather that not doing so shows a definite recklessness on the part of the business owner!

The right to individual liberties should indeed be protected at all costs but not at the expense of others who rely on the responsibility of their bosses to do everything they can to protect not only their personal safety but also their livelihood!

When the actions of one careless employee with a checkered history puts the livelihood of others at risk, then obtaining court records on all prospective employees is the only responsible thing a business owner should do to protect his business and the job security of the company's other employees.business can dramatically add to the risk factor.

For example any business operating motor vehicles of heavy equipment has an added element of risk given that such vehicles and or heavy equipment have to be operated by workers who introduce"not easily measurable" elements of human risk factors.

And it is not just in-situ that these types of risk can take place. Any business that has an interactive relationship between its employees and its customers runs a risk when an employee's mistake takes place. For example, a company that sends employees to the home of its customers sees these risks extended outside of its walls and it is not just the risks that are compounded but the actual nature of said risks!

And so, an employee's solitary mistake could have a potentially damaging effect on the business in financial terms which could affect its very livelihood and at best could result in a substantial increase in liability insurance premium.

What this means is that the action of one employee has significant on many different levels including customer relation and or potential litigation costs.

Of course it is impossible to foresee every element of a workforce method of operation and ensure that mistakes do not happen. Frailty is part of human nature, and as humans, we make mistakes.

What if this person had a history of poor decision making or worse court records that indicate a less than perfect past! The tragedy in this instance would of course be compounded by the fact that this could have been a totally avoidable situation, and indeed should never have had to take place in the first instance.

We live in a society which takes the liberty and privacy of all citizens very seriously and thus the notion of court records sometimes has disturbing effects on those who are confronted with the task of recruiting a potential employee.

But as a business owner, in a world a lawsuits and legal judgment the question becomes not so much that obtaining court records on a prospective employee may on the surface seem to be inappropriate but rather that not doing so would show a certain recklessness on the part of the business owner!

By all means, individual liberties should be protected at all costs but when other employees stand to lose their jobs because of the actions of one careless worker with a checkered history then obtaining court records on all prospective employees is the very least a business owner should do to protect his business and the job security of the other employees.

Before you recruit any one into your company, make sure to check savvycompany' excellent free report on court records and discover how you can make your own court records searches more efficient.