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Public records only
Everything here traces back to a public source — state licensing/registration data, court and regulatory records, government feeds. No private tips, no anonymous “insider info,” no rumor.
By Gary Amick · That Computer Guy 26
Indiana Businesses Exposed
Shining a light on who really earns your business. Consumer education for southern Indiana — how to check someone out before you hire them or hand over money — plus the local conditions that affect your day.
The mission
What “Exposed” actually means
Indiana Businesses Exposed is a consumer-education project, not a marketing product and not an accusation service. It exists to give southern Indiana neighbors plain, public-data tools to make an informed decision before they hire someone or hand over their money — nothing more, nothing less.
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No pay-to-play, ever
No business can pay to appear, rank higher, or get a record removed. A business referenced here has zero financial relationship with Indiana Businesses Exposed — that’s the entire point of the name.
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No fabricated claims
No fake star ratings, no invented review counts, no “Top 10” lists dressed up as journalism, and no accusations about a specific business that aren’t grounded in a verifiable public record.
Before you hire anyone
How to check out a contractor or business
A little homework before you sign anything or pay a deposit is the single best protection you have. Here’s the honest, no-shortcuts version.
Step 1
Confirm the business is real
Look it up on the Indiana Secretary of State business search (bsd.sos.in.gov) — an active registration is a basic sign the entity exists and is in good standing.
Step 2
Check licensing where it applies
Some trades (certain contractors, HVAC, electrical, plumbing) require state or local licensing. The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (in.gov/pla) can confirm a license is real, current, and matches the name on the estimate.
Step 3
Search court and judgment records
Indiana case records are publicly searchable through mycase.in.gov. A lawsuit or judgment isn’t automatically disqualifying, but a pattern of them — especially unpaid judgments — is worth asking about directly.
Step 4
Check for complaint history
The Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) and the Indiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division (in.gov/attorneygeneral) both track complaints and public alerts.
Step 5
Verify permits for home-improvement work
Larger jobs (additions, electrical, plumbing) usually need a local building permit. Your county or city building department can confirm whether a contractor actually pulls permits — a contractor who avoids permits on permit-required work is a red flag by itself.
Step 6
Get it in writing before you pay anything
A written estimate or contract that spells out scope, materials, and price protects both sides. Verbal-only agreements are much harder to enforce if something goes wrong.
Read critically
Public records and online reviews aren’t the same kind of evidence
A court filing is a verifiable fact you can look up yourself. An online review is one person’s account, and it can be gamed. Treat them differently.
Reading public records
- A single lawsuit or complaint isn’t automatically disqualifying — ask what happened and how it was resolved.
- Look for a pattern, not a one-off: repeated judgments, repeated licensing actions, or repeated consumer complaints matter more than any single record.
- Check dates — a problem from many years ago under different ownership reads differently than one from last month.
- A clean record isn’t proof of good work either — it just means nothing has been filed publicly yet.
Reading online reviews
- Read the negative reviews first, and see how the business responded — defensive or dismissive responses are as telling as the complaint itself.
- Watch for a cluster of 5-star reviews posted in the same short window, with generic wording — a common sign of incentivized or purchased reviews.
- Cross-check across more than one platform (Google, BBB, Facebook) instead of trusting a single source — a business can curate one page more easily than several.
- Be cautious of a business with zero online footprint at all, or one that’s only weeks old but claims decades of experience.
- A public record (a court filing, a licensing action) is a fact you can verify — treat it differently than an anonymous online comment you can’t.
Spot it before you sign
Common red flags
None of these alone proves a scam, but more than one together is a strong reason to slow down.
🚩 Demands full payment, or an unusually large deposit, before any work starts.
🚩 High-pressure “sign today” pricing, or shows up uninvited right after a storm.
🚩 No permanent local address — only a PO box, a cash-only policy, or payment demanded via gift cards or wire transfer.
🚩 Can’t produce a license number when the trade requires one, or the number doesn’t match on lookup.
🚩 Refuses to put the estimate or scope of work in writing.
🚩 Won’t provide any verifiable past customers or references.
🚩 Unmarked vehicle or signage that doesn’t match the business name on the invoice.
If something did go wrong
Where and how to file a complaint
Indiana Attorney General — Consumer Protection Division
Handles consumer complaints statewide and publishes scam alerts. in.gov/attorneygeneral
Better Business Bureau
Tracks complaint history and business responses. bbb.org
Indiana Professional Licensing Agency
For licensed trades — verify a license or report a licensing issue. in.gov/pla
Small claims court
For a direct financial dispute under the small-claims limit, your county court is often the fastest path to a resolution.
Get something wrong on this page? Corrections are taken seriously — contact Gary Amick with the source and it gets fixed.
Right now · Seymour, Indiana
Local conditions
🌤️ Weather · Seymour
83° Mostly clear
Feels 84° · Wind 10 mph · Humidity 50%
Feels 84° · Wind 10 mph · Humidity 50%
Wed83°/63°0%💧
Thu85°/61°0%💧
Fri87°/64°14%💧
Sat77°/65°70%💧
Sun75°/66°46%💧
Source: Open-Meteo · as of Jul 29, 2026, 4:15 PM
🚧 Indiana roads (INDOT)
1,640active work zones
387lane closures
294detours
Closest to Seymour:
Work zone
Work zone
Work zone
Work zone
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Source: INDOT / CARS WZDx · as of Jul 29, 2026, 4:15 PM
Where we’re rooted
Written from southern Indiana
Indiana Businesses Exposed is written from Seymour, the same home base That Computer Guy 26 works from. Both projects are grounded in the same real counties — not a nationwide content farm.
Seymour
Jackson County, IN
That Computer Guy is based in Seymour and serves Jackson County directly. Local, honest computer repair, IT support, security cameras, and small-business technology — you deal with one person who knows the area.
Columbus
Bartholomew County, IN
Serving Columbus and Bartholomew County with practical computer repair, business IT, camera systems, and websites. Straight advice, fair estimates, no upsells.
North Vernon
Jennings County, IN
Local technology help for North Vernon and Jennings County — repairs, cleanups, home networking, and small-business support from a technician who explains things plainly.
Brownstown
Jackson County, IN
Brownstown and the rest of Jackson County get the same honest, local service — computer fixes, upgrades, cameras, and small-business technology.
Scottsburg
Scott County, IN
Serving Scottsburg and Scott County with computer repair, IT support, and camera systems. Local, accountable, and honest about repair-vs-replace.
Seymour & area
South-central Indiana, IN
Networking, workstations, backups, cameras, custom tools, and websites for small businesses across Jackson, Bartholomew, Jennings, and Scott counties. One accountable point of contact.
Indianapolis (greater)
Marion County & suburbs, IN
That Computer Guy serves the greater Indianapolis area for camera installs, business IT projects, custom software, and websites, plus remote support anywhere in the state.
🔦 Indiana Businesses Exposed
The free, consumer-facing education project on this page: how to research a business, local conditions, and honest context for making informed choices. Editorially independent and not for sale.
- Public-data education & local intelligence
- No client relationship with any business referenced
- No fee to be mentioned, no fee to be removed
🛠️ That Computer Guy 26
The separate, paid computer-repair side run by the same person, Gary Amick. It’s a one-person hobby and second job — evenings and weekends, drop-off only, no on-site or in-home visits.
- Paid, drop-off computer & hardware repair — not insured, not a licensed contractor
- You supply the parts; no payment taken up front
- See repair details → · (812) 414-9097