If you have just finished your Private Investigator Training Course, you have learned much about a variety of topics: understanding the chain of evidence, investigative techniques, privacy laws and what kind of employment is available just to name a few – it’s now time to get to work and put your training to good use.

This article focuses on the value of online research and how it can save both you and your client time and money.

Once you have some basic information on a subject such as their name and city that they most likely live in, you may want to conduct a basic Google search to see what social profiles pop up (ex. Linkedin, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram), whether the subject has commented on any public forums, posted any advertisements in classifieds.

You can also conduct more covert online research by “friending” the subject under an alias on a social network or joining an online forum conversation. Online research is a great way for Private Investigators to come up with a variety of pictures of the subject as well which will display from a basic search engine crawl.

Your online efforts will also reveal quickly any public notoriety in terms of serious lawsuits or controversies.

Since Private Investigators usually charge by the hour, spending a few hours online may give you significant insight into the habits, lifestyle, socio economic position and other relevant information from the comfort of your home.

As a starting point or alternative to traditional surveillance, online investigation can end up saving both you and your client time and money.  Even a few hours spent in traditional surveillance driving across a city, purchasing meals, possibly a hotel room can add up to a lot of cost for a small client and dissuade them from following through with a thorough investigation.

Stay tuned for our next Critical Key to Success for Ontario Private Investigator Training coming soon.  If you haven’t completed your training yet and are wanting to receive a New Private Investigator License in Ontario, simply sign up here to begin training today: http://securityguardcourse.ca/course/private-investigator