# Self-Employed or Business Owner

## Problem Overview

Your account verification is delayed because you indicated that you are self-employed or own a business, but we cannot determine what your business does. When there is no public information available about your business — no website, no LinkedIn page, no public filings describing the business activity — we need additional documentation before we can classify your account.

## Why This Is Required

Exchange regulations require Market Data to classify every subscriber as either a professional or non-professional data user. For self-employed subscribers, the classification depends on the nature of the business itself — specifically, whether the business is involved in financial services, investment management, or other activities that would qualify as professional use under exchange rules.

A self-reported business name alone is not sufficient. We need to independently confirm what the business does. See [Account Verification Policy](/docs/account/data-policies/account-verification/) and [Professional Status Policy](/docs/account/data-policies/professional-status/) for full details.

## How to Fix

### Option 1: Provide a Public Link

The fastest way to resolve this is to provide a link to any public source that describes your business:

- A business website
- A company LinkedIn page
- A business directory listing
- A public filing that describes the nature of the business

Contact our [support helpdesk](https://www.marketdata.app/dashboard/) with the link and we can typically verify your account the same day.

### Option 2: Answer a Few Questions

If your business does not have a public presence, contact our [support helpdesk](https://www.marketdata.app/dashboard/) with the following information:

1. The **registered name** of your business (if applicable).
2. Your **primary business activities and services** — what does the business do?
3. Whether your business:
   - Provides any investment advice or recommendations
   - Manages investments for others
   - Uses market data as part of its products or services
   - Shares or redistributes market data to others

If your business is not involved in any of the above, we can typically classify your account as non-professional.

### Option 3: Provide Supporting Documentation

You can also send any document that confirms your line of business:

- A business registration or filing that describes the nature of the business
- A brochure or marketing materials describing your products or services
- Any other document that makes clear what the business does

## What Triggers Professional Classification

Your business activity — not your job title — determines your classification. Businesses that do any of the following are generally classified as professional:

- Provide investment advice or financial planning
- Manage investments or trade on behalf of others
- Use market data as part of a commercial product or service
- Redistribute or display market data to third parties

If your business is in a non-financial field (e.g., construction, healthcare, retail, technology), you will typically be classified as non-professional regardless of the fact that you are self-employed.

## Still Need Help?

If you are unsure how your business would be classified, please contact our [support helpdesk](https://www.marketdata.app/dashboard/) and describe what your business does. Our support team will let you know what classification applies and what documentation, if any, is needed.

We typically respond within a few hours during market hours or within 1 business day outside of market hours.