Better Business Bureaus are private non-profit organizations supported largely by membership dues paid by business and professional groups in each Bureaus' service area.

How do Better Business Bureaus serve their communities?

Mission Statement:

• The Better Business Bureau's mission is to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between business and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence.

Better Business Bureaus:

• Provide reports on business firms that will be helpful to you before making a purchase. The BBB system responds to millions of such inquiries each year;
• Provide information about charity groups and organizations;
• Help resolve consumers' disputes with businesses through telephone conciliation, mediation and arbitration; and
• Promote ethical business standards and voluntary self-regulation of business practices.

Key Staff of West Central Ohio BBB

Neil Winget
President/CEO

Cheryl Parson
Membership Director

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BBB SERVING WEST CENTRAL OHIO

• 1900 - Business leaders form an association to monitor advertising. They are known as Vigilance Committees.
• 1916 - Many of these organizations began referring to themselves as the "Better Business Bureau."
• 1922 - The Lima BBB incorporates and copyrights the term "Better Business Bureau."
• 1909 to 1987 - Lima BBB owns and operates the Lima Credit Bureau.
• 1987 - The Lima BBB joins the Council of BBBs and sells the Credit Bureau. It is now known as the BBB serving West Central Ohio and covers the six counties of Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Mercer, Putnam, and Van Wert.
• 1998 - BBB moves to current location at 219 North McDonel Street, Lima.
• 1999 - BBB computerizes its database.
• 2001 - The national data base becomes a reality with reliability reports now available online.

Service Area of the West Central Ohio BBB

The West Central Ohio Better Business Bureau
Counties are Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Putnam, Van Wert, and Mercer.

How do I join my local Better Business Bureau?

Better Business Bureaus are independently supported by the business communities within their designated service area.

If you have a business in a BBB's service area and qualify under the BBB Membership Standards, your support is encouraged. Your BBB membership dues are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes, but may be tax deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses.