Write an article based on this "Identify the appropriate government department. Find or create a complaint form. Describe the problem in detail. Submit your report online. Mail your report if you are including documentation. Follow up with any government investigation."
You may need a different state or local government department depending on the type of business you want to report and the subject of your dispute.  If you're unsure which department to use, look for a local consumer affairs agency. You can tell them what you want to report and they'll direct you to the correct government department. For example, if you wanted to report unsanitary conditions at a restaurant, you would want to report to your local health and sanitation board. If you're reporting a professional business, you typically would file a complaint with the licensing board that oversees that particular profession. For example, if you had a dispute with a contractor who remodeled your home, you would file a report with the construction contractors licensing board. Most government departments and agencies have a specific form you need to fill out if you want to report a business. Check the department's website or call a local office to find out if there's a specific form you should use. If you can't locate a form, you can always send a formal business letter with details of your report. If you're writing a letter, include your contact information as well as the name and contact information of the business. Provide a chronological account of what happened, including dates and approximate times. Explain any efforts you've made to resolve the situation before filing the report, including names of managers or staff at the business who worked with you. Include a description of any particular result you want from the department or agency, such as a refund of your purchase price. Particularly if you live in a larger metropolitan area, you can probably fill out and submit a report about a business online from the government department's website. You may not even have to talk to anyone at the department.  If you submit your report online, make a copy of it before you send it for your records. You may be able to attach documents that support the claims in your report. If you're not able to do this, or if you don't have digital copies of the documents you need, simply mention in your report the documents that you have. Some state and local government departments prefer that you mail your report if you have documents that support the claims in your report. If you're unsure, you can always call the department and ask how they'd prefer to receive your report.  Make copies of anything you want to send along with your report and send the copies, not the originals. Keep the originals for your records. Before you send your report, make a copy of everything you're sending and keep it together for your records. That way you'll know in the future exactly what you sent to the department. Once the government agency or department receives your report, it will be assigned to a staff member for review. If they decide to investigate the business based on your report, they may contact you. If you don't hear from the agency or department within a couple of weeks, you may want to call the office to get a status update on your report.