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By "young companies" I'm assuming you mean private, start-ups?
If so, they're not going to disclose their financial health specifically. You'd have to research and see how funding they've had. You can ask about their products, marketing strategy, etc and make an educated guess. Sometimes they may tell you whether they are profitable but don't count on it.
I don't think there is a way you should especially in an employer's economy. It could show a red flag that you may jump ship if you see the ship is sinking (not that that's a bad thing.)
If they are young, it probably also means they are still private, and finding financials would be out of the question. Depending on the industry, could you ask about what contracts or big customers they have lined up? That might provide some idea how much guaranteed business they will have in the future. They might not want to provide specifics about anything in the pipeline, but maybe they could give you a general idea about what the quantity of business they expect in the foreseeable future.
i associate start-ups with the technology sector and these aren't necessarily technological in nature. but yeah, they are private companies that are fairly new - like not more than a few years. not publicly traded.
You really need to size up their business plan for viability. If they sell a product do an internet search of that product and look for competitors, for example. If they are big enough to have a Chief Financial Officer watch that chair like a hawk. If there are problems they often scoot.
Get some background on them from the internet first. Not only the company name but some of the top names in the company, run searches on them too. Maybe they have an online portfolio or some sort of client/customer list to attract other potential customers. Base some questions around what you find. Try to ask some questions that double as showing interest in the company while secretly digging some information out of them.
You could ask something like, "What plans does the company have for the future (eg; expansion plans, new products, etc)?" or "Where do YOU see yourselves in 5 years' time?" And say it with a smile so they take it in good humour (hopefully). If they industry they're in has seen some upheaval you could research if they and their competitors are doing better now or if they have any plans posted on recovery.
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