(FORTUNE Magazine) – You've worked your way through the 10-K, proxy, and 12-page research report on a company you might want to invest in. But who has time for what the real pros do--fly cross-country to check out a company, and its management, in person?

Enter Virtual Company Visits Inc. of Fremont, California. Owner and stockbroker Bill Matson, 41, has just put together a CD-ROM that contains video clips of his visit to motorcycle parts distributor Custom Chrome in Morgan Hill, California, a growth company he recommends. Investors can see company employees at work--and watch Matson quiz executives about such things as margins, financing, and strategy. The CD ($19.95) also includes basic financial data, such as balance sheets. Mat- son's conclusion: The stock will more than double, to $50, by the end of 1996. Meanwhile, stand by for other virtual visits, he says.

--Richard S. Teitelbaum