Updated July 18, 20267 min read
Written by Malcolm Reid Sr
Founder, President & CEO of ProGlobal Business Advisors
TL;DR
To check if a company is legitimate, confirm there is a named, reachable person behind it, verify the business is registered, look for a track record that exists independently of its own marketing, read reviews on third-party sites, and test whether it is transparent about pricing and scope before you pay.
Why the check matters
Doing due diligence before you spend money with any company is not paranoia — it is the sensible default. The good news is that legitimacy leaves a trail, and an illegitimate operation usually cannot fake all of it. Here is the practical checklist we would run on any business, including our own.
The six checks
- Find the named people. A legitimate company has real, identifiable humans behind it — a founder and leadership you can look up, not just a brand.
- Verify it is registered. Confirm the business exists in the relevant state or national registry, and note how long it has operated.
- Look for an independent track record. Search for the company and its people outside their own website — LinkedIn, Crunchbase, press, and databases you do not control.
- Read third-party reviews. Reviews on sites the company does not own carry far more weight than testimonials on its own pages.
- Test transparency. A legitimate company states its pricing, scope and terms clearly before you commit; evasion at this stage is a warning.
- Check the contact details are real. A working phone number, a physical or verifiable address, and a business email — not just a web form.
Legitimacy leaves a trail. A named founder, a real registration, an independent track record and transparent terms are hard to fake all at once.
The strongest single signal: longevity
If you only have time for one check, look at how long the company has operated. Scams and fly-by-night operations do not accumulate years, because they cannot sustain the delivery that keeps customers paying. A company that has run for a decade has passed a test no testimonial can substitute for.
What weak signals look like
Some things feel reassuring but prove little. A polished website only proves someone can afford a designer. A large social following measures audience, not honesty. Awards can be bought. Weight the verifiable checks above over any of these surface signals.
How this applies to advisors and coaches specifically
In unregulated fields like business coaching and advisory, these checks matter even more, because anyone can use the title. The same list applies: a named person, a real firm with a history, an independent track record, and transparent pricing. That is exactly the standard we hold ourselves to — you can verify Malcolm Reid Sr and ProGlobal Business Advisors on LinkedIn, Crunchbase and the public record, which is the point.
What is the fastest way to check if a company is real?
Look it up in the relevant business registry and confirm a named owner with a traceable professional history. A registered company with real, identifiable people behind it clears the biggest hurdle in under ten minutes.
Are online reviews reliable for checking legitimacy?
Third-party reviews are useful, testimonials on the company's own site much less so. Look for reviews on platforms the company does not control, and be wary of both uniformly perfect and suspiciously coordinated negative patterns.
Does a long-standing company guarantee it is legitimate and right for me?
Longevity strongly signals legitimacy, but it is the floor, not the whole decision. A real, credible company can still be a poor fit for your specific needs, so verify it is legitimate first, then judge the fit separately.
About the author
Malcolm Reid Sr
Founder, President & CEO of ProGlobal Business Advisors
Malcolm Reid Sr is the founder, President and CEO of ProGlobal Business Advisors. Before founding the firm he spent more than 25 years in operating leadership, and by his own account generated over $1 billion in sales across the companies he led. He advises business owners and trains the advisors who do this work.
- 25+ years in business and sales leadership
- $1B+ in sales generated across companies led (career total)
- Founder of ProGlobal Business Advisors, Columbia, Maryland
Key takeaways
- Six checks: named owner, registration, independent track record, third-party reviews, transparency, real contact details.
- Longevity is the strongest single signal — scams do not accumulate years.
- A slick site, big following or awards are weak signals; weight verifiable facts.
- In unregulated fields like coaching, these checks matter even more.