Innovate Industries Sharper Advertising multi-level marketing scheme Sarasota Florida
These companies are one-in-the same. Innovate Industries is located in Clearwater, and Sharper Advertising is located in Sarasota, both are supposedly owned by the same guy: Nick Hooge. I responded to a job listing for an entry-level management training program to get in on the 'ground floor' of a burgeoning business. Within 24 hours I received a phone call from the HR Manager at Innovate Industries stating they were interested in speaking with me. I answered a few questions over the phone and stated that I wasn't interested in a commisson-only sales job. She said I sounded like the perfect candidate and asked if I could come in to the office for an interview.
The next day, I go to the address where the interview is to be conducted. I walk through the door to find a sparsely-furnished office, With one desk with a receptionist and about a half-dozen people that I assume were responding to the same ad as I. Nick came out to get me, and we go back to his office. He starts telling me that although I said I was not interested in a commission-only position, that's all he had at the time (so why did they have advertisements for entry-level managers?) He starts giving me his spiel about how they are a marketing company that big business outsources to, to increase their sales. He said currently they were looking for people to go door-to-door to sell Verizon FiOs Services, and that I would be supplied with leads from people that were looking for this service. I don't know about you, but I get a letter in the mail from Verizon about once a month with great offers on switching to Verizon from Comcast. Not sure why Verizon needs this sort of help.
Anyways, Nick goes on about how he just started 5 months ago in the same position as I did, and now he is the owner of his own business. In fact, if you look at his facebook page, he is calling himself the President of Innovate Industries. He says "I don't usually tell people this, but I feel compelled to let you know that I will make 6 figures this year." So in just one year Nick goes from being a door-to-door sales person to making six figures a year, and the president of his own company?? All the while he is telling me this, he keeps glancing at his monitor...he was clearly reading from a script. After you interview with him, you go on a ride-along with one of his flunkies. I did this and went to a gentleman's house who lived right next to a Verizon Substation. The home owner said that he can't even get Verizon while living right. next. door. to a substation. The rep I was with said he would 'update the database' and let Verizon know. This company doesn't offer any benefits. Not medical, dental, 401K, they also won't reimburse you for mileage as you drive around town. They are part of the Smart Circle pyramid scheme system. If you are on Craigslist, Indeed.com, or Careerbuilder, Look out for them. They will often have vague advertisements stating they need : account managers, entrly-level sales, junior marketers, public-relations people, ARE YOU A SUPERSTAR? DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? ARE YOU JUICED? They are only looking for door-to-door sales person to generate money that will go into THEIR pockets.
You can check them out at innovativeindustries.net and sharperadvertisinginc.com
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Scott Olson
Florida,Total SCAM
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, July 16, 2014
Everyone, don't let "Nick the Owner" and "Caitlynn the worthless receptionist at the Clearwater location" fool you, this company is a complete SCAM!!! They place their little lame ads on Craigslist every day, two-three times a day hoping to find a sucker to work for them-ie working door to door at 100% commissions.
I talked to Caitlynn on the phone about the position, and she is a complete moron and you can tell she is desperate for a job and has to resort to lying to applicants all day about their scam. Caitlynn's other main job is to post phony job reviews about the company since all the REAL ones tell of how absolutley horrible this place is. Caitlynn, you should be ashamed of yourself doing what you do there. Go work at Taco Bell or some where and make an honest living for the first time in your life.
I cancelled my interview and Caitlynn and other idiots at the company then start calling and emailing you and harrassing you about cancelling the interview. It's like WTF??? AVOID THIS COMPANY!!! Sure the state will have them shut down in no time anway.
previousemployee
tampa,Florida,
Total Scam
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, July 09, 2014
I agree with the original author of this post, this company is a complete scam. My experience was very similar to the one previously explained. When they explain the pay rate, they very (when i say very, i mean VERY) lightly mumble over the fact that you will be getting paid "commission with a minimum wage as a safety net." What they fail to tell you is that YOU ACTUALLY PAY THEM FOR TRAINING. Not to mention, if you are given minimum wage on one of your checks for not producing enough leads that week, the very next week when you finally make leads that will produce more than minimum wage, The owner of the company DEDUCTS the money back that he basically "fronted" you. You have to drive over 50 miles a day to different Home Depots where you walk around for hours strait harassing customers for kitchen cabinet refacing and bathroom remodels and pretend like its some amazing deal for the customer, when in reality home depot offers those exact same service we are "promoting", also completley free of charge. Once you walk around concrete floors all day, you then drive an hour back to the dinky clearwater office to fill out a tic tac toe board breaking down your gameplan for the next day. Its a complete waste of time. from the second you wake up and start your 12 hour day that you really only get paid about 7 hours of, to the endless gallons of gas you blow through with absolutley no fuel or mileage reimbursement. You do this 6 days a week in hopes to achieve a title of "Account Manager" which also means ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING. there is no growth potential. The two guys that run the show and motivate (brainwash) everyone each day get paid off to maintain this unbreakable attitude in hopes of inspiring others to be "just like them." They'll tell you thier stories...One packed up his truck and moved to fl with no job, and the other one came down from the north to work at a valet service on the beach. Both will tell you how they were "Just like you 6 months ago"....and how the potential for growth is so "crazy." Trust me, its not. The weekly phonecalls to the 26 year old millionaire are another pathetic attempt to brainwash decent hardworking people into thinking this job will somehow be worth it. Save your gas. Save your time. The only comment posted on this from the user "cait" defending this job is a complete scam too. Yes, she is an employee. She sits at the front and makes phone calls all day to potential employees and gets paid a set salary. Of course she likes it. Her job is also to apparently defend the shady things going on behind closed doors and make innocent people believe this is a good, well paying job. Trust me when i say its not even worth attending the interview. Anyone representing or defending this company is part of the small few that are willing to get paid off and lie to everyone else around them and they should be ashamed of themselves. Stay far away from this scam, you will be glad you did!
cait916
clearwater,Florida,
Great Company!
#4UPDATE Employee
Tue, June 10, 2014
I’ve been working here for a long time and I love it. I don’t know what that guy is talking about but that stuff is not true. My job is awesome and this company helps a lot of people with a satisfying career. We are marketers for big clients and they take care of us really well. I think it’s sad that people who need a job might not check it out because of things that one guy wrote that aren’t true. I’ve been here for over a year and love it. This is a great company.