Big City Advancement working for free!!?? Chicago Illinois

Let me just say that this has been going on for a long time, these people have been in Illinois since 2000 and most likely sooner.

I was in school and had a pretty decent job when I was "hired" here, I quit my job. Mind you I was just turning 18 at the time.

It is a bit of a cult, but somehow me and the guy who owned the office liked each other, and we started dating. He told me to leave, as he was planning on it also. His partner in the office had some problems and he was responsible for paying RENT on the office, as we started to get to know each other and I got a normal job (people would stay for 1-3 days and quit, I was there for 1 month) I found out this guy was living in a cheap motel! He even borrowed money from me because otherwise he would have been homeless.

We dated for a year, he worked 80 hours a week on top of "running" the office and being gone Monday-Sunday till 2 or 3am, selling perfume on the streets.

I see a lot of things said about these companies and the standard is always some form of "you have to work hard, who will give you such an opportunity " and my favorite "sales is tough" or "you should be able to make enough money to pay for gas to the places".

Let me say I have been a VERY successful sales professional for the last 10 years. I have always had a very decent salary (even when I was entry level I made 30k base, with all expenses including gas, phone paid, and bonus and commission, nevermind medical coverage fully paid by my employer). Sales is a hard job for sure, but most legitimate sales oportunities offer some kind of base salary or base vs commission. Even the commission only places pay for gas and often those are people who are independent contractors working in certain areas of sales already so it makes sense to add another "client" to their portfolio.

There is something these companies seem to forget, they hire as an independent contractor. Meaning they cannot tell you when to come in to work or meetings etc. If they do they have to pay your taxes, Medicare and Social Security, these places are using an illegal tactic to hire people who are down on their luck. If a company is telling you when to work, how many hours to work and where to go- they need to employ you, not keep you as an independent. 

No one can tell me that if you are working a decent sales job making 50k base and another 50k commissions, with car, laptop, cell phone and medical benefits that you would rather have your "own" office and sell perfume on the street, or worse recruit people to do so.

If you don't have sales experience find a good company that will pay you hourly and at least offer you some benefits. 

As for what kind of company would train you... umm every single one that I have worked for! They all have their own products, sales philosophy etc. They will invest in you, that is what legitimate companies do!

I feel so bad that I see the versions of these places all the time.

BTW I found my old flame 10 years later. He feels embarrassed and ruined a good part of his career and credit because those leases are in his name.

I have been around this office and company for quite a few years now, as well as other offices in the same business. I know first hand that what Big City Advancement offers to everyone that wants to work for it is an opportunity. What Josie does is teaches you how to run your own company. People pay thousands and thousands of dollars to learn these things, however Josie does it for free. How is that a scam? Actually, I would really like someone to educate me about what they feel the scam is here? The company has been in business for over 33 years giving people the opportunity to direct their own future. What is a scam about that? Do you want to know what a scam really is? How about when you go to college and you graduate with a degree, they make you believe that you are promised a great, well paying job. That is a scam. What about Chicago politics? There is a scam for you. Offices are being opened every week all over the country. What ever happened to the American dream? The dream that hard work and dedication lead to fantastic things and a world of possibility. The people that write on here about this business being a scam are weak people that believe the American dream is now winning the lottery. They were expecting a handout without having to do anything for it. Bottom line is you get paid what you put into it. It is all up to you. If you want a job and a paycheck, this is not the business for you. If you want something more, if you want to determine your worth and your future, then this is an opportunity you have been looking for.

I just started with Big City Advancement and it is a scam!!! I am not going to work tomorrow. Check this out the people that do not quite by the end of "training" are let go. They hire only managers, but none with any kind of mgt back ground. They hire only people that they think can hustle there product for a few weeks, then they cut them lose with NO PAY!!!!
On my first interview day I interviewed with another gentlemen. ( I should have smelled something fishy when they pulled a double interview ), but I went along with it. I got the call back for the Second interview. Great! I thought maybe this could be a good thing.
Interview number two was a a big group interview where Josie showed us her old welfare badge, gave us her story how she was homeless and worked her way to the top. Then she went into how if we were picked to for the position how we would sign a contract stating that we would make 35k a year, and that training was paid through cash. We were told that we were going to sign our w-9 so we could claim it for taxes.
Well I was called back to start that Monday, But before we started we had to give $20.00 for a B.S. background check. I paid it " again not 100% sold yet but was trying to my faith in the company.
Well we watched a few videos on meaningless propaganda, we had to sit through these meeting by "managers" that knew nothing about management, but were naive enough to sit up there for free and repeat what Josie told them to say. ( These kids were young and very well POOR and were chasing a impossible dream. )
After day 3 we went out and sold bottles of rip off perfume. It did not smell anything like the real thing and we had to go door to door and sell it. She told us it was whole sale thats why it was in fake bottles and boxes. They wanted 50 bottles a week sold so we could receive a promotion.
I went out in the "Field" 2 days and spoke with the "trainers" that were not getting paid after three weeks of work.I asked them when we would get paid. They did not know or want to ask because Josie fired a anyone that asked about pay! No commission or anything like that.
Every week they bring in "New possible" managers and the cycle repeats it's self. I never met anyone on contract or that finnished training. The so called managers/trainers never met anyone on contract or finnished either. Also we never met anyone from another office. I never met anyone that was even paid. I was also instructed not to ask when we were getting paid. They fire people that find night jobs while waiting to get promoted or paid. They want us to bring bottles home to sell. The perfume is in a cheep looking bottle and the boxes are cheep and beat up. And unless you over-charge a customer you are not making any money. I went into a store and compared the scents to the ones they are claiming they are and they are totally diffident. They tell people they are selling ( Burberry, Pairs Hilton, Britney Spears, Chenell #5, Mombo, Ect. )
I warn EVERYONE to stay far away from this company!!!!!! Unless you want to work for free!!!