Lumiere Consulting Inc Fire Inc, HFL Inc, Atlanta Business Consultants Be Wary of "Entry Level" Consulting Offers Internet

So i recently had an interview with this company and must say, they seem legit. The person that interviewed me was very friendly and the office building it was in was very nice. (was not an apartment complex, was in a office building with other companies around) He told me about the company and what they do, and to me it doesn't seem like a ripoff to me in the slightest bit. If you get a call about an interview, i suggest taking it! I'm actually pretty excited about it and hope i get a call back for a second interview!

Although I never worked for Lumiere Consulting I did work for FIRE, Inc. I was actually interviewed by the future owner of Lumiere Consulting just a few weeks before he opened his office in North Carolina. This business is not easy, so it isn't for everyone. It is, however, a great way to get real world work experience.

Although my position with FIRE, Inc. didn't translate into management, I learned invaluable skills. I strongly recommend at least trying this type of job. It won't work out for everyone, but even if it doesn't, what have you really lost?

I received a phone call recently from "Kinetic Marketing Group" about an entry-level account manager position. I was told I would taking over their AT&T "account". Anyways, I drove to the address given, which was located in the Art Institute of Atlanta building (Dunwoody Campus), eager to find out for myself whether this was a gimmick or not. As soon as I step out of the elevator, I see a FIRE, Inc. label right next to the door, with a Kinetic Marketing Group taped underneath. I proceeded to go inside just to gander around and see what the noise was all about. And by noise I mean the radio that was blasting in the front lobby by "Pam", the Human Resources lady, generalist, specialist, or whatever she labeled herself as when she had called me for the interview. Actually, she was just a receptionist that answered phone calls and asked annoying questions. She also answered the phone calls under FIRE, Inc. and Kinetic Marketing Group. Pretty strange yeah? After that, I proceeded to get up and walk out and told Pam thanks for their time, which spawned a look of "like what?". It would be in your best interest to stay the hell away from this company...or is it companies? 

I recently found out that HFL is still in North Carolina and previously shared the space where Lumiere is currently. HFL has since moved out of the office space. From my understanding Lumiere took over the phone lines that HFL had. Fire, Inc was once located in Charlotte, NC.

I too am a job seeker trying to locate a position in the midst of high unemployment rates. It is very difficult to find quality positions when so many others are also looking. I had the chance of going into Lumiere Consulting, Inc and checking out the company, as well as being able to speak to the "President". As a result, my response will be based on actual interaction with the company rather than research.

In the complaint filed, a comment was made saying that the person received a response within 24 hours. My first thought is "What's the problem with that?" Most of the time when I have applied for jobs I have not heard from them for at least a week and sometimes longer. I would welcome the opportunity to hear from a possible job opportunity within 24 hours. While this is definitely unusual in modern day business practices, this does not make a company "fishy". This just means they were able to review the qualifications and respond sooner than normal.

Another complaint was that the company has very little history, and the website has very little information on it. Also, Lumiere seems to be very similar to Fire, Inc, Atlanta Business Consultants, etc. I asked the President about this. The President explained that he was originally in the Fire, Inc office, but was able to move out of Fire Inc and open his own corporation in North Carolina. While all the companies are affiliated they are their own individual corporations. The best way I can process it is thinking about McDonald's. McDonald's is a franchise, and every McDonald's is basically the same; however, each McDonald's is owned by a different person which makes each individual restaurant essentially different. Because each McDonald's is similar, does this make McDonald's a ripoff or scam? No. Does it make it a pyramid sceme? No. It seems to be a testament to this type of business that so many people are able to move out of their home office and start their own businesses. If I were able to do that right now then there would be no use for looking for jobs. Lumiere is a new business having just opened up in November, but the President has been in the multi-level marketing business for years. I believe he said he worked in Atlanta for two years before moving to Charlotte to open up his own office.

Next complaint, the website offers the promise of a fast-paced career in marketing with "cheesy pictures and cheesy music in the background". The only thing I say to this is actually speaking to the owner or even those who work in the company about the opportunity and about what they actually do may help. Many of those currently working there are excited about the opportunity to do direct marketing and get into management. Honestly, it is a great opportunity for some, but it is definitely not for everyone. I realized that I did not want to work with the business, but it's not because it is not legit or is a scam. It is because I know what types of position are best for me. The business is not for everyone, so rather than malign it, I figured the best bet is to be happy for those who actually enjoy success from being involved with the company.

Another thing; what's wrong with using a free site to do a press release? I am sure other companies do that plus use pay sites. If I were a business owner I would probably do the same. Why pay for something when you can get free services? I'm sure they use other sites, but it's probably smart to use more than one site if you want your business to be recognized.

As far as the phone number, the President explained to me that HFL, Inc used to be in Charlotte before moving to Atlanta, which explains Lumiere having the same telephone number as HFL. It happens. Businesses relocate all the time.

The end result is that each business is affiliated, but they are all run by different people. Before I'll badmouth something, I'll at least talk to someone at the company to get a better view of the company. Again, this business is definitely not for everyone, but it seems to be good for some.

Also received an "offer" from this company which looks like it's a part of the same multi-level marketing scheme. Their website is: http://capstonecharlotte.com/ . As you can see it has the exact same format as the other websites (as of 1/5/2012).