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Location: I SHOULD be living in Tornado Alley but I live in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Advice for a Potential SU Demo-To-Be.
I was looking into possibly becoming a SU Demo- especially with the Mini-Demo Kit selling for $105. The items in the kit are things that I would have purchased anyways so I thought that this might be a great time to join.
Here's the catch- I honestly don't have a lot of free time to devote to this right now as I work full time and am a part time student. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can try and make my $400 quarterly minimums without having to host a lot of workshops? I've heard about a "Marker Club" that some Demos have...any ideas how that works?
I am hoping down the road- once school is done, I will have far more time to invest in the business. (And have considered doing more when "and if" I ever go on maternity leave as it would definitely get me out of the house once in a while.)
Hey girls! I am not a demo but I can tell you how I have seen my demo grow her business. One thing she does is offer a scrapbooking club. We meet at her house once a month and work on any project we would like (doesn't have to be SU! stuff). In return, we agree to buy $30 of product each month. We take turns being the hostess and reaping the benefits. It works really well and is really low pressure. She also offers monthly technique classes that have been super fun. The class itself is free (or very cheap, depending on the project) with no expectation to buy. But, we usually all do. Another thing she has done is a Pamper the Stamper day. She asks in a friend who does some fancy schmancy in-home skin care line. The friend comes to spend an afternoon doing facials, exfoliations, etc. while ladies enjoy snacks, small projects, and, of course, stamp shopping. Her friend always manages to make a few sales as well and even booked a few parties the last Pamper the Stamper day. I am under the impression that all of these have really help to grow her business because she stopped teaching school this year to concentrate on her SU! business. I wish you both the very best of luck!!
Well, I am a demo, but I'm probably not the best to tell you how to get *other* people to buy from you since I pretty much keep myself in business...
But, I CAN tell you how the marker club works! You need four people who commit to buying one color family of markers every month for four months. (You can choose if it's four consecutive months or not, however you want to do it.) You place the order for the entire set of markers and then a different person gets the storage box each month, so that by the end of your four months, everyone has all of the markers and a storage box too. (NOT each color family individually because you can't get the storage box that way)
Buying the markers this way does end up cheaper for you, (in the US, it's only cheaper by $1.85, I don't know about Canadian prices) so it's up to you how you handle that. You can give your "hostess" for the month the extra money in product, but that probably works best if you set up the club to meet a hostess level minimum. IE: the marker set alone does not meet the minimum level to earn hostess rewards. So you set up the club so that everyone has to spend $x* in addition to buying the marker family each month, then the "hostess" gets the marker storage box, a level one hostess stamp set and the hostess dollars for that month. (*x because again, I don't know the Canadian amounts. In the US, the participants would have to spend $6 in addition to the markers to get the order to a qualified dollar amount.)
Is that clear as mud? It truly makes sense in my head, but then again...
Crafty and G &G'smom!.......Thanks so much for sharing ideas. I have actually set up a workshop in my studio. I already have 5 ladies who have agreed to be in my "Club" and spend a minimum amount towards product each month.
I am also running an open workshop there as well where I charge a small workshop fee to use equipment, paper and such. I am very excited about becoming a Demo for SU!
I'm not a demo, just a dedicated consumer. When I was in a monthly club and had to purchase $15-20 of product each session, my demo suggested ordering one color family of stampin' spots and its assorted cardstock each month when there was no stamp set I particular wanted/needed. It has been great to have the full smorgasboard from which to choose when wanting to create something. I'm still working on using some colors and have had to re-order some others, but it was a wonderful way to get started in using SU's colors.
$400 isn't hard to do (especially because that's before your 20% demo discount - so really more like $320!!).
I hold monthly workshops with a group of generally non-stampy friends, and I charge them $10 or free if they buy $50 worth of stuff. I make back hte money I spend on supplies, and am guaranteed a night with friends once a month.
other than that, I tend to keep myself in business, but it keeps me out of trouble, so it's all good. :mrgreen:
I'm a Canadian demo, and I have two clubs running right now. Both of these are techniques clubs, and we make 3 cards a month. I try and teach a different technique, or related techniques (ie. one month we play with Stampin' Pastels, the next we do different embossing etc.). Some of the time we'll make something different, like a 3-D item, or we'll alter an item that I was able to get at the local dollar store (Dollarama rocks!).
Each of my participants purchases $25/product per month, and the hostess rotates through the group. I have 7 people in each club, and we always hit the $200 minimum for hostess benefits (if for some reason we don't, I bump it up to ensure that we hit that minimum). I don't charge an extra fee for coming to club.
Having 2 clubs guarantees me $400 in sales a month, and I don't have to fret about minimums.
Thanks for posting the question weathergirl... i'm just about to sign up to become a demo too, and was wondering the same things! Good luck to you
sheysd ... sounds like you've already got the ball rolling ... way to go! hope your business takes off.
The numbers (dollars lol) are a bit different here in Aus, but helpful info nonetheless. Thanks all ... I'm getting excited now... can't wait to get started.
Location: I SHOULD be living in Tornado Alley but I live in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Okay, so now Question Number 2- what qualities do you think are important in your Upline? (The person that you sign up under, wasn't sure if I was using the correct terminology). What kinds of things should I be looking for?
Okay, so now Question Number 2- what qualities do you think are important in your Upline? (The person that you sign up under, wasn't sure if I was using the correct terminology). What kinds of things should I be looking for?
Thanks!!!
Definitely make sure they are available for questions and guidance. We have all heard stories about people who recruit like crazy, but then seem to disappear once you sign up.
Some people like to have a local upline so they can attend meetings in person, other people don't mind having a long-distance demo if they don't need as much in-person guidance. Plus one person might be more of a "fit" with you personality wise than someone else. You'll get a feel for them with e-mails or phone calls.
i really like the idea of altering dollar store items- but don't all products you use have to be Stampin Up?
just curious.
-laura s
No...we have to use SU for paper, ink, ribbon, embellishments, etc. But if we want to alter a picture frame, glass vase, or something else that we don't sell anything similar, we can use that.
oh, wow, thats cool. So you can alter, I don't know, everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink LOL...
i would think a really cheap way to do demonstrations as well, since you can collect cheap items throughout the year.
What about a 12 month club? It could meet 1 day a month, for shopping/ stamping/ chatting/ munching. You could require a minimum spent per person. Each month could pertain to the season- Sept, altered composition book, Post It Holder, Paper Clip..... Oct, Trick Or Treat Mini Loot Bags (small paper bags would work as a base), altered lollipops.... Nov, Thanksgiving dinner place setting cards and napkin rings.... Dec, Last Minute Stocking Stuffers- Altered tin, mini album, bookmarks, gift tags..... Jan, Altered candles, (can you use Shrinky Dink plastic) wine glass charms, calendar (mini).... Feb, Valentine's cards, altered candy, box to store cards in.... etc etc etc...
most of these are cheap to make, and you could offer a free make and take of a few nice gift items each class. You could also do themes, like Cinco De Mayo.... serve rice and beans, tortilla chips, salad, salsa (maybe even margaritas or sangria), and make and take some cute 'wine glass charms' in cactus/ desert styles, or make and take a ceramic coaster with southwestrn style designs.
These are classes I would go to, if the minimum to order were like $25. I could afford that in supplies (I know I'd probabaly spend a lot more than that LOL but this way I'm not so pressured)
-laura s
I am toying with the idea of becoming a demo. My demo is wonderful and I have no doubt that she will be there to encourage me all the way. I took her new catalog to our VBS today and 3 people approached me to ask if I was a demo. When I told them I was thinking about it they told me they would do a show for me to get me started...it sounds good but I'm scared...there I said it...I'm scared to fail! I'm afraid that after that there won't be any business out there with the economy today. Anybody else feel this way before signing up?
Oh yeah Wendy!......I feel that way too. I just got my kit today and it is way cool! I have my first club meeting scheduled for next week and I have my very first order going in tomorrow.
I am nervous about it but I am going to just give it my all and see what happens. I do have customers already so that is a good thing. All I want to do right now is meet my minimums!
Thanks sheysd1! I am a SAHM of a DS(5) and DD(21mos). My DH is a police sgt and works a lot of shift work and "surprise" shifts. I'm right with you...if I can meet my minimums I will be a happy camper. I know that my demo (upline) will support me as she already does, just within my stampin' life!
Wendy - if you've already got people asking for catalogs and such and you're not a demo yet, you should have no problem making your minimums. And remember, you've got until the end of the 2nd quarter from when you join (ie December, if you join now) to make your first 'quarterly' minimum of $400.
I was a bit apprehensive before I joined.. "i don't want to do workshops!!" but I actually quite like doing them now. If for no other reason than scheduled crafty time with my friends
I think that everyone has that "OMG - can I actually do this?" feeling when they first sign-up. I know that I did!!! I have a good friend seriously considering this right now. She wants the discount, and spends enough each quarter that she could meet her minimums all on her own. She's also said that she's not that nuts about hosting workshops.
But... I'm now seeing e-mails from her with lots of ideas on ways that she CAN host events. Once your really start thinking about it, there are lots of ways that you can make this business work for you. The best part? If you can manage it, you can host a lot of things at home, when your kids are asleep. No babysitters!!!
Thanks to hfxchelle and wendy -- I appreciate your feedback. My demo who would be my upline, is a fantastic lady. She is constantly sharing her ideas and is willing to support me however I need if I should choose to join! I'll post my decision here when I decided (in case anyone's wondering). Any other feedback would be great!
Definitely make sure they are available for questions and guidance. We have all heard stories about people who recruit like crazy, but then seem to disappear once you sign up.
Some people like to have a local upline so they can attend meetings in person, other people don't mind having a long-distance demo if they don't need as much in-person guidance. Plus one person might be more of a "fit" with you personality wise than someone else. You'll get a feel for them with e-mails or phone calls.
I agree with this.
I have local and long distance downlines and I know that I am there to answer the questions and such. Sometimes, when you first start, figuring out the numbers to get you stampin start, great rewards, volume rebate, consistancy counts(When they run it) can be a little confusing.
I am very proud of my downline, I think it is amazing when a Canadian demo can make stampin start, that's a lotta work.
Jodi and Jessica are both absolutely right about this. My entire upline is 1.5 hours away, but I haven't had any issues about being left in the cold. They have regular meetings, I get regular e-mails, and I know that I can call them whenever I want. My upline went back to school last year, and was really too busy to look after everyone in her downline. Her upline then came to me and add me in as if I was her first level downline, so that I was taken care of. I have 15 people below me, so this really helped all of us - above and below.
Location: I SHOULD be living in Tornado Alley but I live in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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I think it would be important to let whomever my upline turns out to be that I don't have much time to devote to this yet.
For whatever reason should I become inactive- do the uplines get penalized in any way, shape or form? I would really hate to discover that there is no way I can make my minimums and have my upline get in trouble so to speak.
one of my recruits from this spring went into pending after her intro period lapsed. I wasn't penalized, however she has gotten out of pending (with a bit of help from me ) and is back to active. i believe that if she had not gotten herself out of pending status (ie ceased to be a demo), I would have moved down one title (Consultant from Sr. Consultant), as I would no longer have enough people in my downline to maintain the title. I would then be able to retitle (ie regain that title) once I recruited a third demo to take her place in my downline.
one of my recruits from this spring went into pending after her intro period lapsed. I wasn't penalized, however she has gotten out of pending (with a bit of help from me ) and is back to active. i believe that if she had not gotten herself out of pending status (ie ceased to be a demo), I would have moved down one title (Consultant from Sr. Consultant), as I would no longer have enough people in my downline to maintain the title. I would then be able to retitle (ie regain that title) once I recruited a third demo to take her place in my downline.
I think that's how it would all work anyway. HTH!
yes, depending on your upline's level it may retitle her if one of her downline becomes inactive.
I think though that as long as you can have an open communication with your upline you should be fine. I have hobby demos on my downline and I am as available to them as I am to my business demos.
As for out of town uplines, I also agree with others that it really depends on the level of support you are looking for. My upline was originally in town, but then she moves 500 miles away! Since I do not want intense "hand holding" I have no problems. She is still available to me via telephone and email so I am still receiving the support I want.
In addition, my downline are all out of town (would love to have a few in town so that I cna hold meetings).
Location: I SHOULD be living in Tornado Alley but I live in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Wow, do I seem to have a lot of questions (as always)...and I'm not sure I have seen this question yet, but is there are way that we can purchase the Hostess Specials as Demos? The reason being- as I am going to have to be a Hobby Demo for a while, I really can't afford to spend $395+ dollars in one go to get a Level 2 set (LOVE the Christmas Punch set). Darned tuition- always taking the fun out of things!!! ;)
the only way we can purchase hostess sets is during a preorder event - demos can preorder 1 level 2 & 1 level 3 set. Apparently this will not be the case during the Holiday Mini preorder (Starts saturday for demos!) though.
WIth your discount, the $400ish you need to spend/have qualifying sales is $320ish at your regular discount, or only $280ish (if you use your one-time-bonus discount of $20% + 10%) to get to a level 2 hostess stamp set.
I really don't think it matters WHERE your upline is because they are always one email away. My 11 downline are out of town (except 1) and many of them talk with me on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. It just depends on YOUR upline. You really need to know who you are signing up under.
My upline is awesome, but again, out of town. She is always there for me when I need her.
As far as picking a demo to be under (upline), I think you need to know yourself and what it is that you want/need from her. Think about how much support you are looking for or think you will need. It is always a little scary to go out on your own in a business adventure. Knowing that others have been through it and are willing to help when you need it is such a comfort...and helps you to be a success as well! I would not hesitate to make up a list of questions to ask your potential upline. Once they are answered you can start off knowing what is being offered and what to expect...or to move on to "interview" someone else for the position! In the beginning when there is so much to learn it is great to have someone available that is willing to teach you and help you with ideas, projects, questions etc. Eventually it all becomes easier and you will do more and more on your own but knowing that support is still there when you need it sure makes a difference.
Being a demo is great fun but also is a lot of hard work. It opens up opportunities to grow as a person and as a crafter. You will meet some really great people and new friends. Having your own business is wonderful...hope you have a great beginning!
I'm a hobby demo and I easily make my quotas between my purchases and my stamp club. I also hold few workshops when time allows.
My workshops are not SU only - I don't advertise them as such. I teach a technique the team wants to know. I only charge $15 - $20 to cover my supplies and make a little for my time. There is always a SU product involved.
Everytime I hold one of the workshops I get orders. I don't push SU but they know I'm a demo.
My upline is aware that I have limited time and desire, so she doesn't bug me, but is always available for help. I actually learn more in the SCS demo forum than I do from SU or my upline. The amount of information that is available is amazing. You can only access the SCS demo forum once you become a demo and request access.
I plan to stay with SU as long as I can make the min and have some fun. HTH
Oh another thought, if you are picky about clean stamps and how you treat your supplies, then think carefully because guests can ruin your supplies. I don't use my markers for workshops because the guests will thrash them. I don't care if they get my stamps dirty because I'm not a "clean stamp" kind of person. If you can afford to have duplicate supplies, it's best, but I have to share my own.
Also, the guests will think that your supplies are furnished by SU so they may use them up faster. I let them know in general conversation that I supply everything and it seems to help in thier attitude about use and abuse.
Location: I SHOULD be living in Tornado Alley but I live in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Well now I've done it...I've finally joined SU! I just thought that at least I can get the Demo discount which is nice and maybe make some money at it.
Who knows? I am excited but nervous at the same time.
Thanks to everyone for their advice and I look forward to sharing more ideas on how to build my new business!!!:-D
Welcome to the other side of Stampin Up Weathergirl! We are glad to have you. I wish you the best and hope this new adventure brings you many years of enjoyment!
Advice for a Potential SU Demo-To-Be.
