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Becoming a demo is something I keep tossing around. Some days it's no, some days it's maybe. I think my major stumbling block is two fold. I wonder if I'll have the time, and I honestly don't know another crafty person. I also don't have an uplink (Not sure what that is, but I'm assuming that it's the person you buy through when you order from SU). I think there are 9 in this city, but judging from their online calendars on the SU website, they don't appear to do anything.
I'd love to hear some stories about the pros and cons. Difficulties and benefits. I'd be worried that I wouldn't make the 300$ per quarter. I only know it's 300 from reading some responses on here, and I'd hate to have to spend 300$ out of my own pocket! (Ok... I'd love to keep spending 300, but my wallet tends to disagree.)
I am a demo but just for me. I am planning to resign some time this year. Yes, the minimum is $300 a quarter. It is alot if you do it by yourself, and that is one of the reasons I am going to resign. I don't know anyone who wants to spend money on this craft anymore so I don't have customers. If you don't think you can find anyone to buy from you, you will have to buy the minimums yourself or you will be dropped.
Your upline is supposed to support you with information, answer your questions, etc. You order directly from Stampin Up.
There are people making money with SU but very few make a living. If you just want to buy at a discount, sign up. They will drop you if you don't make your minimums.
p.s. You get 20% off your orders and 30% off the first order after you join (within 45 days of joining)
P.P.S. I see you are from Canada. Your minimums are higher. I don't know how much higher, though
Beth, what draws you to SU!? Were you introduced through a party? If so, whoever the demo was might be able to answer some of your questions (and might become your upline).
Do you have a couple of stampin buddies who are also passionate about this mad craft of ours? Ages ago, when I became a hobby demo, two of my friends and I totally took care of the minimums between us. I don't remember now how we shared the hostess benefits and other perks, but we had some sort of system that worked for us, and while we may not have made a bundle for SU!, I think we kept them happy for a good while. I'm not a pushy person and knew I'd never be good at the sales thing. Having my stampin' buddies happy to want to play with new toys made it totally work.
Whatever you decide, hoping it brings you much joy.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
One of the nice things about it is you can do it your way. You can have an online only business, you can plan local events, you can do craft fairs, you can connect it into volunteer activites, you can focus on doing custom wedding and other invitations for non crafty people, or something else entirely.
I work FT so I can't devote a ton of time to it, but have been active for over two years with enough of a little customer base to share the excitement of new products with. And there's no penalty for dropping, so it's fine to take advantage of the customizable starter kit and Sale-a-Bration promotion, try it out for 2 quarters (no sales goal your first quarter), enjoy your discount, and drop if you don't like it. There's a demo forum on SCS that can help with tips and ideas, and your up line can be a good resource for you as well.
I loved being an SU demonstrator when I was involved - five years worth. Met a lot of people, some didn't know they were crafty until they got to play. My downline is still involved and she keeps her minimum through a club. Every other month one of 6 ladies in the group is hostess and everyone agrees to a minimum of $25 order. They can just take on the group orders or set workshops, get outside orders, etc to boost their monthly sales to get more benefits. That group has been together for YEARS now My daughters just got too involved with school for me to have the time to continue as I was. Now I just order from my downline. Getting an upline is easy, you just visit the SU web page and they will put you in touch with someone. My upline didn't last a long time after I joined because of personal reasons, but I know she missed it too. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
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I've signed two times. Each time with one of their sign on specials. First time i did it just for the discount.
But I ended up with a group of stampers because my demo was quitting. I split the class with a different demo. She did three cards, I did three cards.
We did not run it as a club. We charged for the six cards and did not require orders. We got enough orders. If you do it that way, you are the hostess. That's what all the demos do in my area.
Are you the kind of person who would feel comfortable approaching others about attending a class? When I started stamping a mom of one of my kindergarten students walked in one morning before class and said her and another mom were starting card classes. She opened up the catty, flipped through it and gave me the date of the class.
I have NEVER been crafty! It's nine years later and I'm still loving card making. If you're interested in holding a class each month, you just have to plan it, spread the word to everyone and see what happens.
I'm not good approaching people about classes. I re-signed and my demo friend has kept the classes mentioned above going. I didn't intend to start doing classes again, but she wants me to.
Hope some of this helps!
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
Last edited by Allistamps123; 01-19-2015 at 04:32 AM..
Successful (in terms of $$) demos for any company are salespeople first. A good salesperson knows what products to buy to demo, how to recruit and how to sell. They minimize expenses, leave the ego at the door, and interestingly, are not the "best" crafters.
So I'd ask -- do you like to sell? Can you handle rejection without taking it personally? In other words, are you comfortable reaching out to class moms, neighbors, teachers, folks you know well and not so well and turn your relationship to a selling one?
Customers rarely knock on the door. You have to get them. Some folks have the salesperson personality. My BIL is like that -- he is a natural people person and folks gravitate towards him.
Whatever you decide good luck!!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
The main pros, as I see it, are: The discount (which basically equals the shipping and tax costs in my state so that I paid about what the catty price was), Access to new goodies before everyone else-this was fun and exciting, Access to the SU demo support and information, Access here to the demo side of this site which was a great community in and of itself, The opportunity to make some money, The opportunity to attend conferences.
The main cons for me were: The pressure to do more, The common sense of only purchasing stamping supplies from myself which at times felt limiting, The constant awareness that I wasn't taking as much advantage of the opportunities as I could, I had times where I felt guilty for the amount my friends were spending on supplies (my two main customers bought way more than they actually use) The need to see my stamping as a business, A pressure to buy: all the new colors, something to demo from each new mini, things that didn't appeal to me personally but that I could demo, etc
A lot of what led me to leave was self-imposed pressure, but you have to know yourself. All that said, because there are no penalties for dropping, and because of the flexibility of the starter kit, there really isn't much risk in giving it a whirl! Have fun with your stamping whatever you decide.
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I'm a hobby demo who signed up because I was spending (or at least almost spending) the minimums anyway. I was lucky that I had a good job and my hubby had a good job so I had a good amount of fun money. I had occasional classes but never made money but helped pay for my hobby which is what I wanted. I didn't do a lot since my job was really time intensive and I worked a lot of nights and weekends when I could have had classes.
It's great though because you can do what you want when you want. I've not done much lately after moving and having a baby but I'm hanging on and hoping that I can get back into it and make something of my business even if it's just to cover my hobby now that I don't have much fun money since I'm not working. I have the website which does have a minimal cost and get occasional orders there.
And if I have to drop I have to drop. There's no penalty or anything and it's easy to sign back up when and if you're ready. You do lose your sales totals but that's not a huge deal to someone like me. It's worth it to me just for the deal the starter kit is.
And being a demo is so much more than stamping and a discount. The main reason I want to hang on it because of the friends I've made especially on the demo forum here. I have met so many amazing people from SU. And convention is awesome! I know it's pricey but I've had so much fun meeting people and stamping with them in Utah! I know it's not doable for everyone but it's really amazing! Good luck with whatever you decide! It really is what you make of it!
Yikes, it's a higher minimum in Canada? I guess because the prices are higher... That's discouraging for me too. I've toyed with the idea too, but I wish there were other companies that were open to Canadian consultants, like A Muse, or Fun Stampers Journey.
I hate direct sales. Hate hate hate. I'm a consultant for a completely unrelated product (food), but only because the minimum is $50/month and I purchase almost solely for myself. I like interacting with people, I like teaching workshops and classes, but I *do not* like soliciting people. I started a meal-in-a-jar class for those reasons (interaction, teaching, etc) and then I totally got my hands slapped by my upline because of rules for Canadian consultants for this company. I love doing demos at craft fairs or markets, but I hate trying to get people to buy product. I just want them to have fun with me, and perhaps find some crafty friends in the process (I have none). Rant over.
Sorry Beth, I didn't mean to hijack your thread, but I feel you and I might have something in common in this area, and we might both benefit from SCS'ers input!
I have several friends who love to stamp, and they are my customers. They order enough that it pays for most of what I buy. We meet about every other month, and they take turns being the hostess. I have 2 projects ready that we all make, usually cards. I have learned not to try to guess what will sell as they all have different taste. When I'm enthusiastic about the products, they respond. I have 5 Paper Pumpkin customers, so that adds to my income each month.
Beth, I understand the back and forth. I don't have friends that are into stamping or crafting so it would just be me trying to maintain the quarterly minimums. I can guarantee that I can't do the full $300 alone. However, I do like the online business aspect so it's something I keep kicking around in my mind.
Now is a great time to join with the salebration special. I would contact some of the demos in your area and interview them. Your upline is your mentor so to speak when you join. They help you learn how to run a workshop, answer logistic questions, etc. But some offer more support than others.
Are you okay with buying the starter kit amount, and them dropping if you don't make your minimums? If so, I would join, and see what happens. There are lots of things you can do for non stampers. You can offer classes to do project life albums with folks that want a pretty album but don't want to do traditional scrapping. If you like making invites and such you can make those for people's birthday parties, weddings etc. if you know people into baking you can do a workshop where you show them cute packaging for their treats. Etc.
But, I would start out like most people start out. Have a workshop yourself, and invite friends and family. Show them an easy pretty card, and let them know you are trying to start a business. Of course, encourage people to book with you that night (cute easy to making booking gifts are great for this). I find sharing your goals really helps. For example before booking statements say, "I would like four bookings over the next two months. Will you help me meet my goal? I do the following type of workshops and classes." And, no matter what (unless they directly tell you not to ask of course) ask every person to book a party before they leave. Have your calander ready, and if they can set up the party date right then.
Workshops are one of the best way to keep a business going, because they bring you new customers.
Btw, I am primarily a hobby demo by choice. I hold one to two workshops a quarter with an average of 3-4 guests at each one (like I said I am not expanding my customer base at the moment). I easily make my minimum every quarter, and only buy what I want at the time. Most of the times my customers orders alone make my minimums.
There are a lot of women right now doing wine and painting parties, freezer meal parties, spa parties, etc. All the women doing those things aren't doing them because they are their passion. They do them, because they are fun and they are socializing with their friends. You could easily offer something similar in the form of a workshop or class.
I am a SU demo. I attended stamp-a-stacks for years. The demo kept asking me to think about becoming a demo. She pointed out that besides attending the stamp-a-stacks, my additional orders were just about meeting the minimums. She suggested I give it a try so that I could get the discount for myself. I decided to give it a go. If it didn't work out, I'd drop. That was five years ago!
I do not do workshops or clubs. I do attend a scrapbooking retreat once a quarter. At the retreat I am sure to have my SU stuff out and use it. I always get questions about the products, and catalogs. I usually pick up orders at the retreat. I also have a few crafty friends that place orders occasionally (mainly from the clearance rack). I will continue with SU until I can't meet the minimums. I'll be okay when that day comes. I've enjoyed the ride so far!
Thanks to everyone for the great replies. All of it is definitely food for thought. I think a $400 minimum is really high - Canada or not... Our dollar isn't that far off the US dollar most days. I'll give this some thought. When you add that up and then the added cost of having the SU website, it just doesn't really feel doable. (Does anyone know what the cost is for that in Canada?)
Anyway - thanks to everyone for the great input! I may give it a go. We'll see!
Last edited by BethHarriman; 01-19-2015 at 01:17 PM..
There's a thread that was started that said things are changing at SU. One of the main discouraging changes is they are lowering the rewards to customers (I don't know what other changes are coming). Currently, for a $150 order, the customer/hostess gets $25 in hostess rewards. The change (which I read would be in October) gives 10% (in other words $15) as hostess rewards.
Even though I'm a consultant for A Muse Studio, I like many stamp companies out there. Up until last year, I used to put in a $150+ order almost every quarter. I don't buy as much from SU now....mostly because my taste in stamps have changed. I do like their consumables though. With the changes that are coming, I am less likely to continue buying from SU.
Thanks to everyone for the great replies. All of it is definitely food for thought. I think a $400 minimum is really high - Canada or not... Our dollar isn't that far off the US dollar most days. I'll give this some thought. When you add that up and then the added cost of having the SU website, it just doesn't really feel doable. (Does anyone know what the cost is for that in Canada?)
Anyway - thanks to everyone for the great input! I may give it a go. We'll see!
Our dollar is only $0.84 right now and believe it or not, there is a cost of doing business in Canada for SU.
There's a thread that was started that said things are changing at SU. One of the main discouraging changes is they are lowering the rewards to customers (I don't know what other changes are coming). Currently, for a $150 order, the customer/hostess gets $25 in hostess rewards. The change (which I read would be in October) gives 10% (in other words $15) as hostess rewards.
Even though I'm a consultant for A Muse Studio, I like many stamp companies out there. Up until last year, I used to put in a $150+ order almost every quarter. I don't buy as much from SU now....mostly because my taste in stamps have changed. I do like their consumables though. With the changes that are coming, I am less likely to continue buying from SU.
I really encourage people to speak with their demo before jumping to the conclusion that the hostess change is all negative to the customer. There is a positive as well.
Beth, I am not a Canadian demo, but will guess somewhere between $14.95-16.95. I'm sure someone will tell you the exact dollar amount but what I wanted to be sure you knew was that having a demonstrator website is not a requirement.
Well, still on the fence..... Here's another question. Are you limited to using SU products? Let's say I want to post something on my blog. Am I required to use only SU products? The reason I ask is that I've had a good long look at their catalogue, and there are a few stamps that appeal to me, but nothing really jumped out at me and screamed "BUY ME!!".
I like to have a lot of variety, and I'm just not sure SU is going to cut it for me. I did email one demo in my area. She had an ad for card classes in our version of Craigslist. I just asked if I could ask her a few questions and I never got a reply. So, I'm thinking maybe she doesn't want anyone on her turf, so to speak.
Anyway, looking forward to hearing more! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to put their 2 cents in!
Beth, I am not a Canadian demo, but will guess somewhere between $14.95-16.95. I'm sure someone will tell you the exact dollar amount but what I wanted to be sure you knew was that having a demonstrator website is not a requirement.
Wow, Linda�you're good!! The cost is $15.95, so right in the middle of your guess. I seem to recall that a new demo gets the website for a 3-month free trial, so it's worth trying it out. I've kept mine, as it has brought a handful of customers my way, who have since become stamping friends. Priceless. :-)
I had similar reservations when I signed up 1.5 years ago.
You can always try and nobody will force you to continue if it doesn't work for you. But if you don't try, you will always wonder what if. If you want to talk about it more you can PM me..
Quote:
Originally Posted by BethHarriman
Becoming a demo is something I keep tossing around. Some days it's no, some days it's maybe. I think my major stumbling block is two fold. I wonder if I'll have the time, and I honestly don't know another crafty person. I also don't have an uplink (Not sure what that is, but I'm assuming that it's the person you buy through when you order from SU). I think there are 9 in this city, but judging from their online calendars on the SU website, they don't appear to do anything.
I'd love to hear some stories about the pros and cons. Difficulties and benefits. I'd be worried that I wouldn't make the 300$ per quarter. I only know it's 300 from reading some responses on here, and I'd hate to have to spend 300$ out of my own pocket! (Ok... I'd love to keep spending 300, but my wallet tends to disagree.)
I was a demo from 2001 to 2007. I never made any money at it -- but I had some absolutely great experiences. It is a very ethical company. Their regional conferences and annual convention can't be beat for training, techniques, and pure fun and excitement! Went to five of them, I looked forward to it every year. Met some fantastic people and friends. It really is NO RISK to try it. If you don't make the minimums, you'll just be dropped. Nobody comes to censure you or yell at you or anything bad like that:-)
yes, but you have to have $400 in sales and then your discount comes after that.
Just to clarify, you do not have to have $400 in sales before the 20% takes effect. When you place a demo order the 20% instant income is subtracted before you pay for the order. Whether it's a $60 order or a $1000 order.
__________________ Shellie G
Aspire to be a better person than you were yesterday
I'm a demo going on 10 years. I waiver back and forth on staying in. I found out that I don't like to sell and have a hard time asking for workshops but I found a happy balance that works for me.
In the beginning, joining was just to get products at a discount and I had a couple of friends that helped me make my minimums. I thought that if I taught classes I would generate sales. By word of mouth I have about 40 customers for classes, but I quickly learned that the customers are not really into buying much SU products, but they really, really like my classes.
I hold an open house at new catalog time (make 'n takes, lots of samples, and food). At the open house I also have my craft garage sale where I sell all the retired stamps, dies, paper, etc. I no longer want (I also sell off non-SU craft supplies). The past 5 years I've made at least $600 at the sale that helps fund my crafting budget.
My business model is that I buy my class supplies from SU and everything that I use for the class is charged back to the customer (paper, inks, dies, embossing folders, etc.) so I don't have to make the minimums for just my use. It's nice that I have some great dies and other supplies that I didn't have to pay for as the class fees bought them all.
The best benefit is the nice people I've met and I get to share my love of paper crafting.
The downside - I have to do monthly classes to make sure I make the minimums because I have all the SU goodies I need. I've moved on to more mixed media type art that requires non-SU products. I'm learning how to incorporate SU into my art, but the stamp style doesn't really fit like it used to. Anymore, my stamp purchases are non-SU.
Of course, SU pushes the demos to make sales but the nice thing is that I can just ignore it. SU doesn't flood the demos with spam so it's easy to ignore. I only send a limited amount of info to my customers because they have made it clear they really aren't that interested. My customers make large purchases at SAB, and mini & new catalog times.
A warning - if you do sign up, don't let the demos enable you to buy things you may regret. It's terribly temping when we get to pre-order to want it all. I had to learn to set a budget and then wait to see how others were using the products.
Sorry this was kind of long, but the bottom line is you decided on the business model that works for you. You can sign up, build your supplies and quit or if you're like me, it's hard to let go because you get to see the latest products first, the discount is nice, and you meet some great people and the next thing you know it's been 10 years.
In the box on the left that says "Around the Site" there is an option that says Join a Group. When you click on that, you'll find the option to join SU demonstrators. Have fun....I still miss that side of things.
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Have fun! Like the others have said, the demo forum is FULL of resources. And I know someone already answered but I wanted to add the join a group link is over the left. It will take a short amount of time to be approved but they are pretty quick!
Becoming a SU demonstrator... Hmmmm....
