Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
If this is in the wrong forum please move and I am sorry.
I also did a search but it keeps timing out. I hope somebody can help me.
I am thinking of becoming an SU Demo but I have a couple of questions.
What is the quota for the three months. I keep reading $400 and then I read $500. I am a little confused.
I am wanting to teach mixed media classes so I will be working with a lot of different materials. Is this ok to do as an SU Demo or must we use their products solely?
For example can we use wood and fabrics? I know that seems like a strange questions but fabrics lines are like paper lines.
My last questions is about tools. Are we only allowed to use SU tools or can we combine them. I use a lot of electronic die cutter's in my work. For example if I do digital art can I use my Wishblade to cut it out and show my class this?
With all the new rules I am a bit confused. You can send me a PM.
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Creative Crew SU Design Team Alumni
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 15,348
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by lylacfey
Hi!
If this is in the wrong forum please move and I am sorry.
I also did a search but it keeps timing out. I hope somebody can help me.
I am thinking of becoming an SU Demo but I have a couple of questions.
What is the quota for the three months. I keep reading $400 and then I read $500. I am a little confused.
I am wanting to teach mixed media classes so I will be working with a lot of different materials. Is this ok to do as an SU Demo or must we use their products solely?
For example can we use wood and fabrics? I know that seems like a strange questions but fabrics lines are like paper lines.
My last questions is about tools. Are we only allowed to use SU tools or can we combine them. I use a lot of electronic die cutter's in my work. For example if I do digital art can I use my Wishblade to cut it out and show my class this?
With all the new rules I am a bit confused. You can send me a PM.
Thank you for any help.
Are you in the US or Canada? The mins in the US is $300 per quarter but it's really $240 if you only buy from yourself taking in to account the 20% discount! Of course that's all before taxes and shipping though.
You can use other products (think picture frames, other alter-ables) only IF SU! doesn't carry something that is comparable to them. Otherwise, you may only use SU! products and really, why would you want to show them something they can buy somewhere else if they can buy it form you? So you can use wood and fabrics as we don't sell those things. BUT it might get tricky since we carry the wood sheet now. Things like colored pencils and markers you need to use SU since we carry those.
I guess you could show your class something you cut out but technically you shouldn't and you shouldn't use the wishblade in your classes since it's not an SU! product and we do offer cutting tools and die cutting. That make any sense? I don't believe any of these are new rules but simply make good business sense. You wouldn't go into Target and see an ad for something at wal-mart, KWIM?
Good luck with your decision! And hope to see you soon on the demo side. It's fun, I'm having a class today! You'll love it, SU! rocks:-)
In addition, note that when you sign up, the quarter you sign up in is waived for purposes of the $300 per quarter requirement. That seems to settle some of my customers down when they realize how long they have to meet that $300 the first time. So, if you sign up in March, you have until the end of the first FULL quarter to sell the $300 (which as was noted above, is really $240 if you are buying it BUT it may be even less and I'll get to that in a moment) which is June 30. There's a benefit to signing up in March as the kit is on sale and SU is sweetening the pot with an added free set of your choice to add to our two customizable kits.
If you sign up in April, for instance, you are in the April-May-June quarter so your $300 in sales deadline is now September 30. That's a long time to sell $300.
Now getting back to how a $300 order is $240 for a demonstrator, the other perk that new demonstrators have is that you get an extra 10% discount on your first order of $150 or more within the first 45 days of your being a demonstrator. If you were to place a $300 order, rather than it being $240, it's now $210. I've had several new downline during Sale-A-Bration and if you add up the SAB freebies, the hostess freebies and the extra 10%, I've had a couple of gals order about $500-600 the first time and the total of their freebies was monumental AND they're now done for the sales requirement until the new quarter starts July 1 (remember, they had till June 30 to sell $300, they have so now they are done till the end of the July-August-Sept quarter).
Be strategic in when you sign up knowing what your immediate future holds so you can see how your timeline will work best for you.
I have nothing to add regarding using other company's products in that I'd echo what was said above and just say that when you demonstrate, you should show our products but things like fabric are fine. In fact, we are emphasizing the beautiful partnership between our Big Shot, the dies we sell to go with it and fabric.
I love being a demonstrator and if you do sign up, I hope you love it too! You will meet THE nicest people! Good luck
__________________ Stella MacKay, Independent Demonstrator for Stampin' Up! since 2002
Thank you for all the info. It is much appreciated. I keep getting different info from different resources. One demo said I needed to make $400. Another demo said I needed to make $500. Three hundred dollars sounds a lot better. I am mainly doing this for myself and a small group of ladies.
I was also told if I held classes then I could not use SU products with a sewing machine, printer, or computer aided die cut machine. I thought this was a little too strict.
I don't have a problem using the Big Shot but I own a Big Kick instead. Of course SU does not sale sewing machine's or printer's so I thought this information was quite silly and stupid, lol. I will admit I have not had the best luck with demo's and the one I have now has not been well so I don't want to bother her.
I am not really teaching classes as a demo but more for mixed media and art journaling. I like SU's products for art journaling. I also like the colors and I love the punches. As you can see I will be collecting for me.
Since I will be teaching a small group of ladies and they want to order from me so we can all combine purchases I just didn't want to break any agreement's with SU. No, I will not be doing home workshop's, doing demo's etc... I am little too shy and would not be good at those things.
Can you sign up to be a demo if you know you will be your only customer?? Husband doesn't want me to make anymore money than I do now, doesn't want to pay Uncle Sam anymore taxes than we do now.
Can you sign up to be a demo if you know you will be your only customer?? Husband doesn't want me to make anymore money than I do now, doesn't want to pay Uncle Sam anymore taxes than we do now.
Sure! There is a huge chunk of demonstrators that are hobby demonstrators who do not have any customers. I think that is the reason a lot of demos sign up, just so they can get the discount themselves. It is so much fun though that you might change your mind and decide to build a business of it. That is what happened to me and I love it!
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Creative Crew SU Design Team Alumni
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 15,348
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by craftymomto2
Oh, that is GREAT!! What is the difference in hobby and I forget the other one?
Sorry DeeAnn, didn't mean to hi-jack your thread from you, but I knew if I posted this question I would receive an answer!
A hobby demo is one who doesn't have any or many customers and pretty much just signed up to get the discount. I hold a few classes now and then but spend way more than I make....I'm a hobby demo.
A business demo is the other one. She (or he) is out to make some cash. They hold regular events and probably make smarter purchases than I do:-)
Really, there isn't too much of a difference, we are all demos...all have the same opportunity, you just get out of it what you are willing to put into it. I have a full time job so I don't have a ton of time, especially if I want some "fun stamping time" too. I can always choose to step it up though and get serious if I want or am able. I was spending the minimum quarterly purchase anyway, so why not become a demo and get the discount and all the little perks.
Yes, to be honest, I am what I consider a "hobby demo"...meaning I have no customers....I just buy for myself! I meet my own minimums. This way, I dont have to worry about the "making more money" part either. SU does not distinguish between the two tho. With SU, once you sign up to be a demo, you are a demo. You can chose to "work the business" or not, but once you dont meet a minimum for the quarter, you go into pending, and then you have 1 month to make up the $ amount you didnt meet your goal by, plus an additional $100. So say you missed your $300 quarterly sales goal by $50. Then in the next 30 days you have to spend/buy/sell $150 to stay an active demo. But of course, there is no penalty if you dont meet your minimums. You just arent a demo anymore. You can drop anytime.
I signed up during SaleABration 2 years ago, got my extra stamp set, used my 30% discount (this is what Stella was referring to earlier) to get a bunch of stuff I wanted, and havent looked back since! I keep meeting my own minimums because, darn it, they have new catties, then new minis, all the time it seems like! LOL
Our own personal commission (or discount, however you want to look at it!) is 20%. Our perks are: being able to preorder from the new minis, which we will be able to do April 1st for the new mini that doesnt start selling from until May 1st, getting a free copy of the new catty and minis when they come out, receiving a monthy magazine called Stampin Success, access to the demo forums here on SCS to discuss SU stuff, access to the demo forums provided by SU called Stampin Connections and the ability to place online orders any time we wish thru OEX on the demo side of the SU website.
Also, what I really love is that any regular order we place goes towards our minimums. So when I place my big order on April 1st for new items out of the new upcoming summer mini, there is an overlap so I can order from the current mini, I can place a pre-order for new stuff from the summer mini and I can earn a free stamp set that will be in the new big catty that will come out in July because of a special they are running right now, all in one demonstrator order, and that it all counts towards my minimums. So in one order, I have more than met my quarterly minimum.
There are definite perks to being a demo and I love it! Plus, if you are serious about making it a business, you can do that too and there are tons of ways to do that.
That's good to know that if I ever would like to stop what I'm doing now, I could make this into a business and still set my own hours and still have "fun" working!
Thanks to all of you who took the time to answers questions...I was wondering about the Stamping Success magazine and that question was answered. Also being able to access the demo side of SCS is another great perk too! As well as the SU site.
Kelly is right on! And as she calls herself a hobbyist, I call myself a business demo BUT....... if you think of it, we all have a business. If you are a hobbyist, you are the customer and that doesn't diminish that you are a business woman. SU doesn't care what we call ourselves but if you sign up to be a demo, you are a demo regardless of whether you sell $300 per quarter or a whole lot more. SU loves us all and THAT is key!
I work full-time as a business demo. I do nothing else for income. It's a LOT of work and I work 7 days per week. I chose that path. I started as a hobbyist then decided to do more. I think the best thing I could say is that as Mary just said, she would want to have fun working and that is 150% true for me. I LOVE what I do and I love to share what I love. Sound familiar?? Anyone can do it but it may not be for everyone.
Do what YOU can do not what anyone else can do and be happy doing it!!!!!!!!!
__________________ Stella MacKay, Independent Demonstrator for Stampin' Up! since 2002
I was the original OP. I also want to Thank you again for all the information. I am going full steam ahead to become a demo. Signing up this Summer and I am very excited about it.
I was the original OP. I also want to Thank you again for all the information. I am going full steam ahead to become a demo. Signing up this Summer and I am very excited about it.
I signed up last year during SAB and have never regretted it! I am somewhere between a "hobby" and "business" demo - being closer to the "hobby" part! I would love to build my business, though.
What I do love, is that I can build my business on my terms and at my pace. And on the flip side, I can scale down if I need or want to. SU! is a company that I can back 100%. I love their products and I love the company. I love the 20% discount, the perks and all of the "extras" that SU! gives its demos throughout the year.
I wish you - and the other poster considering becoming a demo - all the very best with your decisions. And above all, HAVE FUN!!!
I was the original OP. I also want to Thank you again for all the information. I am going full steam ahead to become a demo. Signing up this Summer and I am very excited about it.
Welcome! I look forward to getting to know you on the demo side. You will not believe it over there! : )
I will say beware to those who THINK they will be their only customers.... this stuff sells itself and people come out of the woodwork when they find out you are a demo! I bought the kit five years ago just for the awesome deal--and then was having so much fun there was no way I could quit. Now I've earned two cruises with SU. My life completely changed after SU --and I LOVE it!!! Don't be afraid to let the journey take you!
Best of luck to all our new demos.
__________________ Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek, Gold EliteSong of My Heart Stampers14-time incentive trip earner
Yup - when you love the products and you love what you do, it shines through to others...its very addictive and before you know it, what Lyssa says is sooo true - let people know you are a demo and you will be getting some customers
wow after reading all this im seriously rethinking about becoming a demo..my girlfriend who is my demo asked me during saleabration but things in my life are a bit topsy turvy right now..that is why i said no at first..
thanks for all the insight ladies
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Creative Crew SU Design Team Alumni
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 15,348
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by tropicalsmiles
wow after reading all this im seriously rethinking about becoming a demo..my girlfriend who is my demo asked me during saleabration but things in my life are a bit topsy turvy right now..that is why i said no at first..
thanks for all the insight ladies
Just curious why you are re-thinking? Didn't we say all good things? Hehe, lol. Again, just curious.
wow after reading all this im seriously rethinking about becoming a demo..my girlfriend who is my demo asked me during saleabration but things in my life are a bit topsy turvy right now..that is why i said no at first..
thanks for all the insight ladies
Am I reading it right to think that you are rethinking your decision to say NO and you would like to say YES now? I can understand that! I was a person who actually said about scrapbooking and stamping both "I dont have time for that crap! I would never do that!" Well, about 6 years later and I am in deep! LOL
Here is just the honest truth about SU...from someone who takes a very simple approach to it. I honestly think you cannot go wrong signing up. The kit is a great deal! You get lots of product and it even comes with busines materials to help you get started if you want to go down that road. If you dont, just put it aside and enjoy the product that comes in your kit!
SU is a great company!! They work hard to maintain their integrity in the business world and they treat their demos all the same, which is, they treat us GREAT! You can do as little or as much as you want....and you get out what you put in to it.
SU does seem to sell itself. I chose not to sell, but I could if I wanted to. People are interested in quality products and color coordinating and matching items. You can also do classes, clubs, workshops, stamp a stacks and many other different types of crafting events to help you make money if you chose to. Many people say they arent good at selling, but if you love to craft and if you love to teach others then a SU business can be for you, too!
But to me, whatever you decide to do, becoming a SU demo is a very funny thing, no matter how much or little you "work the biz" aspect of it!!
Splitcoast Dirty Dozen Alumni Creative Crew SU Design Team Alumni
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 15,348
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by kspiv
Am I reading it right to think that you are rethinking your decision to say NO and you would like to say YES now? I can understand that! I was a person who actually said about scrapbooking and stamping both "I dont have time for that crap! I would never do that!" Well, about 6 years later and I am in deep! LOL
Here is just the honest truth about SU...from someone who takes a very simple approach to it. I honestly think you cannot go wrong signing up. The kit is a great deal! You get lots of product and it even comes with busines materials to help you get started if you want to go down that road. If you dont, just put it aside and enjoy the product that comes in your kit!
SU is a great company!! They work hard to maintain their integrity in the business world and they treat their demos all the same, which is, they treat us GREAT! You can do as little or as much as you want....and you get out what you put in to it.
SU does seem to sell itself. I chose not to sell, but I could if I wanted to. People are interested in quality products and color coordinating and matching items. You can also do classes, clubs, workshops, stamp a stacks and many other different types of crafting events to help you make money if you chose to. Many people say they arent good at selling, but if you love to craft and if you love to teach others then a SU business can be for you, too!
But to me, whatever you decide to do, becoming a SU demo is a very funny thing, no matter how much or little you "work the biz" aspect of it!!
LOL, ok maybe i read that wrong, maybe she was thinking YES! I'm kind of in a ham, turkey, cheesy potato, green bean, homemade bread, deviled egg stupor...you'll have to forgive me! :-) Did I mention I ate way too much today!?
lol..mmmm i loved deviled eggs..
i guess the hard part for me is that most of my gf are already huge into SU and i have dragged them from one demo to another to help them out.. when they started out
so now maybe they will help me out if i do become one
I have more stamps than i can use..but i keep buying them..lol
i have been stampin for over 5 years
not sure why i didnt years ago...
i only wish they would drop their prices for Canada like they did over 2 years ago
since the dollar really hasnt changed that much.. and now we are at par or close to it
hmm but that is another subject in its self
i will talk to my demo tomorrow again:p
Best wishes to you, whatever you decide. With your previous experience, you'd have a lot to bring to the table as a new demo. I was still a stampin' newbie when I discovered SU. Don't look too hard at my first cards : )
__________________ Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek, Gold EliteSong of My Heart Stampers14-time incentive trip earner
Mindy...I am still in that food comatose today! LOL
Tropicalsmiles....yes, I can imagine that the CAN prices on SU items its tough to pay! =( I do hope you talk to your demo again to get some ins and outs and I hope we have been helpful and not more confusing! LOL
Ok, I might get slammed for this, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway. Please know this post comes with very positive intentions.
I signed up as a demo a year ago. I really had no idea about being a demo, I was new to stamping and knew it was a great way to get started with all the basics products and tools at once. So, I really didn't go into it with intentions of being a hobby or a business demo - I wasn't thinking long term at all. However, over the course of this year, I have achieved Senior Supervisor status, without putting too much into my business. As others have said: the products and our enthusiasm really do the "selling." Now I am in a place where I'm wanting to put more into my SU business, even though I work more than full-time in another profession. I am seeing great potential for myself and my downline.
So, here's my advice to those of you thinking of signing up as a demo: If you think there is a chance that at some point in the future you may want to make some money selling SU, sign up under a demo that is also doing some business with SU. You are likely to get the support you will want from having an upline who understands your goals and has "been there, too." Yes, you can get support from the demo side of SCS, Stampin Connection, and SU itself. However, the business people in my upline all live in a different state. I get invited to all their great downline events, but I am obviously unable to attend. Since becoming a demo, I've met great people who live near me who offer this kind of support to their downline, but unfortunately, I'm not part of their downline. Knowing what I now know, I would have done more research.
Don't get me wrong, I love my upline and she is a fun friend. However, we have different SU goals. If I were to do it again, I would sign up under someone more interested in the business side and lives near me to get that support. As an upline, I try to treat all my downline equally, no matter what their SU goals are (hobby or business) or where they live, but I know my local downline get more from me just due to location.
This is just my personal opinion from my experience. SU is a great company filled with wonderful people and products. I know if you choose to join, you will love all the benefits and friendships that come with it!
thank you everyone for your input..im going to talk to my gf when she is back from her mini vacation ..thing is i have almost everything in the kit..lol
thank you everyone for your input..im going to talk to my gf when she is back from her mini vacation ..thing is i have almost everything in the kit..lol
Remember, you can customize your kit - you can change the color of paper and inks, etc and do different stamp sets. If you have all the ink pads, pick popular colors and give them away as prizes at your workshops or to your hostesses.
How about the taxes? do you have to claim income from your sales if you just sale to yourself??
Only if you make over $600 will Stampin' Up! send you a form for taxes. If you only buy for yourself, then you would not be making any money unless you ordered quite a bit and were to receive a paycheck each month.
Listen to Chelsea.
I was a demo for a few years, and eventually was so fed up with my upline --not that she wasn't in it for the biz, but was IMO somewhat unethical and we disagreed on what was good and fair business practice--that I QUIT. I didn't drop, i wrote to SU! and quit. I re-signed up ASAP (they let me sign up earlier than I would have if i had jsut dropped) under a local, high-producing, businesswoman demo.
In my first MONTH in my SU! career part 2 (as I thought of it) I sold more than I did in my entire career part 1. I ened up on stage, Manager, growing downline, all that. It was totally worth it to get under the RIGHT upline.
Just sharing my $0.02 and experience
P. S. I am no longer a demo. In 2005-6, my life changed drastically and so demoship went out the window..now though, this $99 kit and the fact there are no demos here..OMGosh, it's sooo tempting to sign up once again! I'm nuts!
Listen to Chelsea.
I was a demo for a few years, and eventually was so fed up with my upline --not that she wasn't in it for the biz, but was IMO somewhat unethical and we disagreed on what was good and fair business practice--that I QUIT. I didn't drop, i wrote to SU! and quit. I re-signed up ASAP (they let me sign up earlier than I would have if i had jsut dropped) under a local, high-producing, businesswoman demo.
In my first MONTH in my SU! career part 2 (as I thought of it) I sold more than I did in my entire career part 1. I ened up on stage, Manager, growing downline, all that. It was totally worth it to get under the RIGHT upline.
Just sharing my $0.02 and experience
P. S. I am no longer a demo. In 2005-6, my life changed drastically and so demoship went out the window..now though, this $99 kit and the fact there are no demos here..OMGosh, it's sooo tempting to sign up once again! I'm nuts!
What a rollercoaster you've been on with being a demo. I am so sorry :( Now that you know what motivates you (a solid mentor) then if you rejoined and found another motivating person even if it's the same gal as before, you might find that it has something to offer you again. I always tell my downline to not feel pressure to stay. If life hands you some huge detour then you follow that path and you can always come back to SU if you want to. Good luck with your decision!
__________________ Stella MacKay, Independent Demonstrator for Stampin' Up! since 2002
ladies, so if i join in the month of june when is the quarter up? so i have too meet my quota by?
The quarters run every 3 months which means that June is at the end of the 2nd quarter. You would have to begin meeting your first minimums by the end of the third quarter which would be the end of September, I believe!
Yes.
But right now you can join for $119 in Canada for the mini starter kit ... which is great since you say you've 'got a lot' ... it's mostly new items (colours, etc.). The value of the product in the mini starter kit is around $157.
If you wait until July, your choice will be one of the 'regular' Starter kits ... and the price for those is higher.
Signup now, have your friends over to look at the new catalogue in July and order some stuff ... and you should have your minimum done! (There's a lot of really nice stuff in the new catalogue.)
__________________ Gail
Last edited by basketballmom; 06-06-2010 at 05:57 AM..
SU Demo Question
