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I found this site while researching becoming a Stampin Up Demo online. I am new to stamping and to SU. I did do a lot of scrapping and card making a couple years back and I am wanting to get back into all of that. Mostly though I want to become a demo, not a hobby demo. I want to try to make a business out of this.
I have made a list of about 40 women I can contact initially when I sign up (I am waiting until my Demo gets back from convention, I heard there may be a promotion announced there)
I have also made a list of ways I will try to promote and otherwise help my business along.
I wanted to do "workshops" and classes at my house in my craft room, but I don't think it's big enough, can I have people over and work at my dining room table? Will anyone mind working in that type of environment as opposed to a craft room?
I think if I only had a couple people I could seat them in my craft room.
What are some ways you (if you're a demo) got your business going? Of course I am afraid that not a single person I contact on my list will be interested in SU at all.
I live in a large suburban neighborhood with about 5 long streets and lots of houses. I have only met 5 or 6 of my neighbors but I am seeing all these houses with probably 1 woman living inside as potential customers! How do I contact these neighbors? It's not like I can walk my dog pulling a wagon full of catalogs! Can I send them a mailing "to resident" since I don't know their names?
Do you leave your business card in places? Or leave catalogs in waiting rooms? Is that something that may help get business?
I figure I will need a website, and a cool stampy name for it, also a dedicated email address. I have a feeling any name I come up with will be taken :( I should try to be unique though right?
Basically I am trying to do a ton of research before making the plunge, so I'd appreciate any help answering my questions and also suggesting ways to help my business get started and grow.
Erin, a good person to discuss this with is the person you are thinking about signing with. She (or he) should be able to help you out. The info she be a good indicator as to what kind of upline she might be.
First of all, I agree with Michelle that your upline can be a tremendous resource. However, SCS is awesome for that too! Once you sign up, you should definitely join the Demo Only forum here. It is great!
I think your dining room table will be perfect for workshops. That is what a lot of people do.
I met my upline through an open house that she had. She made door hangers and distributed them throughout the neighborhood. Maybe that would work for you.
I don't think that you *have* to have a blog, website or separate e-mail address, especially at the beginning. I personally had to work my way up to a blog, and I still don't have a separate e-mail address.
HTH!
Sorry to be such a drag and ask so many SU questions. I just keep thinking of them.
So, if you're a demo do you use the SU stamps unmounted? I haven't decided if I want to have mounted stamps or unmounted. I have read enough here to realize that there is a definite preference, and also that if you change your mind and decide to unmount late in the game, then it is a lot of work.
As someone just starting out, I see I can make the choice early. But I am curious, if you're a demo, I would think that you should be demoing and showing the stamps the way they are intended, yes? Or do you feel like it doesn't matter?
Also if you're a demo, do you limit yourselves to only SU stamps and supplies? I understand that if I were doing a stamp class etc with customers that I should and would use only SU products. But what about for other stuff that you do on your own just for fun? Do you ignore the rest of what is out there?
You should show your stamps wood mounted, your customers are paying for wood. I plan to limit myself to SU supplies as I will be a hobby demo mostly. I digital scrapbook and stamp with SU products, so not a problem for me.
You might try seeing how many people would be interested in joining a monthly club. If you had even 5 people that wanted to join you'd know you'd have sales every month.
I try to limit myself to SU!, but only because if I allowed myself to buy everything that I like from lots of different companies, I'd be broke. Plus, I find that I buy things from other companies and then they don't coordinate with SU very well for whatever reason (color, style, etc.). Plus, at this point (I just moved to a new state) I'm not doing any workshops, but if someone ever asked me to, I'd have plenty of SU! stuff to use, and lots of samples of SU! only cards to show too. All of my sets are mounted right now, but I can see as my collection grows, that I may have to eventually unmount some retired ones that I would never get rid of. I've heard others say that leaving them mounted helps them retain their value if you wanted to sell them some day, so that's another thing to keep in mind.
I would definitely only demo SU stuff because that's what you want to sell.
Now... don't jump on me here ;)... but I do unmount and I used to think that you HAD to demo wood-mounted so I kept some like that for demos. BUT.. more experienced demos here have said in the past that because SU sells them not attached to the block they are basically giving the consumer the choice of how to use them. I personally like to use them as they come with the backing paper in place with Tack'n'Peel on an acrylic block.
I *thought* that even though they are easy to convert to acrylic block or wood block use, that we still SHOULD demo them on wood blocks. Then a couple of months ago I heard from other long-time demos here that they demo them on acrylic blocks, too. I think maybe they provide an alternate on wood for those who don't like the acrylic (you know, you can often substitute a stamp from a different set for a design) but that a lot of customers like seeing that there is an alternative.
Now, I know I could hunt all over the SU site and never be satisfied that I've come up with an authoritative answer ... and still never know if I missed something. So maybe someone here can actually quote policy?? It'd be nice to know the real "rule." If it weren't so late, I'd call demo support -- of course, they're mountain time so maybe I still can.
Please know that I'm not trying to dispute or argue with Joan B ~ I'm just saying that others have said it's not a "MUST" sort of thing. And now I'm not sure of the answer myself ;)
Erin- All your ideas are very good ones. Talking with your up-line will be very insightful and helpful to you. Getting her feedback will help you decide if signing up under her is what you want to do. She will also be able to share with you all the things that have worked for her, and those that haven't!
I have all my classes at my dinning room table, no one has ever complained.
SU! policy says you can only use SU! products in your demonstrations. I believe there was an update to demos not too long ago regarding unmounting and by doing so you would be demonstration products that are not SU! So I would say no, you can't demo unmounted.
I also agree with everyone else about talking to your future upline and asking her lots of questions to see what kind of upline she'll be. If you want to make this a business you may want an upline who treats her demonstratorship as a business.
And to answer another of your questions, yes, I only buy and use SU! The only contraband I have are some Stickles that I bought when I didn't know any better. And sometimes I use them....but very rarely.
__________________ Heather Hawkins - Stampin' Up! Demo and new mom. I have the two best jobs ever! stampinheather.blogspot.com
SU! policy says you can only use SU! products in your demonstrations. I believe there was an update to demos not too long ago regarding unmounting and by doing so you would be demonstration products that are not SU! So I would say no, you can't demo unmounted.
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I am ALWAYS telling my husband that I am extremely logical and that's how I make a lot of decisions ~~ Well, DUH!! That is the best way of looking at it that I ever heard and of course makes tremendous sense!! Yes - EZmount and Tack'n'Peel are NOT SU products!! Really a no-brainer now that I look at it that way. :rolleyes: ;) Now... who was that SCSer who was leading me astray??? Hmmmm..... LOL!!
I'm going to become a SU Demo, questions (merged)
