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?
I became a new Stampin' Up demonstrator today, I'm so excited but a little nervous since I'm really a hobbiest so I'm not used to having to use only one product in my very random designs LOL (for the workshops of course). Any tips you can offer to help me diversity my workshops?
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
Hi Audrie! I don't do workshops (or at least haven't done one yet) so I don't really have much advice BUT I wanted to say congrats! You're going to have fun!!!! Make sure to sign up for the demo forums here, you're more likely to get questions about being a demo/business advice over there. I can't remember how you do it but I'm sure someone else can fill you in:-) Personally, I don't feel limited by using SU only, I feel that we have PLENTY of stuff in the catty (as my wallet will attest to, lol). Lots of accessories and what not! And my one tip for workshops, especially if you have newbies (I guess I do have some advice here) is to keep it fairly simple as to not overwhelm them. I never went to a workshop but a Christmas card class...didn't know what to expect and the catalog BLEW my mind! Like, holy crap, I couldn't believe it was that big, hahaha. And I already knew a lot about stamping! I can't imagine what newbies feel:-) Good luck!!!!!
Welcome!! As Minders said make sure you join on the demo side(I think you need to e-mail a screen shot of your demo ID to a special moderator to get added). There are tons of business tips and ideas over there. I haven't done any workshops either (just my monthly class) but I would agree to keep it simple for newbies....ink, stamps, paper and maybe ribbon are really all you need to wow them!
Audrie - Congratulations. Wishing you much success in your new business. You are going to love it - just remember - have fun!
Yup the place to seek tons of help is the demo side. Worth signing up for.
Audrie, SCS is a good place to get GREAT advice. I couldn't agree more with what you've already been told. I have been a SU demo since Nov 2006 and came aboard as a hobbiest. I have had ONE party and usually do workshops in my home. I agree with Minders...SU has soooo much to offer that I rarely look elsewhere for product. I'm especially excited about the new SU catty coming out in July.
Congratulations in your new venture and WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!!
Audrie - Congratulations. Wishing you much success in your new business. You are going to love it - just remember - have fun!
Yup the place to seek tons of help is the demo side. Worth signing up for.
I second that! The demo side is chalk full of great business advice and friendly tips.
Just click on theLink and it should take you to the different forums you can join, the SU demo one is at the bottom.
If you don't mind me butting in and asking you ladies a demo question...
I've been thinking about becoming an SU Demo, but know I have no crafty people around me in family or friends to start out, and I am not too keen on giving classes.
Do any of you generate sales solely through website/blog traffic? I have seen a number of people who do instructional videos or posts and that draws traffic to your site (like Dawn Griffith).
Is it totally possible to be successful as a demo and not do in person workshops or classes and totally online?
Location: in a parallel universe, where i get to stamp all day!
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by girlgeek101
I became a new Stampin' Up demonstrator today, I'm so excited but a little nervous since I'm really a hobbiest so I'm not used to having to use only one product in my very random designs LOL (for the workshops of course). Any tips you can offer to help me diversity my workshops?
Thanks,
Audrie
(girlgeek101)
Audrie.... way to go... congratulations. I'm thrilled for you.:-)
For your workshops, I've found that the most successful tend to be around specific themes... Christmas, mother's day, graduation. For the rest of the year, a couple of cards plus a 3d item usually goes down quite well.
As everyone has said, great ideas on the SCS demo side - and also on the SU demo site.
Good luck and congrats again
Jaydee
Location: in a parallel universe, where i get to stamp all day!
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bethshaya
If you don't mind me butting in and asking you ladies a demo question...
I've been thinking about becoming an SU Demo, but know I have no crafty people around me in family or friends to start out, and I am not too keen on giving classes.
Do any of you generate sales solely through website/blog traffic? I have seen a number of people who do instructional videos or posts and that draws traffic to your site (like Dawn Griffith).
Is it totally possible to be successful as a demo and not do in person workshops or classes and totally online?
Hi there... I think you may get varying answers to this question ... but here's my experience. It's very hard to base your business solely on the website. Many of the wonderful people who visit my blog are demos - or have demos that they love and I would never want to break that relationship. So, if they see something on my site that they like, they order from their demo. there are a very few number of demos that do really well basically off their websites, but I think they will also tell you that they spend a great deal of time every day devoted to that.
So, in my experience, I blog because I love it and have met some of the greatest people in cyberspace, not because it helps pay for my additction.... errr... I mean hobby :-)
Being a demo is also a great way to just get the discounts :-)
Jaydee
I've never had a single order online that I can say was because of my blog or my business website. The few orders I have had online were from friends/customers who moved out of my area and still wanted to order something.
I think it would be hard to rely on orders through the website to make your minimums. I have a small stamp club of 6 members and then a few others who come to my classes occasionally and their orders totally make my minimums and then some. I only do my one class a month and that is enough for me right now. All you need are a few people to order from you to help meet the minimums. Stamp-a-Stacks are great if you have people that like to have cards on hand but don't want to buy stuff to do it on their own...you charge for the materials, they make the cards and you use the cash to buy more stuff....that way works for a lot of people.
Good luck deciding on becoming a demo....there's a great $99 special mini starter kit going on now.
Bethshaya...I recently was ready to cancel my SU DBWS... demo website. I hesitated and VOILA! I recieved 3 online orders. I realize that it was in part due to my blog, as two were from neighboring towns in MN but the other was from Ohio. I was a demonstrator for 2 yrs before doing my one and only in home party. Hope that is helpful to your question.
New Demonstrator
