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OK...so I go back and forth every day on wether or not I want to sell SU!....so I want to know is it worth it? Do you like it? How much time per week do you put forth? I sold something similar SEVERAL years ago and just hated the home parties....do you all know of any alternatives so that I could still make my quotas?
I love SU and can stand behind my product with confidence and that helps. I am not a fan of the home parties either. Once my babysitter (aka DH) gets back I will try to do more stamp camp type activities, and have him take the kids to the park and to mcdonalds for some father kid time! Right now it is too hectic to try that, but you can do those in your home and send out emails with pictures of the products you intend to make to peak everyone's interest. You can charge a cetain amt to reimburse your supplies, and make a small profit.
__________________ Kristina Wife, Mommy, Stamper, Nurse Laura 6yo Jack 5yo, James 4/20/08 Megan arrived 3/16/09
I LOVE SU! I have been a demo for 6 months and I am having so much fun!
I don't have many home parties, I have a SB night, a Stamp Camp and a Stamper's Club meeting once/month at my house. On different days of course. I have never had to worry about minimums. One Stamper's Club meeting takes care of an entire quarter!
I think it is definately worth it to become a demo! I have no regrets and I don't think I ever will. I am Stamping something at least once a day.... a quick TY card to a friend, a card I saw in this gallery and just had have as a sample Or a bday that is coming up and i'm trying out a new technique, you name it! As a demo I love getting a deal on my product and getting the instant income as a perk for sharing what I love with my friends!
I am debating it, too. The only reason I didn't sign up instantaneously is because I know I don't ever have evenings available for home parties. (And if I did them, it would mean hiring a babysitter, which would eat into the profits, which makes it not worthwhile.)
If someone could elaborate a little more on how to sell product without doing home demonstrations, I would really appreciate it! TIA!
Whats a SB nite? I sent a letter to 25 of my friends to see if they wanted to join a stampers club...only ONE replied. Do any of you still have the time even if you have little ones running around? Thank you for all the replies thus far.
My demo just does the hostess clubs (not sure if that is the same as a stampers club). She has a hostess 10 club (everyone commits to spending $15 a month/10 months) and a hostess 6 club (they commit to spending $25/mo for 6 months. Each month a different member is the "hostess" allowing them to earn the hostess freebies. She gives them the option of collecting additional catalog sales from friends and family in the month they are hostess or if they want her to demo in that month she will. She has been doing this for three years now and has only had to do two demos.
I have been a demo for ! 1/2 yrs. I, too, dislike home parties. I have stamp camps at my house. Therefore, I dont have to lug all my supplies around. It depends on what you want. I am just a hobby demo. I just make enough to buy new stamping stuff that I want. I'm sure that if I was younger, I would do better in recruiting, etc. and make more money than I do now. But, I am retired from a full time job, and just dont want to work that hard now. I have never had trouble making the minimum. I enjoy being a demo. I love SU stamps!
I go to a SU party/club each month. Each month a new person is hostess and the hostess can also invite whomever they want. We have quite a big group that comes every month and then there are those that only come once in a while. It's a great group of women and we have tons of fun...of course we have the Best Demo on the plant! :lol: It really works out great...the hostess also gives the gal whose place we use $5 and our demo gives her $5 for letting us use her place every month. The hostess brings the goodies and drinks. It has brought new people in and then there are often orders when someone cannot attend. It's really great...I love knowing that I have a place to go once a month!
__________________ Wherever I Go...There Go My Stamps!
I do the club thing to, but as an added benefit, I have them come over to my house one a month and I demo one ADVANCED stamping technique and then they can use any of my stamping stuff they want that day. They pay $1 for any project where they use extinquishable products like paper or embellishments but they can use the stamps and pads for free.
I encourage them to bring friends along. The friend or any of my customers who didn't feel they could commit to a monthly order pay $5 to come plus $1 per project.
Oh, and I offer a small product discount to the club members. Makes them want to be members. I'm not in it to make money. I just want to maintain my demo so that I can get the discounts. It has worked great. I'm guarenteed a $150 order every month. I made myself one of the members of the club so that I could get the hostess benefits one month.
I think you have to really decide what you want out of the business. If you want to make money and support your family, then you are going to have to be a real salesperson and go out and do those home parties often as well as in house stamp camps and all kinds of things. If you just want to be able to get the discounts and enjoy stamping with friends, then define your business around those goals.
Look at the bright side. If you miss your monthly minimums, you have still got am amazing deal on the starter kit.
One thing I would do: save up about $600 or $700 dollars to begin with. Get your starter kit with the memories add on. Then, use the rest for your first order, which will be at a greater discount because they have a special deal for your first order. Get your stamp pads and paper and some basics like general stamp sets and a couple of spools of ribbon. Then, you've met your minimum for the first quarter and you'll have a quarter to get your business established with the goals you have set up for yourself. Plus, if you lose your demo cause you can't make the minimums, you will have a ton of stamping stuff at a GREAT discount and you won't feel the need to go out and buy much soon.
To remain an active demo you must sell $300.00 each quarter. Doesn't matter if you sell to yourself, as a hobby demo, or to others as in a hostess party, stamp camp, or stamp club.
__________________ -- Susy V
Beginning the journey...4.8 lbs down
I love it! I don't hold a lot of parties/workshops anymore. Most of my customers are now experienced stampers and don't need to have parties. I've convinced most of them to just have catalog parties. They get the same benefits and I don't have to do as much work!
I just became a demo a month and a half ago. I say, if you love stamping and SU products- go for it! I knew of just a couple friends who would become customers, but I sent an e-mail to everyone I know (whether I knew they stamped or not) letting them know about my new endeavor. Some were not interested but wished me well, but I did find out about a couple acquaintences who love to stamp and are now customers! I have not done any parties in someone elses' home- just a kick-off party at my house and I will have Stamp Camps every 6 or 7 weeks. I am already over my minimum, as my customers know to just e-mail me with orders instead of waiting for someone to have a party. I have gotten SO much for free!! And, I love the comraderie of my upline and the potential to learn from other demonstrators on my team. I am really talking up my upcoming Stamp Camps, including a Christmas in July one (it's better to start those cards and tags early- it's no fun to rush at the end!) complete with carols and Christmas cookies! Eventually I'd like to do a workshop for the PTAs where I went to high school and grammer school, and I will do a small make and take at our annual street sale in June.
Go for it! I'm a hobby demo....I've had four parties in the last year. I have several friends who order regularly...I try to pace my purchases...fill my wish list a little at a time....if others order stuff..I may wait til the next quarter to place my order...depending on how badly I want something or if I want to take advangage of a special. I do a stamp club as a form of fellowship and outreach at my church. They kick in for supplies and buy a few things...but we're not rolling in dough...but that isn't my goal. I buy stuff through SU that I probably would be buying at other craft stores...and I don't have to do it for life. I joined in Jan 04 and am having fun. I have a party scheduled for the end of March...even though I have my quarter minimum. people have been taking advange of the sale.Hopefully I can get another party for April or MAy to apply to that quarter...and there will be an April special that will attract individual sales as well as the retired list. I sometimes add all the individual sales together with my list and summit it as a party and then I get the goodies. Offering a discount or free stuff helps attract sales from friends. (That's another debate:free vs discount) again decide your goal...is it for fun or for profit...it can be both.....with your discount you only need to spend $80 per month.....how much do you spend at craft stores.....???? Again, you don't have to do it for life and you really don't lose anything by signing up for a short time and then retiring. It's a win/win! oh...and then the new catalog comes out in July....and the mini's attract customers....I have several who call for a set whenever the mini comes out....and then there is Christmas and they have to make cards and buy paper, and of course everyone in you family needs a scrapbook and a personalized stamp!
I also can't do many home parties and don't think I'v ever done a real demo This stuff sells itself CTMH people and CM people by this stuff I do stamp cames run clubs if i have to, and send out specials and am doing about 1000.00 a month SU has so many benifits for there customers. Try it you'll get some great stuff and if you can't sell it the stamping police won't arrest you :lol:
__________________ Life is short, don't waist time cleanning, stamp!
you get 20% in instant income--it comes right off the top of orders placed (before shipping and tax). you also get a rebate check based on your sales each month (the more you sell, the higher percentage you get back). if you have a downline (demos signed under you), you can also earn commission on their sales.
you are guaranteed 20% profit on your sales, but you can get up to 32% on your own sales and up to 5% on sales made by your downline.
And are demos entitled to purchase the Hostess sets for themselves?
The above poster answered the more than 20% question (boy I LOVE when my check comes! LOL)
Abouth the hostess orders-
YES!!! You can be your own hostess. I offer e-mail specials to my customers often and do an Open House quarterly-and I earn the hostess benefits from doing so! They rock!
BUT you cannot buy the sets outright, you can earn them.
Right now we demos are earning next year's hostess sets-SU often has specials like that for their demos!
I know this sounds funny, but another reason I love SU stamps is that they hold their value so well. I know many demos hold on to retired sets, and I have some, but not a lot. BUT when I have offered my retired sets for sale or trade, I have found a buyer/trader quickly. I have not gone to ebay b/c it is a pain, but I have sold or traded so many sets easily here that it helps keep my costs down as a demo in order to get new things. SU products have "staying power" in my opinion.
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
The way to satisfy your obligation of spending $300.00 per quarter and get the most for your money is to use Hostess orders. Hostess orders must be $150. each or greater in order to receive hostess benefits (free stamps and merchandise) from SU. So I have always placed two $150. Hostess orders over the three month period to satisfy my quarterly minimums.
__________________ -- Susy V
Beginning the journey...4.8 lbs down
Can someone explain the business end. After you pay income taxes is it really worth it. Who pays the Business and Occupation tax? When I worked for a home party thing my taxes got hard to do. I had to pay my B & O taxes quarterly and it was a pain. I have also considered joining SU but I would only do it if SU pays B & O (some companies do). Also I live in a sales tax state and am 5 milies from a non-sales tax state. It was crazy to keep track of that stuff.
Does the 20% get deducted when the order is placed?
Do you pay tax on the amount before the discount?
Since the orders are cumalative, it would not be too difficult to place $100.00 orders over 3 months. If orders were placed this way, what would the amount due, if sales tax in my area is 6.5%?
It would be great to get the discount, however, I'm not very creative and I feel I would not have enough to offer customers.
The 20% gets deducted on the sales amount but the tax/shipping is still on the order total.
At 6.5% a $100 order would be $117.15 before the discount with shipping and tax.
As a demo, you would pay $97.15 total.
*But I agree that if you are to do it as a hobby demo, the best way is to place 2 $150 orders to get hostess credit. That way you would get level 1 sets as well as $15 in free merchandise each time.
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
I've been a demo for almost 6 years. I've had the ups and downs over those years to know that this business is exactly what you want to put into it and nothing more nothing less. If you just want to do stamp classes, home parties, workshops, whatever, you can decide that.
I do stamp classes at the elementary school I work at. I hold stamp classes in my home every two weeks and offer to do workshop parties if they want me to come to them. I make my quarterly sales just by putting out a montly newsletter and sending out the mini catalogs. I offer specials that go for a month and always call or email my customers to see if they want to put in an order when I do to help save them money on shipping. If they put in a order each month I give them some special....like 10% off one item in the catalog or the catalog free, just something that I can afford to offer is what I'm getting at.
Being a demo is the best thing I've done for myself. I love SU!
__________________ LeAne SCS#2819 & Grandma to Lindsey! [email protected]
Who files the sales tax? The company or you? How much work is the bookkeeping with sales tax, B & O, income tax, etc. Also do you pay tax and shipping on the whole amount? If so you are not getting 20% profit.
Someone asked if you can do this with little ones at home..... My kiddos are now 12, 9, 6 and 2. I have been a demo. for 6 1/2 years now so my kids have growing up with Stampin' Up!--LOL. When I first started, I was a 'hobby' demo, pretty much just doing the minimum to get my discount.
About 3 years ago, I started to put more into it and now have 10 fabulous girls in my downline and am working hard on earning that cruise!!
The point is, you can make Stampin' Up! work for you whatever stage in life you are in. In all these years, through little ones, pregnancies, previously working another job, homeschooling my kiddos, Stampin' Up! has been a wonderful part of my life. I have only added my own order once in all this time to fulfill the quarterly minimum!!
Does the 300 have to be on one order? or could you have a 100.00 order for 3 months? hope that makes sense...
As others have said, the 300 can be on different orders, but two 150 dollar orders (or one 300 order) will provide hostess benefits, whereas none of the three 100 orders will.
Good luck and happy stamping!
__________________ "I like work. . . I can sit and look at it for hours. I love to keep it by me: the idea of getting rid of it nearly breaks my heart." J.K.Jerome
Who files the sales tax? The company or you? How much work is the bookkeeping with sales tax, B & O, income tax, etc. Also do you pay tax and shipping on the whole amount? If so you are not getting 20% profit.
I believe it varies on the state. I live in Texas and SU handles all of it for me. I collect the tax, they disburse it.
I do not understand why you would say that we aren't making a 20% profit. The customer is paying the tax and shipping, it doesn't come out of the demonstrator's pocket.
__________________
Milette
The dreamers of the day are dangerous people,For they dream their dreams with open eyes,And make them come true.- D.H. Lawrence
In Michigan... $150 order x 10% shipping = 165.00 + 6% tax = $174.90
Your instant income is $30 so you pay $144.90 with your credit or debit card when you order online.
In Michigan... $150 order x 10% shipping = 165.00 + 6% tax = $174.90
Your instant income is $30 so you pay $144.90 with your credit or debit card when you order online.
In Michigan... $150 order x 10% shipping = 165.00 + 6% tax = $174.90
Your instant income is $30 so you pay $144.90 with your credit or debit card when you order online.
I hate to jump into a thread without having read all the responses but due to time constraints I must post quickly.
I have been a demo for about 2 1/2 years and I would say go for it. There are many things you can do without doing the in home parties to stay active. I've gone through many phases during my time as a demo where I've been actively doing workshops, only doing stamp camps, being my own best customer. At the moment I've scaled things back and consider myself a hobby demo. I've built up a lot of regular customers so that helps. You can offer classes in your home or offer hostess clubs.
If you have the money to invest in the kit (which is a great deal) then I say go for it and see where it leads you. You might enjoy doing the in home parties with SU. The best thing for me about being a demo is all the great people I've met doing the in home parties - I have made friends with people that I may not have met otherwise. The second best thing for me is that stamping has remained a priority in my life and with all the supplies I've accumulated, that's important to me.
Calling all Demos!
SU products have "staying power" 
