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Anything you wish you would have known before you made the big decision?
Make sure you read your demo agreement in full. It's long and boring, but you really need to know what you're signing. You'll probably also want to at least look at the angel policy so you know what you can do with all of the cards and projects that you're going to be creating.
SAB (January and February) is a great time to be selling SU stuff...if you can wait and make that part of your first 3 months achieving your Stampin' Start will probably be much easier.
Research all of your options before you commit...from credit cards acceptance to checking accounts, business cards to organization tools. You really don't need much to start, but there are so many things that look like they'lll make life easier and just end up costing $.
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Originally Posted by StillJulie
Is there somewhere I can go to look over what sort of business expenses I can expect? (cost of order forms, supplements, hostess gifts, etc.)
Ask your future upline for the supply list. It has the costs for catalogs, forms, all of the "unfun" stuff. If she doesn't have one onhand, she can download it from the demo part of the SU website.
Most of the forms that you'll need are also available as .pdf files, but by the time you print them out and make copies, it's cheaper to just order them. It's good to have the digital files in case you're ever caught short, though.
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Originally Posted by StillJulie
Anybody have success being a demonstrator and raising 3 young children and homeschooling at the same time? My kids are 4yo, 3yo, and almost 1yo.
I have a 4 year old and I'm expecting in November. I signed up almost a year and a half ago. I'm fortunate to have lots of support from my DH. He takes care of my daughter any time I have a workshop or a stamp camp. She'll stamp with me while I'm home and working on projects...and has become my advisor on whether or not the projects are any good...LOL
I'm a little nervous about doing this with a baby, but I'm sure it'll all work out.
I'm going to sign up as a demonstrator in about another week (alright 9 days), and also wanted all of this info. I have a VERY good friend who will be my upline and could answer all of my questions.
I am also a homeschooling mom with 3 children 6 yrs., 3 1/2 yrs., and 10 mo's.
I think that it's funny that we appear to be very similar in these aspects..
SAB (January and February) is a great time to be selling SU stuff...if you can wait and make that part of your first 3 months achieving your Stampin' Start will probably be much easier.
If you wait a week and a half and sign up after October 1, Jan-March will be your first full quarter. Anytime after October 1st will be a good time to join. Stampin Start isn't that difficult to make during the holidays and then SAB can help you make your goals for first full quarter.
I agree with waiting till after Oct 1 so you can have SAB (sell-a-brations) which are great sellers. I started in January and I got 2 sets free for signing up.
Other than that I incurred numerous expenses above and beyond my kit, office supplies, extras of everything, stuff for workshops like cello bags or ziplocas, thing above and beyond your kit cntents, it wasnt until 2nd qtr that I acutally began to see money. But dont be discouraged, I still love it!
email me if you have any questions
it wasnt until 2nd qtr that I acutally began to see money.
I have yet to see any profits!! But, I got into it to support my stamping habit. I am still in college, and I wanted to be able to both stamp and eat :lol:
You will love it, but remember you only get out of it what you put into it. If you can think of a few people who would have workshops, then go for it. The hardest part is starting, but if you get going, you can do it!!
One thing to remember is to keep track of everything! On the demo website there are forms for keeping track of business expenses and mileage. I go through once a month and do ALL my paperwork. That way it is not too much at once.
This website has a great demos only forum too, which will be a great tool for you! Good luck!
__________________ Whitney
"Would you not like to be sitting on top of the world with
your legs hanging free" -Dave Matthews Band
Someone made an excellent point about waiting until Oct 1st to sign up.
I would suggest going to the Stampin Up website for the Demonstrator Locator and interviewing several demonstrators in your area to sign up with. Is there a large group of demonstrators in their group with monthly meetings being held? Great way to learn & exchange ideas. You really want an upline who lives near you and you will probably find several. Ask to look at their stamping work and see if you like it. See if you like them. Ask them how much time they can spend with you to explain stamping techniques, the business aspects of SU, and any other things that you might be interested in. Are they holding Stamp Camps, etc. that you can attend? Can you attend their workshop to see their demo style? Would they be willing to help you with your first party (with you retaining full benefits)?
You can be upfront with them in stating that you are interviewing several uplines to determine the best fit for yourself.
Aloha,
Glenda
Contact the person you'd like to sign up under. Request the brochure, and copies of the contract so you can read it over. If she's willing, ask to review the demo'r manual so you are aware of all policies before you commit. She should also have a Great Beginnings Video that you may borrow to get a better feel for it. If she has group meetings, ask to attend.
If you have no one local, go directly to www.stampinup.com and find one on the locator system, or call if you can't find a person close enough, etc.
Figure out what your aspirations are:
Hobby demo;r (just want discount)
Semi-career (kids are still young, work full-time outside home, can't make full-time go of it just yet, but willing to schedule regular workshops and begin to build downline)
Full-time career (full-steam recruiting and workshops, whole 9 yards)
HOW supportive is your spouse???? YOU WILL NEED IT. Unless you can afford sitting services, he will be the one who cares for the children while you are out and about doing workshops. How does he feel about it? Gung ho? Leery? Talk/communicate with him, be specific about WHAT you will need from him in the way of support and find out how willing he is to give it!
Once you know your goals, determine how commited you are to making them reality (i.e. are you highly self-motivated, flexible, persistent, do you LOVE LOVE LOVE the product?, etc.)
Before you sign up with anyone, determine whether or not the potential upline is someone you feel comfortable working with and that you have no qualms about how SHE trains her downline. She can be local or long-distance; what matters is how compatible you are with her training methods.
That said, make a point of educating yourself--not every upline/demonstrator knows all the policies themselves--double check everything yourself that you are unsure about.
Good luck and best wishes as you explore the possibilities!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
A strange point to consider when looking for an upline is how much will she help you. Will she allow you to come to her monthly stamp camps to help you get ideas at no charge or will she charge you full price. Can you afford full price? There are demos out there that would be more than happy to have their downline come for free, if you can find one definitely consider here.
Your upline is there to support you. Make sure she's willing to do that. If she isn't and is quick to be jealous or overly concerned about her own business and doesn't have time for you, find someone else. My upline is a really nice person, but she's really busy too and didn't have time to help me, but she's doing this full time and I wasn't so it's not her fault by any stretch of the imagination. Now I'm an orphan and the first person I found in the area turned out ~ well, lets just say it didn't work out.
These are just some things to consider.
Regarding waiting until January for SAB. I would advise against it since your first full quarter would then become April-May-June a time that is traditionally slower as the anticipation for the new catalog grows. Sign up next week and you should have two awesome quarters in a row.
Anything you wish you would have known before you made the big decision?
Wow what a great question and some very informative answers. I plan on signing up too. I meet with my future upline tomorrow. I think that I will wait at least until October 1st to do it, now that everyone has pointed out how that will work.
If you wait a week and a half and sign up after October 1, Jan-March will be your first full quarter. Anytime after October 1st will be a good time to join. Stampin Start isn't that difficult to make during the holidays and then SAB can help you make your goals for first full quarter.
So your goal is to meet the $1500 by the end of your 1st full quarter in order to achieve 2 free sets? If you don't meet the $1500 - is it any big deal? Also, do I understand correctly that you would have until the end of March to submit $300 to remain active?
Also, if one just wants to be a "hobby" demo to receive the discount and not completely "work" the business right off. Are the additional supplies necessary? Such as having extra catalogs on hand, business forms, etc? Also, the mini catalogs - what is the cost of these items? I know that you can "earn" them or something like that - but what are the amounts needed?
1 more question --- the 1st hostess order submitted is 30% instant income correct? That means if your order totals $300 - you only submit payment in the amount of $210 to SU?
No one HAS to do Stampin' Start. That is a bonus for those that work really hard. The only goal is that you have to make $300 in sales the first full quarter you are a demo so that you can remain active.
As for the discount ~ no! That wouldn't be correct. In all actuallity I have found that if I have a $200 my check to SU is about $195. Between tax and shipping, the instant rebate just offsets the cost of the additional. Does that make sense? As in, I pay 7% tax and 10% shipping, 3% is all that's left and now I pay tax on the value of the hostess incentives. So my instant income is a wash. You would probably end up paying $280-290 on a $300 order depending on your local tax rate.
Like everyone else said, try to find an upline who lives near you. My upline will deactivate next month and her upline lives in NH (I'm in IL). It is a lot easier to talk with your upline if it doesn't involve a long distance telephone call.
__________________
~~Dawn~~
Mom of ShaSha, Bethy, JoJo, Wesser-man, Reesy, Mini-man and Sami "Don't say no and then stick to my butt like a carb." ~ Heather_M
Yes, this is true. In WA state we pay different sales taxes in different counties; mine is one of the higher at 8.3% AND, it is collected not just on product but ALSO THE S & H fees. SO, for me, as well as Kymbers, anything I order as a demo'r (restocking supplies, etc.) is a wash as far as instant income goes. We get nailed in WA state on that sales tax. :?
The upside tho, is that it counts towards you sales minimums, helps you jump brackets and thereby increase your instant income from flat 20% to higher, and helps count towards Great Rewards Incentives...
I envy the demo'rs in Oregon . . . sigh . . .
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I'm guessing from your questions that you are most interested in the minimums to maintain your demonstrator status. (I'm a new hobby demo and recently looked into all of this.)
You are correct that your first hostess order placed within 45 days of siging up gets a 30% discount. In comparison to what you pay as a customer, yes, you pay only $210 on a $300 order - but, of course, you still owe tax and shipping as always. It's a great deal! If you sign up before Oct 1, then you can place your first big order in October, get your 30% and the order counts towards your 1st quarterly goal. (IE if it's a $300 order, then you have already met your 1st quarter's requirement.)
Your next quarter will be Sellabration and you probably won't have any trouble meeting that $300. The next quarter, Apr - June, is the hard one, but if you don't make it, you can make up for it with a big July order after you get the new catty.
I have been surprised at how many of my friends are glad that I am a demo so that they can easily place orders from me when they see me and several have asked to be included in a workshop. I am planning my first one in October. I didn't do one in September because I am concerned about making quarterly minimums and don't want to pester my friends too much. I have a 2 year old and an infant and am not willing at this time to put a whole lot of effort into this as a business, but I am enjoying the demo benefits (website and magazine) and love being in control of my own orders.
Oops - I forgot to add - you don't have to achieve the Stampin start. If you do you get free sets. I am very unlikely to do it and it is not one of my goals. You do not need extra forms of any kind if you are not doing many workshops. To earn mini catalogues you need more in sales than a hobby demo like me is likely to have. I can't remember the number because it was (for me!) laughably high.
One major plus to signing on is that there is no real penalty to going inactive. You lose your demo benefits, but all that it takes to get back in the game is to buy another kit and with the kit being largely customizable, you want most of the items in it anyway.
So my instant income is a wash. You would probably end up paying $280-290 on a $300 order depending on your local tax rate.
Instant income would NOT be a "wash". You are correct with saying she would be charged $280-290 for a $300 "merchandise" order. However, the customers pay for all the tax & shipping. She would still receive $90 in instant income. She would collect $30 for shipping plus tax on top of the $300 in mechandise. Thus, NOT a "wash."
Instant income would NOT be a "wash". You are correct with saying she would be charged $280-290 for a $300 "merchandise" order. However, the customers pay for all the tax & shipping. She would still receive $90 in instant income. She would collect $30 for shipping plus tax on top of the $300 in mechandise. Thus, NOT a "wash."
Stampinaholic, that is exactly how I was looking at it. The customer would still pay their S&H and tax portion. I wasn't saying I was going to place the $300 order myself - it was just an example. For example, if I had a big open house or something and the orders totaled $300 in retail amounts.
Although, on that initial 1st order can't you pass along the free S&H to your customer? Just as a way of saying "I'm now selling SU"? And still be able to receive the 20% instant income? Oh and one more thing - is it an instant 20% income on every order? Or do you send in all the $$$ to SU and then they send you your portion back? How does that work?
Thank you all so much for answering these questions.
Although, on that initial 1st order can't you pass along the free S&H to your customer? Just as a way of saying "I'm now selling SU"? And still be able to receive the 20% instant income?
You most certainly can extend a discount to your customers anytime you wish. You just need to remember that that is an added expense. Even though you will receive 30% discount on your first workshop order (merchandise totalling at least $150), it doesn't have to be extended to your customers unless that is your wish. I think of it as a way to get more supplies for your business in the beginning. I offer discounts whenever I deem appropriate.
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Oh and one more thing - is it an instant 20% income on every order? Or do you send in all the $$$ to SU and then they send you your portion back? How does that work?
Yes, there is a 20% instant income applied to every order, except supply orders. You do not need to send SU all the $$$. That is why they call it "instant" income. You only send them the amount for merchandise + shipping + tax, less 20% of the merchandise total. Tax & Shipping is applied to the pre-20%.
I have been a demo for 3 years, I have a 10 yr. old, 4th grade, 4 yr. old and a two year old. I stay at home now, but I used to do home child care, and before, I was in banking. I signed up because I could not afford to have a creative outlet, and I needed one. Any art costs money, whether you are a painter, a stamper, or a quilt maker, etc. I have moved several times (military wife), and I almost quit. I have had a hard time finding customers, but somehow, I really think the big G wants me to keep doing this because at the end of the quarter, (even if sometimes I went into pending) I've made it. I would like to do it more than I am now, (I just moved again!) but it will slowly come, I believe that. In the beginning, I joined a marker club, and I wrote it off as business expense for tax purposes, because as a home daycare I was required to scrapbook, (military rules) amazing eh? So, just think that whatever you purchase, whether for your demonstrating, or forms, those are the business expenses regardless of whatever it is that you make. This can really benefit your family at the end of the year when tax time comes around. Get in touch with a good tax person, or even learn to file your taxes yourself and do a little studying. Your upline (or another demo) may help you to find out what else you can write off, portions of home bills, business cell phone, car use, etc. The big thing is to keep track of it. I tell you one thing, if hubby gripes during the year, tax time can actually be sweet news to his ears, especially if you have small dependents.
What more have I gotten out of being a demo? Well, Splitcoast forum and the SU! website, I have been connected with a million wonderful people that support and love you almost instantly! This is my community! I have moved so much, I really don't have any friends, and here, at least I have something that excites me and gets me out of the day to day. This business has a heart of caring inside of it, not like others, and you can see it in the love and support of our demonstrators. My upline is literally across the world, so I find most everything in places like the SU! website, and here.
The ladies here are right, wait a week and a half to sign up, then do what you can, not what you think you ought to do, if this is a happy experience for you, hubby will be happy too. It will come naturally. You can even hostess the parties at your house if need be, I have done that too. Not as much sales as I would like, but if you have to, well, then, try. I have had some good quarters and some not so good, I don't know if I will ever earn the cruise (my dream) or not. I am just thankful for my community and my discount, and the way my cards have touched people in my life.
Also, it is a good idea to hook up with things like P*yP*L, and P**Pay, it may expand your business income. Also, I know others who have home businesses who love to stamp, and they keep track of their purchases for their advertising, customer relation expenses, etc. This may make your product more attractive to the other business people in your life, because they use their purchase as a tax write off too.
Just be sure to get in touch with a good tax person, to get all your tax advice.
God Bless you, and be at peace, if it is right for you, well, you will make it work. - Helen
P.S., if you have any questions, post them here or you can email me anytime, [email protected]
I thought that you had to be a SU! demonstrator to join Splitcoast.....Don't get me wrong, but I thought this site was for demonstrators only.....If it's for everyone, that is perfectly fine (I just didn't realize it), but I'll know to go to a private area or website when preparing for my workshops so customers won't see the same thing!! If you are thinking about becoming a SU! demonstrator, good luck to you - it's so much fun. (You will understand after signing up just exactly what I'm talking about.)
Linda
__________________ Linda L. Beckham - Supervisor, Stampin' Up!
Illini! Stamper - Bourbonnais, IL
Does this mean that customers can access this and see all of the samples, etc.? Don't get me wrong, but I thought this site was for demonstrators only.....
Thank goodness this site is NOT for demo's only. Anyone and everyone can access this site. If it weren't for SCS then I probably wouldn't even be considering becoming a demo. I have received so much inspiration from the gallery and tons of advice (stamping and some non stamp related) in the forums. Originally, Daven set this site up for his wife Tracy and her downline and customers but it kind of exploded from there. But, I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to it as a Demo's only site. There is the demo only forum though.
So my instant income is a wash. You would probably end up paying $280-290 on a $300 order depending on your local tax rate.
Instant income would NOT be a "wash". You are correct with saying she would be charged $280-290 for a $300 "merchandise" order. However, the customers pay for all the tax & shipping. She would still receive $90 in instant income. She would collect $30 for shipping plus tax on top of the $300 in mechandise. Thus, NOT a "wash."
Please read the question I responded to first. It was 1 more question --- the 1st hostess order submitted is 30% instant income correct? That means if your order totals $300 - you only submit payment in the amount of $210 to SU?
Therefore, my answer was correct on a $300 order the amount submitted to SU would not be $210 but rather close to $300 with taxes and shipping. Yes, when you figure an order and what is coming off your credit card or out of your checking account, the "instant income" is a wash. Granted the total of a $300 order after shipping and taxes is 17-20% higher, but I was specifically addressing one particular question, the amount of payment to SU.
Thank goodness ANYONE can join the site, but there is a "special" section for where only demos can access. I have been here sooooooooooo long now that I almost feel like a demo.
I thought that you had to be a SU! demonstrator to join Splitcoast.....Now how are people posting about "becoming" a demonstrator if they're just "considering it" and don't even have their SU! ID number yet? Does this mean that customers can access this and see all of the samples, etc.? Don't get me wrong, but I thought this site was for demonstrators only.....
Heck, no! I send all of my customers here to look at the galleries and techniques. I think a few of them have even uploaded their own cards
I think I'm going to become a demonstrator...
Well I think I am siging up next month sometime, maybe by our little gathering and maybe not!! Will have to see. I almost have enough $$$ in my "Kitty" to join the ranks. Just need to get a few more retired sets sold yet :( That is the biggest obstacle now 
