To Be or Not To Be....A Demo?

[VMetz]

For my 100th post I have decided to let my SCS family help me decide.

I was introduced to Stampin' Up last summer. I am totally hooked. As with most everyone else, I have spent more time buying products rather than using them. I really want to stamp more as a hobby, but if I could actually make enough money to support my stamping habit that would be great.

My biggest concern: I do not know very many people, therefore I am affraid I would be the one buying items to meet my quarterly quota. Therefore spending even more money than I already am, if that is possible.

Please tell me what you think are the pros and the cons. Other than a discount I don't know what other benefits there are for a demo. Let me hear what you think!

[laurelwright]

Being a demo is great if you like to meet new people. It is great if you like to teach people and see them be sucessful at creating. You can always join and get the GREAT DEAL on the starter kit and if you see that you are having to spend the money to make the quotas you can quit. I have done this now for 6 years thinking that whenever I had to make my own quota I would quit...and I never have yet. THere are seasons when I do alot with it and other seasons when I am busy that it slides and I have always been happy to be a DEMO!

[StamperedChef]

I started out with me and two friends doing the buying. I was doing a monthly workshop at my house, sometimes I had 5 people show up (on a good month) they started bringing their friends, Now I have 22 that show up every month. My sales went from barely making the minimum to at least 300 a month. I am at 1872.80 since January and I have 12 more ladies that will probably order at least 400.00 tonight. I have never regretted buying the kit. Good Luck!!

[justheather]

Personally, I pretty much break even...my supplies are paid for by my sales. I don't have every set and accessory on my wish list, but I'm working on it.

I really don't recommend becoming a "hobby" demo unless you're willing to spend the $300 per quarter yourself. Finding a customer base isn't hard, but you do have to put in some time and effort to make it work. From things I've read, many new demos seem to expect business to just drop into their laps...and generally speaking, that just doesn't happen.

If you want to join and then drop out, that's an option, too. There's no penalty for going inactive...and the starter kit is a great value and a great collection of "toys."

I just hate seeing a mile of posts saying "Go for it!" and then seeing the same person a couple of months later lamenting the fact that they don't have $1000 sales every month. SU is not a "miracle" make a million bucks scheme...it's about good people selling good products. Most people have their business build slowly with lots of hard work.

BTW, I've had $1000 months, but I spent 3 hours or more on the phone every week to set up workshops...and then more time to prep for the workshops. What you put in is (most of the time) what you get out of it.