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after 3 years of just squeaking by to make my sales quota I have finally have given up being a demo for SU. Now I am able to just be a customer and enjoy the stamping. I feel a sense fo relief, is that bad? I'll miss the perks but the ability to enjoy stamping from the customer side out weighs the perks.
__________________ Angela,
Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.--Irving Berlin
That's not bad at all!! Enjoy your hobby without the pressure!! I am only a demo for my personal discount. When I can't afford to keep up the minimums, I will let me demoship slide, too.
Interesting. That's the first time I've seen such a post. I am not a demo myself, but give my demo lots of business. Lately I've been wondering about this hobby demo thing, but I think I just like being a customer.
I'm glad that you feel it has freed you. I'm sure you'll enjoy stamping without all of the paperwork.
I've been a hobby demo for about a year. So far, it has been easy to meet my minimums (I have my mom and a friend who are currently ordering from me). I'll be in the same boat as you, though, if it becomes to difficult. My upline is wonderful so if I need to become a straight customer again, it won't be tough!
I too let me demoship go in July of 2005 and for the last few months leading up to that date I was so dreading this. I thought for sure it would be the "end of the world" since I'd been a demo since 1994. But honestly the world did not end, I really like being a stamper and customer and I don't miss the business side at all. Retirement is grand.
I will be joining this club pretty soon. I have been my best customer for the past year and frankly, it's been tough. I'm sort of looking forward to having my demoship end.
after 3 years of just squeaking by to make my sales quota I have finally have given up being a demo for SU. Now I am able to just be a customer and enjoy the stamping. I feel a sense fo relief, is that bad? I'll miss the perks but the ability to enjoy stamping from the customer side out weighs the perks.
Not at all! If it was the right decision for you, I'm not surprised at all that you would feel relief!
Good for you!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I'm thinking of doing the same thing. I have enough that I want on my own to easily support me until my first full year is up at the end of August. I have customers that order from me but not exclusively and not regularly. I thought I'd sign up to see what it was all about and get the discount and maybe make a little money. I spend less time stamping for fun and for myself. I always seem to be working on projects for the next stamp camp or class that very few people ever seem to come to - not enough to justify all the time and supplies I've put into it. So, going back to being a customer and supporting some one else hard work is looking extremely appealing right now.
Nothing wrong with your decision or how you're feeling at all! Most customers don't realize just how much work goes into all the preparation. They don't usually realize that the minis you might mail them cost YOU money we don't get them for free. We also have to pay for all the order forms, etc. It costs a bunch to be a demonstrator. A lot of customers think it's effortless and we get all those things from SU. It's seems effortless because we've worked so hard without them seeing all the time and versions of projects before we get to the end product.
I, too, let my demonstratorship go last month. Like others, I love stamping, and now have time to do it, as well work on my daughter's scrapbook. She's 33 years old. I guess it's about time!!! :- )
In all honesty, though, I never had trouble making my minimums. I had a great group of customers that regularly had workshops. But the planning, prepping, paperwork, taxes, etc ... I just didn't want to do the business part anymore. I am loving just stamping for fun and being a great customer to the demo that took over my customer base.
This is the same road I am on right now. The current quarter sales quota has been met with my own purchases (cardstock stock up) but next quarter that will not happen. I just happen to live in an area that no one really wants to attend a ws. I have been around for over 8 years but the last few have been less fun since there are no real ws fans.
I will be alive long enough to cash in some of my Great Rewards points and place my free set order earned during SAB. I will also try to sell my extra catalogs, grab bag gift supplies, and incentive stamps, etc.
Then I will be free to sell anything I want to get rid of on eBay and not get in trouble!!
I retired this month too after moving. I signed up in TX and I had some co workers that kept me meeting my minimums. I did enjoy the perks while they lasted, and who knows I may sign up again when my kids are a bit older, or perhaps when my daughter starts stamping!
__________________ Kristina Wife, Mommy, Stamper, Nurse Laura 6yo Jack 5yo, James 4/20/08 Megan arrived 3/16/09
I was a demo a few years ago and was in your same shoes. Barely making the minimum and working VERY hard to organize workshops, etc. I personally never felt the rewards and 'payment' from Stampin Up was worth the time I had put in. Obviously, the best way to make enough money (to quit your day job) is to get a million people selling under you.
I, too, felt relief and have never looked back! I now stamp what I want (regardless if is retired or not------frankly, I still love quite a few things that are retired!) Stamping is my down time and enjoyment time, and I am now back to really loving my stamp time!
Also, I love Stampin' Up products, but I love lots of other products, too, from other companies (and, tough to beat weekly coupons from Michael's and JoAnn Fabric). I feel more free now, to buy products from wherever I want.
I've thought about signing up but honestly my demo keeps me so happy I can't see not buying from her (so I hope she is making lots of money and stays in it). I get cute cards with almost every order, I can do rush orders, I get fun little surprises.... it's the bomb being a customer!
Art is intended to provoke an emotion from a total stranger. If you�ve succeeded in this, consider yourself an artist. Paper Shanks Blog. Love me or hate me, you are still talking about me
Thank you all for the kind words. I really feel like the world of stamping has so avenues that I can now freely explore without any guilt. I am lucky to have a couple of stamping stores near me as well as Micheal's, Joann's and AC Moore. SU has been a great company to represent over the last 6 years plus the quality of the products are without a question upbeatable.
__________________ Angela,
Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.--Irving Berlin
It's such a relief and so much more fun! I quit back in September and it was a good decision for me. I enjoy stamping again, rather than trying to come up with new ideas for workshops. And, I love being able to purchase from other companies, without the guilt.
Hi!
I wanted to add that I sort of went a little crazy at Christmas time, I always save up for a major personal purchase, free SAB sets, and a huge workshop. DH said, "Well, guess you won't be wanting stamps this year like you used to do for SAB. What are you going to do with the money? Put it in the savings account?" When I got done laughing I took advantage for Sizzix's 12 days of Christmas sale and bought a ton of dies that I'd been wanting but didn't buy because I was buying stamps. Stamps and Sizzix go very well together. So that's how I'm spending my retirement. Punching and Stamping, Stamping and Punching, etc....LOL!!!
Sometimes that is how it shakes out. I've been buying from a great demo for a few years and she talked me into the hobby demoship...she told me that I could easily make my minimums based on my past purchase pattern and that I'd get the discount to boot. So I am doing that until I can't find enough to buy to make my minimum. For now I too stock up on paper, inks, tools, etc. My upline said that when I gave up the demoship I could go back to being her customer again if I wanted. So for me it was a win win deal.
I don't do workshops or actively sell by choice so don't feel bad if I use some non SU product in one of my projects. So I probably enjoy a little more freedom in that regard.
__________________ Have an awesome day!
Loretta Rathert~
I'm not a stampin up dealer but I enjoy the stamping world of seeing what everyone has to offer, and using 40% off coupons to buy a lot of my supplies, instead of feeling committed to only one company. Carolyn
I'm a hobby demo and to be honest I just signed up in August 2005 just to get the free color family of pads (12 total) I thought the Min $ would be hard to make but between my mom, me and one of my friends I have been sliding by. I like getting the 20% off but it won't be the end of the world for me if I lose my demoship. I still like to play with the other stuff out there for my personal stuff. (and I do one workshop a quarter at my friends house and that's IT! (my choice)
after 3 years of just squeaking by to make my sales quota I have finally have given up being a demo for SU. Now I am able to just be a customer and enjoy the stamping. I feel a sense fo relief, is that bad? I'll miss the perks but the ability to enjoy stamping from the customer side out weighs the perks.
Congrats! -- and be happy, at some point practically every demonstrator (even my own PENDING self) has considered leaving so kick up your heels and breath easy. All the best!
__________________ Lesley: A Clean House is the sign of a Lazy Stamper! (My Upline)
Sounds like it was the right decision for you since you feel more free! What a feeling! I'll probably get slammed for this, but that's one thing I love about being a TAC demo - our required minimum is $100 every 4 months. It's no problem. And I choose not to do many workshops. If someone comes to me and wants to have one, that's great. But I don't push it at all. Like everyone else on here, I'd rather stamp for fun than stamp for "work".
My demo says I have enough sales to be a hobby demo but I like the flexibility of shopping at cool specialty stamp stores, Ebay and Michaels. She is wonderful and I find that SU has plenty of sales that I tend to get a lot of good deals already.
I think you made a good move.
C
__________________ Join me on a cardmaking cruise US West Coast 2016
I finally quit
