Stampin' Up Demonstrators
 

I know many people on this site are SU demos. I've seen many threads asking what items to include in demo kit etc. I've seen people who decide to be a hobby demo. Can someone tell me how this whole demo thing works and what are options available to someone? I've heard lots of things about demos but can't really put it together. I've heard about uplines and demos getting new people to sign up under them so they can make more money...........it's confusing if you don't know the system. Any help would be appreciated.

To become a demonstrator, you start with buying the Starter Kit--it is $199 and includes quite a few stamp sets, ink pads, misc. supplies and business supplies. You can add on the Scrapbooking pack for another $50. As a demonstrator, you are required to have $300 in purchases each quarter. These can be personal purchases or customer purchases. You will receive an instant income of 20% with each order and have the capacity to add an additional 12% to your income through Volume Rebate.


20% instant income plus up to 12% additional based on sales volume.

Here�s a quick example. Class sales (before tax and shipping) total $300. You�ll collect payments for the $300 order + $30 (10% shipping) + $24.75 (assume 7.5% tax) = $354.75. When you call the order in they�ll charge you a total of $288 ($240 for 80% of order + $30 shipping + $24.75 tax). You�ll keep $60 (20% of class sales) as instant income. At the end of the month the company will send you a volume rebate check based on your sales. If you have just one $300 class, you�ll get a check for $12 (4% of $300). The volume rebates range from 3.5% on sales of at least $150 to 12% on sales of $10,000.

From now until the end of August, anyone signing up will get a whole family set of classic ink pads for free!! If you're thinking about signing up, now is the time!!

You don't have a minimum # of home classes or workshops you have to meet--you do what you want for your business--making sure you meet your minimum in sales each quarter. After signing up, you decide you don't want to do it anymore, then you don't have to do anything--just not make any purchases.

*there is no inventory to carry---orders are filled by Stampin' Up!

Recruiting
You get different percentages of your downline sales depending on whether they are a direct or indirect downline of yours. This is a great way to grow your business! It�s fun to see new demonstrators learn and get excited about stamping and teaching others!

HTH!

Carrie,

That is an excellent explanation!

Anyone who starts now, will get until December 31 (actually January 31 if you count the pending month) to decide if this is for you. If you don't purchase/sell over $300, you are simply dropped as a demonstrator, but still get to keep all the great stuff you got at a great discount. I have been a demonstrator for 7 years, and the free ink pad deal is the highest price add-on I have ever seen to the demonstrator kit, so now is the time to think about it!

Demos
 

Can you tell me more about the recruiting aspect of this? My demonstrator seems to sell a lot yet said she's not making much money because of uplines? Not being familiar with this I wasn't sure if all demos need an upline and if they do, how much of a demos profit do they share with an upline? Seems good for the upline but what about the demo?

ATTN KIM
 

Kim,
can you elaborate more on the December 31/January 31 deadline thing you where speaking of?

I'm considering this as well and just want to make sure I understand it all fully.
Thanks1 :)

I think all that she meant is that if you don't sell your quarterly minimums up until that point ($300/qtr) then you will be dropped as a Demo. You can still keep anything you've bought to that point, including your starter kit.

Another point to be made:

I know some SUDs who buy - and let their friends buy - everything at the 20% discount. They still make the volume discount AND use the points they earn to get free stamp sets for themselves, but they're sure to meet their quarterly minimums because they let others take advantage of the savings, too, which is an incentive for friends to buy. This more a Hobby Demo arrangement than someone who is trying to make money but it works well if you don't want to, or can't, spend the $300/qtr yourself.

Not Kim, but I can explain some of it to you. Stampin' Up! quarters are January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. If you sign up right now, you are in the middle of a quarter (July-September). You will have a FULL quarter to reach your minimums. If you sign up now, you've already missed part of July so that isn't a full quarter. Therefore, you will not have to have met your minimums until the end of the FULL quarter (ending December 31). So you would have from now until December 31st to have $300 in sales. Every quarter after that will be normal (from Jan-Mar you must sell $300, etc).

Now, if in a quarter you do not make your minimums, you must make up that amount the next month. I've never went to pending status, so someone else may be able to expand more on this point.

Okay I think I 've got it,

BUT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS SITUATION,

If I sign now (will do so as a hobbiest), and say in 2-3 weeks I place an order for $300 (which will still be in the July- Sept Qtr), would I be exempt and free from having to also place an order(s) that total $300 again in the Oct- Dec Qtr if I didn't choose too?


I'll truelly be a hobbiest as I don't work outside the home (we farm and live in the sticks) so I don't have coworker friends, and my few local friends don't have an interest in it, and will defintely more than likely be only placing orders for goods for myself. Pretty much the only stamping frineds I have is online and I kow your not suppost to advertise yourself as an SU demo online.

Thanks so much for all the help and info, and to this thread especailly as it's asked so many questions I wanted to and have forgottten to ask!

God Bless! :D
Sharon

Yes, every demonstrator needs to sign up under an upline, but it's my understanding that you wouldn't share any of your profits with your upline. Their percentage comes from SU!, not their downlines.

You've got it right! The first quarter is waived, so when you first start, you basically have 2 quarters to make the $300 minimum. I started in May and am a hobbyist demo myself. Most of my friends are not into rubber stamping. However, a couple of them want me to host a workshop just to see what this is all about. Who knows, I may get them hooked!

SU Demos
 

How would I find a demo in my area that is going to be supportive to what I would need as a new demo? I have a demo now who isn't organized when she does workshops and doesn't follow through with giving us the direction sheets she says we'll get so I wouldn't want to be a new demo under someone like that. Suggestions?

Demo starter kit add-on deal
 

Someone said there is currently an add-on incentive of 12 ink pads for singing up to be a demo now. Does anyone know if they must be one entire color family, or any 12 colors of your choice? There's no color family I need all 12 of, just the new colors to replace the retiring ones.
You demos sure make some persuasive arguements for signing up! I'm really starting to consider it seriously. I keep hearing all these good things about being a demo. What is the downside? There's got be something that's a negative about this whole thing.
Any comments would be appreciated!
stampingnut

Thanks so much for all the great information on here. I love this site. I have been pondering signing up for some time. I have been stamping for 10 years so I spend quite a bit. I was always happy to provide income for my demo. I have since moved out of state (actually 3 years ago) and it makes it harder since I can't attend anything she offers in terms of camps/workshops. I was really thinking about it a week ago, and I'm really happy to hear about the 12 stamp pads. Guess it is time to take the plunge next month when payday arrives. Oh scary! I plan on just being a hobby demo and offering the discount to all my friends and family. I'm planning on having a few workshops and hopefully I can get a few sales. Thanks ladies!

The add on incentive is for a color family. You have your choice of 6 additional in the basic kit.
The only negative I know is that I signed on as a hobby demo in April and did not plan to do more since I have a full time job.. I had 2 stamp clubs started this month, but am down to one due to one of the club members in my first club has signed up to be a demo and will take that club (her friends) with her. So the negative is actually a positive - SU sells itself, so I should have no trouble meeting my minimums, just scheduling the workshops.
Debbie

In answer to "stampingnut":
 

You have to choose a color family of ink pads; they will not allow you to pick & choose individual colors from different families for the free sets. HOWEVER, the starter kit does come with a choice of (I'm thinking it's 5 or 6 - you can find out on the SU! site) pads, so you could choose those from the other 3 families.

As far as a downside... from what I can see & understand from talking to friends & SUDs....the only downside would be if you can't make your quarterly minimums - then you would be deactivated as a demo.

You can meet your quarterly minimums by: purchasing for yourself, selling to friends/family/coworkers, having workshops, etc... you can work as little or as much as you want, depending on your schedule, what you like to do and/or what you NEED to do to meet the quarterly minimums.

Honestly, I can't see that there are any other downsides. (shrug)

I have been a demo for 3 years and love it. To answer the question about the ink pad add-on, you have to choose a color family. But you could use the colors you already have as incentives or prizes to make more sales. Also on the question about finding a demonstrator near you, you can log onto the SU website and there is an option that allows you to enter your address and it will pull up demos in your area and you could met with them and see who you are most comfortable with and sign up with them. Good luck to all of you who will take the plunge and join our family of stampers.
Michelle

Here is a link to the SU Starter Kit page so that you can see what you get for your signup fee: http://www.stampinup.com/web2001/Sta...tType=Standard

Thanks for all the thought provoking questions and "fill in the gaps" answers. I've been toying with the idea to sign up as a hobby demo. But waver back and forth each month. This incentive of a full family of ink pads has pushed me back over to "I think I need to sign up!"

Dawn

Go to www.stampinup.com and click on the demo locator - type in your address and it will return a list of demos in your area - some may have websites, email addresses are available - send them an email to "feel" them out - tell them what your looking for in an upline and ask them what they have to offer....JMO

HTH

I want to caution against offering your discount to customers if you plan to be a hobby demonstrator. Once you start, it's hard to stop. It is better to offer periodic specials at the end of the quarter if you need to make your quota. That extra 20% cash comes in handy to pay bills (or buy more stamps!).

Demos
 

Being the experienced demos you are, what are some good questions to ask a demo that might help me decide who would be a good upline for me once I get the 5 names of demos in my area? I'm so new to this that I don't know what I don't know...............does that make sense?
Maybe it would be easier to tell me what a good upline should do for me?
Thanks-
Sue

Sorry if I've missed the answer to this. How long is the sign on bonus of 12 ink pads good for? Is it just for July?

The bonus ink pad offer is til the end of August.

If you want to be an active demo, it's helpful to find an upline who is also active, who perhaps has monthly or quarterly meetings for downlines, or who at least has regular classes/workshops that you could attend.

HOWEVER, nobody really NEEDS an upline. SU! is so helpful about everything, that you can do it yourself. There are a lot of "orphaned" demos, people move, quit, etc. And if you are going to be just a hobby demo, you really don't need much of an upline.

If you have a friend in another part of the country who is a demo, you can sign up under them!

Upline needed and doubts
 

So you're saying I need an upline to join, but don't need to have one after that? They kind of get you started and explain a lot of things then if you want to be on your own you can be? I'm worried about finding a good upline who will help me get started. I am also worried about do I have what it takes to be a demo? Time, talent etc.
What are things the SU website gives you demos? I've seen websites from many demos. Are those provided by SU or do you host your own site?
So many questions, so many doubts..............HELP!!!

It might be good to talk to others that have signed up under your potential upline if you are concerned about that. There is lots of help on the SU website and there is a demo manual on CD with everything you need to know about giving workshops, filling out forms, online ordering, product information. We pay a small monthly fee for our websites if desired. Any websites other than the official one can only be galleries.

Maybe this will help answer some of your questions. This is what I give to my potential recruits.
Lin

Sue:

You most certainly have the TALENT to be a demo!!! The biggest question you need to ask yourself is: Do you want to make money at this or are you doing it for personal reasons??? I know two demos in my area ... one does this strictly to make money and the other does it as a hobby. The money demo has monthly stamp camps; the projects are relatively easy and inexpensive for her to have us make. After we do the projects 50-75% of the attendees place orders.

The hobby demo I know has stamp camps every two to three months and has some really elaborate stuff for us to do. You can tell she basically does these just to get us all together to have some fun!!! It's all in where your priorities lie as to how you will need to run your business.

Good luck with whatever decision you make. Hmmmmmm ... a whole family of stamp pads .... very tempting---very tempting!!!

You actually get a whole color family (12 pads) in addition to the 6 that comes in your kit. HTH.

As far as downsides to being a demo - it's addicting!

I'm so excited!!!
 

I sent in my paperwork today... How am I notified that everything is received? Do I get a letter or email? Or does the kit show up with everything I need including my consultant id #? I am excited!! I can't wait to join the demo boards as well!!

I sent my paperwork in last Wed they still have not processed it. I guess because of convention they have half staff! Not sure how they notify you-I have called!

What exactly is a hobby demo as opposed to a "money" demo. Are the quarterly goals different? What's the advantage to being a hobby demo if one doesn't choose to earn an income?

There is NO DIFFERENCE.

The only difference is the individual's choice. If you want to spend $80 a month on stamps (that's $100 minus your discount), then YOU can be a demo. If that's ALL you do, you'll be UNOFFICIALLY called a Hobby Demo. TA DA!

If on the other hand, you WORK and make money, you are not a hobby demo. :)

That's it.

You all have me convinced to become a hobby demo. Wish I had done it a year ago. Would have saved bunches. Who knows, maybe I could even make some money...

Only have a few questions - is this a business as far as your income tax goes and if so do you have to do a separate return or just include as part of your personal return?

And is SU or the demo responsible for paying the state sales tax?

Thanks

Should have read all the posts - found somewhat of an answer in the following thread.
http://forums.splitcoaststampers.com...ad.php?t=70620

Thanks anyway.