Thinking about becoming a demonstrator....
 

just trying to figure out the $ aspects of it all. I'd be taking over an already up and running stamp club with regular orders etc.

I guess I'm mostly unclear on if there is a discount on things I order or do I just get the % of the total sales back to use toward future purchases for supplies etc.

Also how much time do you think it takes to put in orders, design projects, set up for stamp club/workshops etc. I want to make sure I can do everything and do it well before committing.

Thanks!

Mandy, good questions! I've been a demo for 4.5 years now and I love it! I buy a LOT of SU stuff, so it made sense for me to get the discount. I still buy a lot - but my selling to others pays for my stuff! If I cut back on what I bought, I could actually MAKE money at this! <g>

As for the % off your own stuff, when you place your order for your own stuff (and for other people too), you only SUBMIT 80% of the total merchandise amount. That's called "instant income". However, if your customers are using credit cards, SU charges their cards for the full amount and then puts your part in your bank account.

Most of my customers don't use credit cards to pay me - only a couple of times, I think. So if I put in an order for $200, I pay only $160 (plus shipping and handling on the whole amount, but your customers are paying that). So you can do whatever you want with that $40 you've collected from your customers but don't have to pay to SU - make sense?

Then if you have a good month and buy/sell (doesn't matter to SU who is buying the stuff) over $400, then you get a Volume Rebate, or an extra percentage. And that % goes up with the amount for that month. That rebate gets put in your bank account.

I LOVE being a demo, and Sale-a-bration is a great time to join and that's coming up February 1st! We get to see stuff first, order stuff first, there's hostess benefits we get (hostess sets plus free merchandise) if you put a bunch of small orders together. The benefits are endless!! Then there's Convention! I never could go until this past year - it was the experience of a lifetime!

Don't want to overwhelm you with info - if you have more questions, just PM me!

Oh, about the time required. That totally depends. If you're taking over an already existing club, that's really great! Putting in the orders isn't a problem for me - it's fun! Designing the projects is what takes time for me because I *agonize* over everything! But then I'm coming up with 5 projects for my rather-advanced stampers each time I have Stamp Camp (I don't have a club). You might do fewer projects for a Club - just 2 or 3?

Also, getting access to the Demo side of SCS is an *invaluable* tool - there's no question the demo gals can't answer for you within minutes! <g> And as far as designs goes, mostly I get my inspiration here on SCS - I CASE project designs and change it up to make it fit what I want to teach them.

Go for it - you'll love it!! When I joined, it was "just for the discount" - I had NO idea I'd LOVE teaching this to people. I have a group of loyal customers that I've had most of the time I've been a demo and they're still buying. I have a small downline too - just in the past year - and I had never thought I'd want that either. Being a demo is the greatest because you can make it whatever you want it. Some gals just buy for themselves and some make it a career and everything in between.

Hope this helps!

Wow Susan, great advice and very thorough. Mandypandy, I suggest finding someone you want to be your upline and ask them. Have a sit down, face to face, as you probably will have many more questions. I have to agree the Demo side of SCS answers questions lickety split.

Stampin' Up! offers a lot of ideas (monthly workshop planners, daily showcase of cards, monthly mag, etc) for you to use in clubs and workshops. If you don't have time to create your own, you have that invaluable resource. A lot of demos do use those ideas because they are more "business" than "creative". Another tip, is use a project more than once. I hold 2 stamp camps (one in the SW burbs, the other in the NW burbs) and both camps do the exact same projects. Plus I hold them the same weekend so I'm prepping once for two classes. You can do the same for workshops.

If you haven't picked your upline, you can go to SU! and "find a demonstrator" to find one in your area. Or, if someone here on SCS has inspired you, you can have a long distance upline. But, interview her and make sure your UL is willing to give you the support you think you might need.

Good luck with your decision! I've never once regretted mine!!

Can I offer one tiny bit of "choosing an upline" advice? Choose someone you can have a business relationship with. It's great if you hit it off, of course, but if it's a friendship, and then the business part doesn't work out the way one of you wants, it's a painful thing. If you find someone who works this as a business, they will have lots of advice and help for you.

Good luck! It's a fun ride to be a Stampin Up demo!!!! :-)