Becoming a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator: Everything You Need to
Know to Get Started
What is a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator? A Stampin’ Up!
demonstrator is someone who is passionate about paper crafting and acts as an
independent sales consultant for Stampin’ Up!, selling their products and
recruiting others to become demonstrators. A demonstrator can be a hobbyist or
serious about making money and building a direct sales business.
An Introduction to This Un-Official Stampin’ Up!
Demonstrator Handbook
If you are considering joining Stampin’ Up! as a
demonstrator you probably have a lot of questions running through your head.
That’s okay. I was there once too.
My name is Cassie with Enchanted Inkers, and I’ve been a
demonstrator since 2005. I started out as a hobbyist but quickly became so
excited to share my love of stamping and to feed my hobby that I moved more in
the business direction. I am working
toward making it my full time career.
Slow and steady wins the race. I
hold classes and clubs at my home in Pleasure Ridge Park, Kentucky.
I get asked questions all the time about becoming a
demonstrator so I gathered information and decided to share what I found in a
blog post. My hope is that this info
serves as a guide to help prospective
demonstrators get a complete picture of the opportunity and answer their
questions. After reading, you should have enough information to determine if
this opportunity is right for you.
What is Stampin’ Up!?
Stampin’ Up! Is a privately owned, direct sales company who
designs and manufactures rubber stamps and paper crafting products.
Headquarterd in Utah, the company was
founded by two sisters in 1988. Currrent
CEO is Sara Douglas. Sara is the daughter of one of the cofounders.
SU products can’t be found in stores but are
instead sold through a vast network of independent sales consultants, or
demonstrators. There are over 40,000 demonstrators all over the world –
including the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany,
Austria, Netherlands, UK, Japan and Puerto Rico.
Why Become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator?
There are a lot of different reasons why someone may want to
become a SU demonstrator. A few reasons may include:
To get a great deal! The starter kit is by far the best deal
in the Stampin’ Up! Catalog.
To meet new people, make friends, and spend time with people
who have a common interest.
To get Stampin’ Up! products at a discount.
To start a flexible business doing something that you enjoy,
spending as much or as little time on it as you wish.
To sell enough products to friends and family to buy the
products on your wish list.
Most people join Stampin’ Up! because they love the products
and want to get a discount. Others take it a step further and make it a
part-time or full-time job.
What Does a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Do? (Hobby vs.
Business)
Unlike company employees, a demonstrator is an independent
contractor, who has the freedom to represent and sell Stampin’ Up! products as
little or as much as they want, however they want. Part time or full time, the
choice is theirs.
Demonstrators typically fall into one of two types –
hobbyists or business minded.
A hobbyist is just a person who buys the starter kit because
they love stamping, making cards, paper crafting, scrapbooking and memory
keeping. They just purchase their own supplies and get the discount and they’re
just happy doing that. If they decide they don’t want to be a demonstrator
anymore, they just stop purchasing products and then drop off with no
penalties.
If desired, hobbyists can hold classes and parties or
perform a variety of different things to get others involved to make a little
cash so they can get some or all of their products for free.
On the other hand, some Stampin’ Up! demonstrators strive to
sell a lot of products, build their team by recruiting others to become
demonstrators, and treat Stampin’ Up! as a business. They may work several
hours a week, or even full time, to teach card making classes, host workshops
and network to find new customers and recruits. Some successful demonstrators
earn a good living from Stampin’ Up!, and others may make enough to help pay
some bills or take their family on vacation – depending on their commitment,
hustle and a variety of other factors.
Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Levels
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators can earn different levels of
achievement, or titles, based on their success. These levels include:
Bronze
Bronze Elite
Silver
Silver Elite
Gold
Gold Elite
Platinum
Platinum Elite
What is the Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Discount?
Most demonstrators see the product discount as their biggest
benefit. The discount, or commission, is 20-25 percent off all Stampin’ Up!
products.
After that you can earn what is called a volume rebate,
which is based off of your sales each month. So, if you hit $600 (US) in sales
in a month you earn an extra percentage in commission for your volume rebate.
The extra percentage increases at different levels of monthly sales, so you can
earn a bigger rebate percentages as your sales grow each month.
A commission is also earned each month for the sales
performance of your team down to three levels, as well as bonuses for meeting
certain quarterly sales requirements and direct recruits becoming qualified or
advancing in title.
Additional Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Benefits, Perks and
Rewards
Demonstrators are also able to connect with other
demonstrators through demonstrator-only conferences, like OnStage. These are
offered twice a year in different locations and are really fun as you get to
make new friends and get to experience first hand what Stampin’ Up! is all
about.
Some of the other perks demonstrators receive is being able
to see the catalogs about a month in advance with a variety of exclusive
pre-order opportunities. That’s definitely a perk to get the first sneak peak!
Support for Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators
Stampin’ Up! demonstrator support from the company includes
online training resources, a quarterly magazine and an online community with
plenty of project ideas. You can also call Stampin’ Up! at any time with
questions about your orders, or if you run into any problems with your orders.
The support staff is super helpful and always great to deal with.
However, if you have specific questions about how to run a
class or how to promote an event you will want to ask your upline, the
demonstrator who you signed up under. Unfortunately, I have met several people
who signed up under somebody and then never heard from them again. So just be
mindful of the demonstrator you select as your upline as you will want them to
be involved and there for you when you need help.
Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Policies
When you sign up to become a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator you
will need to accept their agreement and policies. Some of their major policies
include:
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators can’t also be a sales consultant
for a competitive company selling paper, stamps, craft supplies and the such.
If you become a demonstrator you are to be exclusive to Stampin’ Up!
You can only cash and carry Stampin’ Up! kits and adhesives;
everything else you need to order when a customer orders. This is good because
nobody wants to carry a ton of inventory.
Additional policies are found in their independent
demonstrator agreement.
Requirements and Minimum Sales for Stampin’ Up!
Demonstrators
To be an active Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator you need to have
minimum quarterly sales of $300 (US) before your discount. As long as you keep
these minimum requirements, which averages out to only $100 a month, you will
remain active. You do not need to have a minimum level of recruits.
If you fail to meet this quarterly minimum you go into
pending for one month. During that month you can make up the difference or drop
with no penalties.
How Do Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators Make Money?
In addition to earning discounts on products, monthly volume
rebates, and commissions on your team, there are quite a few other ways for
demonstrators to make money.
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators can make money from class fees,
stamp camps, retreats and other events they host. They can also earn money from
selling their paper creations at craft shows or even to businesses. For
example, I have a business that orders several dozen handmade cards from me
each year to send to customers for birthdays and other occasions.
How Much Does a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Earn?
There are a ton of factors that will impact how much money a
demonstrator can earn including how dedicated you are to the business, how many
hours you put into it, and the strategies you use to find new customers and
recruits.
When I first joined Stampin’ Up! I did it to get a discount
on the products and I decided to have a party to let some friends and family
know what I was up to and to make some cards. And guess what? They loved it! A
lot of them had never stamped before and they actually asked me if we could get
together and make cards every month.
So, every month we got together to made cards and they paid
to come to the class. They also ordered stuff from the Stampin’ Up! Catalog and
between that commission and the class fees I was able to pretty much get all
the products I wanted for free.
However, if you want to actually make money it depends on
how much time and effort you want to put into it. I know some top demonstrators
that do this as a full time job and make a very good income from Stampin’ Up!,
but they are working 40 plus hours a week and investing in training and doing
the things needed to be successful.
Common Business Expenses of a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator
Most of the time you need to spend money to make money, and
that is true for Stampin’ Up! demonstrators as well. Your expenses as a
demonstrator will depend on if you are doing it for a hobby or for a business.
Those focused on making money will incur more expenses than the hobbyists.
Some things you may need to spend money on as a Stampin’ Up!
demonstrator include:
Class Expenses: Products to use for the business including
stamps, paper, ink and adhesive.
Advertising Expenses: Facebook ads, email marketing, signs
and event flyers.
Website Expenses: Domain name, hosting fees and the DBWS
demonstrator website.
Rent: Fees to rent table space at craft shows or conference
rooms to host larger events.
Business Expenses: Catalogs, order forms, business cards,
supplies to make thank you cards, postage and miscellaneous office supplies.
Transportation: Gas to drive to customer workshops or
private classes.
It is best to keep track of all your expenses throughout the
year so that if you need to pay any taxes on your Stampin’ Up! income you may
be able to offset a good part of that with relevant business related expenses.
Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Taxes
You may get a 1099 from Stampin’ Up! if your sales and
commissions are high enough. For several years I never received anything from
Stampin’ Up! then the last few years I got 1099’s since my sales were higher.
It is very possible that many demonstrators won’t have to pay federal taxes,
especially hobby demonstrators.
Everyone’s situation is different, so It is best to contact
your tax professional about what taxes you have to pay as a demonstrator.
How to Become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator?
If you’ve made it this far, there is a good chance that
you’re really interested in moving forward and going to sign up to become a
Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. That is so exciting!
In the same way that Stampin’ Up! products must be purchased
through a demonstrator, you must sign up to become a demonstrator under a
current demonstrator.
Choosing the right demonstrator for your upline may be one
of the most important decisions in all of this, especially if you are doing it
for a business.
I would definitely pick somebody that is actively stamping
and participating in Stampin’ Up! If possible, somebody that has been around
for a while and that’s not going anywhere. If you are serious about Stampin’
Up! as a business, you will want someone who offers a community of like-minded
people, training, and support to answer all of your questions throughout your
journey.
After finding the demonstrator you feel comfortable signing
up under, you would go to their Stampin’ Up! website and click the “Join Now”
button.
You will then follow a very easy step by step process to
join. It’s all online and only takes a few minutes.
You will have to enter in your personal information
including your address and social security number. You might sign up to only
get a discount and be a happy shopper but maybe down the road, like myself and
a lot of other people, you decide to turn this into more of a business. So,
they need your social security number for tax purposes if they need to send you
a 1099.
Next, you will need to read and agree to the Stampin’ Up!
independent demonstrator agreement.
Finally, it’s time to purchase your starter kit!
Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Starter Kit
The Stampin’ Up Demonstrator starter kit is the best deal in
the entire catalog. You will be prompted to select up to $125 worth of products
from the current catalogs for just $99 (US). You are free to pick out whatever
products you want, and will also get free shipping and a business supply kit
valued at $50 that includes catalogs and order forms.Stampin Up Starter Kit
What Happens After I Order the Stampin’ Up! New Demonstrator
Kit?
After signing up online and ordering the kit you are now
officially a demonstrator but here comes the hardest part – waiting for your
kit to arrive in the mail! Depending on where you are located, it could take a
few days to a week to receive in the mail.
In the meantime, your new upline should now be welcoming you
to the team and supporting you in anyway that is needed.
When you want to place your first order after joining
Stampin’ Up!, they will email you a number and a password so you can log into
the demonstrator website. At that time you will need to link your bank account
as that is how Stampin’ Up! will deposit your earned commissions.
Conclusion and Next Steps
I hope this guide helped to answer your questions and gave
you a good overview of the Stampin’ Up! demonstrator opportunity.
If you are still on the fence about becoming a demonstrator,
I’d say go for it. The starter kit is the best deal in the catalog and you
really have nothing to lose. Plus, there are no penalties if you never do
anything with it after you get your kit, so you really have nothing to lose.
If you happen to have any additional questions please let me
know. I’d love to help you out and also add to this resource so it can better
help potential demonstrators.
Want to Learn More About My Team?
If you are still looking for the right demonstrator to sign
up under, you can learn more about me and my team the Enchanted Inkers and see
if we are a good fit for you!
