I’ve been an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator in Canada for almost 6 years and love it. Through papercrafting I’ve discovered a creative side I never knew I had and I can’t imagine my life without it.
Since I discovered Stampin’ Up! I’ve connected with people from around the world and made lots of new friends. I’ve also saved a ton of money by taking advantage of the various discounts and promotions from Stampin’ Up!
I’d love to welcome you as part of my Crafty Canadians team, but first you should know what you’re letting yourself in for…
Some Myths
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators have to sell to other people.
Actually if you only want to take advantage of the discounts and other perks then that’s fine. We often refer to these as ‘hobby demonstrators’ as opposed to ‘business demonstrators’. Both are equally welcome as part of my Crafty Canadians team.
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators have to hold classes.
I offer classes because I love to teach and share my papercrafting hobby with others. This is my personal choice. Demonstrators are not required to hold classes or workshops.
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators have to have a Facebook page, website or blog.
Again I have these things because I enjoy sharing my projects with other papercrafters. You do not need to have any of these things to be a demonstrator.
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators have to get other people to join the company.
While some demonstrators do have large teams, many don’t. It is true that having a team does unlock some extra perks, but you are not required to recruit others to remain a demonstrator.
If I join but decide it’s not for me, I’ll have to repay any discounts or return any free products I received.
There are absolutely no catches to the Stampin’ Up! joining offer. Any discounts you get via your starter kit, on orders you place, or free items you may earn at any time while you’re a demonstrator are yours to keep, period. You can also leave Stampin’ Up! at any time. Think of it as the ultimate test drive for papercrafters.
Stampin’ Up! demonstrators are not allowed to by craft products from other companies.
Actually there are no restrictions on where you can buy from. However when you can get at least 20% off any orders you place with Stampin’ Up!, and still qualify for Stampin’ Rewards and other customer benefits, you might simply prefer to take advantage of that instead.
If I’ve answered your questions and decided now’s the time to join my Crafty Canadians team, simply fill in the online Independent Demonstrator Agreement and choose the products you’d like in your starter kit.
So is it really worth becoming a Demonstrator?
The Perks
The Starter Kit
Until August 31st you can choose $205.00 (usually $165) of products from the Stampin’ Up! catalogue, including bundles that are already discounted by 10%, and/or the Clearance Rack where retired products are offered at up to 60% off. Then you pay just $135.00 for your kit, with no additional shipping charges. Also included in the starter kit at no extra cost is a past Paper Pumpkin kit ($30 value), a pack of current catalogues, and a pack of business supplies (in case you want to use them). What’s more, in most Canadian provinces no tax is payable on the starter kit either so that’s another immediate saving for you.
*As an extra incentive if you join during August you can also choose products from the 2019 Holiday Catalogue for your starter kit. Plus in early September you will receive a $14 e-coupon to spend on any order placed before October 31st.
Remember, from September 1st you will only be able to choose $165 of product and won’t get the extra $14 coupon e-mailed to you, so it makes sense to join before the end of August if you can and take advantage of that extra $54 in products for free.
Instant discount & Deferred Income
As a demonstrator your personal orders automatically benefit from an instant discount of at least 20%. If you happen to place orders for friends or others, you will earn at least 20% of the value of the products ordered, in cash. Depending on how that order is paid for, your earnings will either be in the form of an instant discount when the order is submitted (so you keep some of the cash the customers gave to you), or it will be paid directly into your nominated bank account within about a week (referred to as deferred income).
Stampin’ Rewards (otherwise known as Host benefits)
Customers who place an order of at least $200 before shipping and taxes qualify for Stampin’ Rewards starting at 10% of their order value (see page 205 of the 2019/2020 Annual Catalogue). Stampin’ Rewards can be spent on anything in the Stampin’ Up! catalogue or in the online Clearance Rack. As a demonstrator you also qualify for Stampin’ Rewards based on the catalogue prices of your order (i.e. before any discount is deducted) in exactly the same way as any other customer.
Other promotional offers
Demonstrators qualify for other promotional offers as if they were any regular customer e.g. Bonus Days coupons, free Sale-A-Bration items etc. All benefits are calculated before any discounts are applied.
Stampin’ Up Catalogues
All demonstrators are able to access new catalogues online, and are sent a free paper copy before they go live for customers.
Get new products weeks in advance
Demonstrators are able to order many new products weeks before customers. They may also have the opportunity to purchase selected new ‘Host’ stamp sets as a regular item instead of having to earn Stampin’ Rewards to obtain them.
Demonstrator only events
As crafters we love to get together to share our passion, and Stampin’ Up! organises a number of events during the year. Often these events include sneak peeks of new products, free gifts and opportunities to craft together.
Flex Points
Every time a demonstrator submits an order (for themselves or for others) they earn ‘Flex Points’ based on the value of the order. These points can be cashed in for exclusive Stampin’ Up! logo items, credit vouchers to spend on Stampin’ Up! products, and much more. Flex points can also be earned twice a year for remaining a demonstrator, building a team, or reaching specified milestones.
Papercrafting inspiration
Every week demonstrators receive an e-mail with company news and creative ideas. A magazine called Stampin’ Success is published quarterly and as well as being available online with extra creative resources, a paper copy is mailed to every demonstrator.
So with everything so positive, what’s the catch?
Minimum quarterly orders / sales
Each quarter, demonstrators are required to submit orders valued at 300csv, this equates to just under $400CDN. The quarters end on 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December. Sales to meet this requirement are calculated based on product prices before shipping and taxes are added, and before any discounts are applied. Therefore a Canadian demonstrator with no customers could personally order $400 of products a quarter to stay active, and they would actually only pay $320 plus shipping and taxes ($400 less 20%). If you join after the start of a quarter you have until the end of the next full quarter to meet your target. So anyone joining in August would actually have until the end of December to do that.
What if a demonstrator doesn’t meet the quarterly minimum?
At the end of the quarter any demonstrators who have not met their quarterly minimum will go into ‘pending’. They then have one further month to make up the shortfall. If the shortfall is met they then continue as a demonstrator through the next quarter when they must once again meet the minimum sales requirement. If not, then they simply stop being a demonstrator on the first of the following month.
What happens if I stop being a demonstrator?
Whether you resign, or stop being a demonstrator because you haven’t met the quarterly minimum, you are no longer eligible for the benefits of being a demonstrator. That’s all there is to it. No penalties, no clawbacks.
NOW WHAT?
I hope I’ve answered all your questions here, but if there’s something else you’d like to ask please email me at tracy.elsom@gmail.com and let’s make a time to chat.
If you’ve seen enough and want to join my team, simply make a list of the products you want in your starter kit and complete the online Independent Demonstrator Agreement.
I look forward to welcoming you as my newest Crafty Canadians team member with a special welcome package.
Best regards, Tracy Elsom