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 Michelle with Owl Star Stampers, and I’ve been a demonstrator since 2009. I started out as a hobbyist and have transitioned my business into a full-time endeavor, recently opening up a studio to hold all my classes in downtown Davison, Michigan.

I get asked questions all the time about becoming a demonstrator so I wrote this 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.

The following information contains a comprehensive overview of the Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator opportunity and answers to many of your questions.

Read this guide all the way through for a complete understanding of the opportunity, or click on one of the sections below to learn more about that specific topic.

What is Stampin’ Up!?

Stampin’ Up! Is a privately owned, direct sales company who designs and manufactures rubber stamps and paper crafting products. With a headquarters in Riverton, Utah, the company was founded by two sisters in 1988 and is currently run by Sara Douglass, the daughter of co-founder Shelli Gardner.

Stampin’ Up! products can’t be found in stores but are instead sold through a vast network of independent sales consultants, or demonstrators. How many Stampin’ Up! demonstrators are there, you may ask? Well, at last count there were over 40,000 demonstrators all over the world – including the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, UK and Puerto Rico.

Why Become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator?

There are a lot of different reasons why someone may want to become a Stampin’ Up! 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 sales consultant, or 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.

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

For example, to get from Bronze to Bronze Elite, you must have rolling sales of $1,800 (US). To continue promoting up in the company, additional sales targets must be met along with specific recruitment goals to build your team.

As you move up you can earn product credits and bonuses which can be redeemed for a variety of different things such as the annual incentive trip! In addition, the commission structure and bonuses will increase as you progress through the demonstrator levels.

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 Stampin’ Up! 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 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.

For example, I offer my team – the Owl Star Stampers – monthly team meetings, a weekly Facebook Live, team recognition, and incentives and challenges throughout the year. I try to do a lot with my team to make them feel a part of something bigger than themselves.

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.

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 Owl Star Stampers and see if we are a good fit for you!