Business Plan
The most challenging question that I’ve been asked since joining Stampin’ Up! is, “What is your business plan and what are your goals?”
To be honest…I needed a project to throw my energy into with the kids away at college. I felt a little lost when they didn’t need me on a daily basis! I started my blog to share my ideas and experience as a crafter hoping to find like-minded people who want to share their ideas too.
Then…it happened. I started seeing my Youtube subscriber numbers go up and people were signing up for my mailing list! It was so much fun to watch those numbers grow! Suddenly, I felt challenged. I was excited to get up and go to work just so I could get home and work on my blog! It became my reason to get out of bed! Honestly, I love my job but it’s stressful! My blog and my stamping business added something I didn’t even know I was missing! A strong motivation to be really successful at something new!!
I didn’t actually have a monetary goal at first. Shameful, I know. I just was hoping to make enough money for my new habit to support itself! But as the numbers of subscribers grew and I got customers making purchases, I decided this was even more fun if you make money at it!
Now my goal is to add income streams and build my business to create a name for myself in the paper crafting world. It turns out that I do want to create a profitable business that does more than pay for itself! I’ve also discovered that I’m enjoying the other bloggers and stamping business owners that I’m meeting. I want to help other people build successful business too. I am having a great time taking blogging classes, business classes and stamping classes! I’m also loving being part of the Paper Craft Crew Design Team!
Make sure to set your business goals. What do you want from your business? Do you have a monetary goal, or is your goal more like mine…focused on getting your name out there in the paper crafting community?
Your goals may change over time as mine have, but you need a reason to stay focused with your business. Why are you doing this and what is it that will keep you focused when you really don’t feel like doing that blog post for the day or making those customer phone calls?
Write down your goals! I will be asking you about them when we talk!!!
Happy crafting!
EARNING GREAT REWARDS INCENTIVE POINTS
Great Rewards is an incentive program that focuses on your efforts in personal sales and first-level downline promotions. The Great Rewards program is designed to work in conjunction with other programs to reward you for your efforts and to help motivate you to reach your own personal goals.
Demonstrators who set appropriate goals to achieve Great Rewards prizes each quarter will find a smoother path to their next promotion, will enjoy higher personal earnings, and will keep themselves on track to earn the annual incentive trip.
Earning Points
You earn Great Rewards points each quarter by selling Stampin’ Up! products and by helping demonstrators in your first-level downline reach new promotions. Each commissionable sales dollar (rounded to the nearest whole dollar) counts as one point. Each title promotion in your first-level downline (not including reinstatements) counts as 250 points.
The minimum amount of points awarded for a quarter is 1,000. The maximum amount of points awarded for a quarter is 15,000 points.
This program provides flexibility so that as the demands of building your business change and you focus your efforts to meet them, you can still qualify to win a great prize. You can focus on recruiting, personal sales, or both. For example, if you have $1,700 in personal commissionable sales in a given quarter, you will receive 1,700 Great Rewards points. If you also help two demonstrators in your first-level downline promote during that quarter, you will receive an additional 500 points, for a total of 2,200 points. However, if you have only $600 in personal commissionable sales and only one demonstrator in your first-level downline promotes during that quarter, you will not receive any points because you did not reach the 1,000 minimum.
Point Calculation
Points are calculated by the 15th day of the month following the end of the quarter. For example, the points earned in the January–March quarter will be calculated on or before April 15. The points will be communicated on the April Activity Statement, as well as displayed in the Great Rewards program.
Managing Points
Points can be carried over from one quarter to the next. If you want to save points, you can wait to redeem your points until you have accumulated enough for the prize. However, points do not carry over from one Stampin’ Up! year to the next.
Note: Great Rewards points and Incentive Trip points are tracked separately, even though they are usually earned in a similar manner.
Point Redemption
You will be given until August 15 to redeem any outstanding points from the previous program year. At that time, all point totals will be reset to 0 in preparation for the new program year. Accordingly, October will be the first month of the program year that points will be awarded for activity in the previous quarter.
Prize Selection and Shipping
Prizes are available at a variety of point values. You can select prizes on the Demonstrator Web Site or by calling Demonstrator Support once the quarter has ended and the prize points have been calculated, as described above.
Stampin’ Up! may add prizes throughout the year and reserves the right to substitute a like item for any item offered, if necessary.
Great Rewards orders for merchandise will be processed as soon as your order is placed. Please allow 4-5 weeks after you place your order to receive Visa gift cards or items from Merrill Corporation. Stampin’ Up! pays the shipping and handling on these items. Defective or incorrect merchandise must be reported to Stampin’ Up! within 90 days of the shipping date to be corrected.
Refunds and Exchanges
Please be careful when selecting your prizes and checking out. All prize selections are final; there are no refunds or exchanges.
Incorrect Merchandise and Products Damaged in Shipping
If you received the wrong prize or if your prize is damaged in shipping, contact Demonstrator Support. Stampin’ Up! reserves the right to substitute a like item for any item offered, if necessary.
Address Change Policy for Great Rewards
If you have moved, please update your address with Demonstrator Support before selecting your Great Rewards item. You may change your address online, or call Demonstrator Support and have a phone agent make the change. Your Great Rewards item will be shipped to the address that you verified when you closed your order.
Visa® Gift Card FAQ
Q: What happens if I lose my Visa gift card?
A: You should treat a prepaid Visa gift card like cash. If you lose your card, please notify Demonstrator Support within 60 days of the expiration date shown on the card. A new card can be issued for the balance on the card, minus a $10 reissue fee. If the card balance is less than $10, we cannot reissue the card, so you would lose the remaining balance. Also, if you do not notify Demonstrator Support within the 60-day window, your card cannot be reissued, and you lose the remaining balance.
Q: Do the cards expire?
A: The cards expire six months after the date of issue, and the expiration date is printed on the front of the card.
Q: What happens if my card expires and there is still a remaining balance?
A: Once the card has expired it is invalid and can no longer be used. However, within 60 days of the expiration date, a card can be reissued, with a $10 reissue fee taken from the balance. The remaining funds are credited to a new card and sent to you. For example, if you have a balance of $30 and request for your card to be reissued, you will receive a new card with the balance of $20 ($30 balance minus the $10 reissue fee).
Q: If my card expired over 60 days ago, what happens?
A: Once a card is past the 60 days of its printed expiration date, the card cannot be reissued and the remaining funds are lost.
Q: What address will my gift card be sent to?
A: Gift cards will be sent to the mailing address in your demonstrator profile at the time you place your order. If you need to change your address, it is your responsibility to update your profile. Stampin’ Up! does not take responsibility for incorrect or incomplete information saved in your profile.
Q: I ordered a gift card, but my mailing address in my profile was incorrect and I never received my card. Can I get a new card?
A: If you do not update your personal information in your profile, and a gift card is sent to an old or incomplete address, the card can be reissued (within the 60-day window of expiration), with the $10 reissue fee deducted from the balance. If it is past the 60-day window of expiration, the card cannot be reissued.
Q: I am planning on moving within the next month. Will I still receive my card?
A: If you are planning to move within one month of ordering a gift card, you should wait to order the card until you have updated your profile with your new address. Due to the provisions of the card provider, once a gift card order is submitted the address cannot be updated, and if you do not receive the card, it cannot be reissued to a new address without a $10 fee. Gift cards cannot be forwarded to your new address.
Q: I have submitted my Great Rewards order for a Visa gift card, and will be moving in over a month. Do I need to do anything?
A: If you haven’t received your card within 15 business days of submitting your order, and you will be moving soon, contact Demonstrator Support so a new card can be issued to your original address without paying the $10 reissue fee.
Q: Can I use my gift card to purchase Stampin’ Up! products?
A: Yes. You can use your gift card to order product or business supplies through OEX. Just select the alternate form of payment option and enter the card. If your order exceeds the value of the gift card, you can enter another form a payment for the remaining balance.
Q: Can I use my gift card to register for a Stampin’ Up! event?
A: Yes, if the balance on your card will cover the entire cost of the event registration. You cannot use multiple forms of payment for an event, so the method of payment must cover the entire cost.
Card program is used by The PrivateBank and Trust Company pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A Inc. Stampin’ Up! Visa® gift cards are accepted anywhere Visa Debit cards are accepted.
