Should I become a Creative Memories Consultant

[SandraC]

Hi all! I have been scrapbooking for a while, but not as often as I like ~ until recently. Now I think about it, shop for it, do it all the time! I have an artsy background and teach preschool art classes three mornings a week. I went to my first CM party last week ~ bought some Disney things! I had a great time. The CM consultant suggested I become a consultant because I love scrapbooking and knew a lot of people who are interested in scrapbooking. So should I do it? Are there any CM consultants on the DISboards who can tell me about it? My consultant is in Florida until next week, she will call me when she gets home. I will have a CM party at my house in April. THANKS ALL! Sandra

 

[bananiem]

If you really feel strongly about their products and can sell stuff I'd say go for it! My CM used to have a crop 1 Friday night a month. I don't know if that is required or not. Also, she had to have ALOT of products on hand for us to buy and use at the crops. Now that she's not selling anymore she's having a hard time getting rid of the extras.
Iknow their are some CMC's that are on this board. I'm sure they can give you a realistic idea of the time commitment and start up costs.

 

[SandraC]

Thanks ~ I only chatted briefly with the CM consultant I know. We will talk more in about a week. I have been talking to many friends who attend crop nights and they said they would come to my house for crop nights. I would like to have one a night, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, maybe one on the weekend too ~ so that's 4 a month. I teach three preschool art classes, fitness and yoga class and I am very active in my dd's school. So I can get the word out to a lot of people. I like CM products, but I have used lots of other interesting sources too. THANKS! I hope to hear from CM consultants from the boards! S

 

[DiznEeyore]

CAVEAT: The following isn't a sales pitch, just my experience after researching several of the at-home scrappin' companies.

I thought about becoming a CMC, but frankly, I couldn't afford it! Their minimums were too high for my comfort level. Plus, I didn't want to be limited to only using their products in my books. I ended up going with Close to My Heart instead. I've used their products for years, and their start-up costs are much lower, plus you don't have to meet minimums.

 

[SandraC]

I have another idea brewing in my head. Since I have a tons of scrapbooking supplies already and I go to an excellent art resouce centre to use their die presses ~ I was thinking about starting up my own scrapbooking company. This way I can use my own creativity, my own supplies and my own time. I love the idea of crop nights at my house. Everyone I know who goes to crop nights say they have a great time. I had a cookie exchange party at Cmas and it ended up being less about cookies and more about great women getting together. I love being creative and so do many of my friends. Maybe I should think about this idea a little more! THANKS! S

 

[yummy72]

Sandra-

I too have an art background and decided to take the plunge by creating "my own scrapbooking business" (www.simplyscrapbooking.com) I create custom paper piecing designs for scrapbookers. In addition to paper piecings, my friend and I have created everything from photo totes to wedding displays to invitations etc...I love truly being my own boss not to mention CEO of my company

We sell our stuff online as well as at crops, boutiques, etc...It sounds like you have an extensive background in art as well as teaching and have a large network of people that would be interested in your product (what ever you decide to do!) Since you already have experience in teaching and hosting events, specialiaing in crops and teaching fun, new techniques to scrapbookers might be a great niche for you.

You are welcome to PM me if you'd like more details or if I have answer any of your questions I'd be glad to.

Good Luck,
Candi

 

[Ryanzmama]

I am a CMC (Creative Memories Consultant) and I love it... I think whether the opportunity is right for you depends on what you are looking for in this new venture.

I love CM products and believe in their mission- simple pages, completed albums- and I love teaching people about how to do pages that don't take forever to do.. CM is a GREAT company and they really stand by thier wonderful products... I have a classic style for my albums, so it works well with the CM style. I believe in the company and the products so it isn't a stretch for me to recommend them to people and to have fun teaching people about them. I put however much time I want into my business without straining my other commitments to my family and full time job. The minimums have not been a problem for me and it doesn't sound like it would be a problem for you based on your situation - they really aren't that much- if you have friends who scrap and if you really want to do some classes or shows you shouldn't have a problem at all.

One of the unexpected benefits of being a CMC has been the many, many wonderful people I've met through the company- there are some wonderful women who are CMCs and I love getting to know them... it has been a really cool thing to get to know them & be a part of that community.

So I think it totally depends on you and what you want from the venture- are you looking to be part of something great and add to it- or start something on your own? I think both have their own benefits and drawbacks...

feel free to email me if you think I can give you any more insight...
ljcarbone@hotmail.com

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Linda

 

[SandraC]

Thanks Linda for all your help! I totally enjoyed the CM party I went to! I love their stuff too. S

 

[Tiger Fan]

Linda said alot of what I feel, as I too am a CMC. I have a little different system than most CMCs. I am basically a hobbyist. I have about 10 friends who crop with me monthly - we met last night actually. They order from me once a quarter and I have never had trouble meeting my minimums. I do not hold classes or even really promote products. We all know and love CM and they wanted to have access to all products. I even give them a small break on prices if they order a certain amount. It's a win-win situation for us. We are doing a 2 day crop for National Scrapbooking Day and we have all become even closer. We also sometimes join activities of my upline and her customers. I use mostly CM products, but have found many other things I enjoy as well and we all like the laid back attitude at our crops. It sounds to me like you would make a fabulous CMC. Do your research on the company and maybe attend an event of your possible future upline. Enjoy and good luck.
Lisa

 

[Partridge4ever]

Could somebody tell me what costs are involved in becoming a CMC and what the minimums are? Are they quarterly? Our consultant is moving. There's a group of about 8 of us that would like to continue to get together for crops. I've been toying with the idea of becoming a CMC just for this purpose. I'd be happy if I "broke even" but I don't want to go into debt. Also, there's no way I could use exclusively CM products. I use stuff like eyelets, shaker boxes, and glitter and I don't want to give that up. I don't even use CM albums, but I would if I got a discount on them. Maybe I should just host the crops informally, but I do like the convenience of having stickers, paper, etc. at our fingertips when we need them.

 

[Tiger Fan]

I don't have the exact sign up costs in front of me, but it's around $190. The quarterly minimums are $500 (retail). If you could get each of the 8 of you to commit to a set amount and place only 1 order a quarter you could do it with no problem. HTH.
Lisa

 

[SandraC]

What happens if you don't reach the minimum order? S

 

[Peter Pan Fan]

If you don't meet the minimum you are deactivated and cannot resign for one year.

Like Tiger Fan, I started as a hobbyist but have actually made quite a bit of profit having classes and shows. I am basically hosting one workshop a month and find it no problem at all to make my minimums. If someone wants a class or show, then that's no problem, I just schedule it for when it works for me and my family. I work full time and this is just my fun thing to do on the side.

And a word about minimums, the rule is techically that you must order $500 (retail) in a single month once every three months - although it does work out to once a quarter as Tiger Fan said.

I was really leery to sign on, this is not something I ever thought I'd do, but I'm really glad I did. It is a very easy way to get your scrapbooking supplies at cost and earn some extra $$$ at the same time.

Good luck!