Creating a 12 Month Cooking Club: Experiences & Advice

[cttdbreeves]

Has anyone done a 12 month cooking club? What worked? What didn't? Did you make them sign a contract?? I'm considering starting one...but want to have all the details worked out before I start organizing it...
Thanks in advance.

 

[christinaspc]

I have done for the last 5 months this is going to be #6 month and it went very well and my lowest month has been around 300 in sales I make them sign a contract and each pick a month they want to be hostess and committ to purchase 25.00 each month and I have done really well with it and they are going to take august off and then start up again in september and when I do the show on monday night I will give each of them a new catalog and they will get to see the new products. My highest month has been 500 in sales. And I do it each month at my house and at our 1st night we do a planning of which recipe we will do each month it was very easy and you were garentee a show each month.

 

[[email protected]]

That sounds great! Do you happen to have a flyer for this?

 

[cindylpal]

Yes....how did you promote this?

 

[christinaspc]

Here is the flyer and I talked about it at my shows or booth events.

 

[DeannaK1022]

wow What a great idea!

 

[mountainmama74]

I've often thought about starting something like this! I was a member of one for Stampin' Up! a few years back and it was always a fun evening out and we got lots of great products! My questions are: How do you handle if someone who has committed doesn't make their purchase for that month? That's not fair for the one who is host for that month...

 

[lesliec]

Now you've got me thinking...... I am part of a group like this with Stampin' Up (stamping and scrapbooking stuff). It is always tons of fun, and I have closets full of scrapbooking junk that I never use.
I may have to try to promote this.

 

[Tropicalburstqt2]

I really like this idea too.

 

[cttdbreeves]

I was a Stampin' Up demonstrator before I signed up with Pampered Chef and had a very successful club. Thanks for the flyer. I hope to get a good response to the PC club too!

 

[cttdbreeves]

I've often thought about starting something like this! I was a member of one for Stampin' Up! a few years back and it was always a fun evening out and we got lots of great products! My questions are: How do you handle if someone who has committed doesn't make their purchase for that month? That's not fair for the one who is host for that month...

In my contract with SU, I had in there that if they did not make their required minimum order for the month without a very good reason and without talking to me in advance about it, they will lose their opportunity to host a month if they haven't had their month yet. And if they have already had their month, I reserve the right to require payment from them for the month preceding every month. (They have to give me their order and payment a month in advance to make sure their order is placed.)

I used to ask them to leave the club, but that wasn't fair to me because I generally had to step in as that person. Also, we have to understand that sometimes, things do happen. We're military and I can still remember the month 9 years ago when the military screwed up and we got a $0 paycheck with 2 children in diapers!!!!

for the most part, I've never had any problems in my other clubs. But, there are the rare exceptions!

 

[pampchefsarah]

I've often thought about starting something like this! I was a member of one for Stampin' Up! a few years back and it was always a fun evening out and we got lots of great products! My questions are: How do you handle if someone who has committed doesn't make their purchase for that month? That's not fair for the one who is host for that month...

Since outside orders are allowed, I would say they have to submit an order from someone else if they do not place an order of their own. They have a month to collect orders (actually longer, since it's a monthly club!). Another option, maybe , is to have one month prepaid at the time of sign-up, for just this reason. When the original alloted time (6 months, 12 months, etc), is up, if the $25 was not used it can be returned, or used in that final month.

 

[Manda2831]

Do you have a copy of your contract?

 

[cttdbreeves]

I tried to find a copy of the contract I used with my SU! clubs, but it was on the laptop that crashed, and it looks like it was in one of the folders that they couldn't recover. But it was really basic. I used someone elses and just tweaked it a little bit. There might be one in the files on here?

 

[christinaspc]

Just wanted to update last night was our last night and we made a new recipe "zesty meatball chili" from the soups cookbook and I had all of the new product on a table covered up and then I revealed it and then passed out new contracts and they all loved the new product that they decided they wanted to sign up for another 6 months I was happy I had wonders if they would of since this was our 1st time doing this club. Just wanted to share how the new products could help you get them to sign up for it.

 

[BlueMoon]

what a cool idea--the "reveal"

 

[skaugchef]

I can never get enough people to commit. Especially with this economy and people having a hard time with money..

 

[jzramom]

I have had great success with this process. What I found helpful was whatever the $ amt you set needs to be before tax and after PHD, otherwise the host at the end of the cycle really suffers with lower totals.

In order to get the number I needed to start, I offered an apron or cash discount to each charter member who helped fill the last spots. The apron was the hit though. I didn't do flyers it was all word of mouth.

Each host gets host packet the month before so they may collect outside orders, invite guests to club, and even host a party PRIOR to the club. All orders and payments were due at club. I purchased food, sometime the hosts would bring drinks for everyone.


Once club was started and people became comfortable with eachother and my home it was really fun and prep for me was minimal. They learned their way around my kitchen and knew where to find things we needed. When we did the parsley wreath veggie tray, the option was to bring what they needed to make their own or they could work on the group one. Some preordered the garnishing tools the month before so they would have them for club. Another benefit to the great raport that was built was that they often came with guests. Sometimes the guests placed orders sometimes they didn't. At one point I had two groups going from guests that came to visit and they worked to form another group.

 

[jcsmilez]

I unfortunately tried this without success. I really like the idea though and hope to try it again. I think there are some key differences that made Christina's more successful. I set mine up for 12 months, holding it in different host's houses, and with a $40 purchase requirement. People were scared off by the purchase requirement and hosting it in their home. I redid it holding it in my home and reducing the requirement, but by that time I think people had already decided against it.I like how Christina only does 6 months at a time and requires 6 people to be there, then opens it up to inviting guests and having outside orders. The 10% off is really nice too, they are going to earn it when they host anyway! I will give it some time and definitely try this again!

 

[christinaspc]

I am glad you all find my tips helpful.