Is Selling on TpT Worth It?

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If you're a teacher looking to supplement your income, you've probably heard of Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT). As the largest online marketplace for teacher created educational resources, TpT offers a potentially lucrative opportunity for teachers to create and sell their own resources.

But is it really worth it?

I'll walk you through the ins and outs of selling on TpT, weigh the pros and cons, and provide you with my best tips and tricks for maximizing your success.

Whether you're looking for a side hustle, to replace your teaching salary, or a whole new career path, read on to put your best foot forward!

Haven't started a TpT store yet? Here's my guide to starting a TpT store this week!

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Is Selling on TpT Worth it?

Absolutely! Selling on TpT can be a great way for teachers to earn extra income, but it requires time, effort, and a willingness to learn and adapt. While success on the platform is not guaranteed, many teachers have found great success on TpT by creating high-quality resources that meet the needs of their target audience, pricing them competitively, and marketing them effectively. However, it's important to keep in mind that success may not come overnight. TpT can still provide you with a steady stream of extra income and new opportunities for professional growth.

As a teacher, you put a lot of time and effort into creating engaging and effective lesson plans and materials for your students. But what if you could take those materials and turn them into a source of extra income? That's the promise of Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT), the largest online marketplace for educational resources.

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Interested in learning more about creating educational printables? Join my Facebook group, where I go live several times a week to take questions and talk about creating worksheets on PowerPoint and selling printables on TeachersPayTeachers and MORE. Click here to check it out.

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If you're willing to put in the work, TpT can provide you with a steady stream of income. Many teachers, designers, and homeschool parents have found success on the platform selling products they created for their own classroom.

Pros of Selling on TpT

Extra income: Perhaps the most obvious advantage of selling on TpT is the opportunity to earn extra income. While success on the platform is not guaranteed, many sellers have reported earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month from their TpT sales. This can be a great way to supplement your income as a teacher, or even to transition to a new career entirely.

Flexibility: Another advantage of selling on TpT is the flexibility it offers. You can create and upload resources at your own pace, and there's no minimum or maximum number of products you need to have available. This makes it a great option for teachers who want to earn extra income on their own terms.

Last week, I took three days off because my daughter was sick. Since I had already put the time in for my shop, it was still making money, even when I was away from my computer. THAT is the magic of passive income.

Professional development: Probably not the kind of professional development you'll be able to mark off for your school quota . . . But! Selling on TpT is a valuable form of professional development. By creating and selling your own resources, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the content you're teaching, as well as the needs and preferences of your target audience. This can help you become a better teacher overall.

Community: TpT has a thriving community of sellers and buyers, and participating in that community can be a great way to connect with other educators and get feedback on your resources. TpT also offers a variety of forums and groups where you can ask questions, share tips, and learn from other sellers. There are TONS of Facebook groups, and a huge community of sellers on Instagram as well.

New opportunities: Selling on TpT can open up new opportunities for you as a teacher. If you create high-quality resources that resonate with buyers, you may be approached by publishers or other educational companies looking to collaborate or license your materials. You may also be invited to speak at conferences or other events, or to create content for other online platforms.

My favorite thing that TpT has given me was a new group of friends, and people I can talk to about design, and my products. It's been so rewarding for me to join and interact with TpT.

Let me teach you how to create and sell your products on TpT!

Cons of Selling on TpT

Unfortunately, it's not all rainbows and butterflies.

Competition: Perhaps the biggest challenge of selling on TpT is the competition. With thousands of sellers offering millions of products, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd and attract buyers. This means you'll need to put a lot of time and effort into creating high-quality, unique resources that meet the needs of your target audience.

If I'm being honest though, I don't think about the competition. I find that there is room at the table for everyone, and you can absolutely find success on TpT without taking anything away from me and my success. I am happy to help you, and watch you grow.

Time commitment: Passive income is never REALLY passive. You need to spend a lot of time in the beginning setting everything up, and throughout your journey on TpT, you'll be updating and making your products better. Selling on TpT can also be a time-consuming endeavor. In addition to creating and uploading your resources, you'll need to spend time marketing them, responding to customer inquiries and feedback, and staying up-to-date with TpT's policies and guidelines.

Marketing challenges: Marketing your products can be another challenge. While TpT offers a variety of promotional tools, such as sales and bundles, you'll still need to do your own marketing to attract buyers. This can involve creating social media accounts, building an email list, or even advertising your products on your blog.

Technical challenges: TpT has specific guidelines for creating and uploading resources, and it can be a challenge (at least at first!) to ensure that your products meet these requirements. You'll also need to be comfortable with digital tools and platforms, such as Canva, or my favorite PowerPoint, in order to create and share your resources effectively.

Intellectual property concerns: When you sell on TpT, you're essentially licensing your intellectual property to buyers. This means you'll need to be aware of copyright and licensing issues, and you need to create original content rather than using images or other materials that you don't have the rights to.

Pricing challenges: Determining the right price for your products can be a challenge as well. You'll need to strike a balance between pricing your products competitively and ensuring that you're earning a fair profit for your time and effort. You can see my comprehensive guide about pricing, though, and then you won't have this con.

Selling on TpT

If you're considering selling on TpT, you're not alone. Thousands of teachers have found success on the platform, earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month by selling their original lesson plans, activities, and other resources.

There are a few important things to remember when you're first starting out.

First, avoid trademarked or copyrighted material. If it wasn't your idea, you should steer clear. Don't create resources with Disney princesses, or anything Star Wars.

Find clip art that makes sense with the material you're creating. But where can you find clip art for your resources? I recommend using clip art that you purchased or found for free on TpT.

Second, you have to put in the work. There are people who have created products, but didn't put any thought into their listings, and they don't sell well.

This doesn't mean you have to put in 80 hours a week. This means you work hard when you are working, and you optimize your time creating. My favorite way to create a lot of resources very quickly is to use templates. I have a growing library of templates available inside my membership, go grab them!

Remember that success isn't guaranteed.

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Can You Make Money on TpT?

ABSOLUTELY.

Here are a few quick tips to get your started. Then hop over to my free Facebook group to get more personalized answers to all the questions you have.

1. Research your target audience and create resources that meet their needs. This ideal audience could be YOU, at the beginning of your teaching career. Here is how to find your niche on TpT.
2. Take the time to create high quality resources.
3. Price your products competitively. Don't try to be the least expensive product, because that's a losing game for everyone. I have a comprehensive guide to pricing on TpT you can read here.
4. Research new product ideas often!
5. Learn about SEO on TpT, it can be as easy as looking for keywords and adding them to your title and description.
6. Use high quality graphics (also known as clip art), I have a great post about finding clip art for your products!
7. Promote your products on social media, or my favorite, Pinterest!
8. Participate in TpT forums and groups to connect with other sellers. You can learn so much from them!
9. Focus on quality: Quality is key on TpT. Buyers are looking for resources that are engaging, effective, and aligned with their needs and standards. Take the time to create high-quality products that stand out from the competition.
10. Be strategic. Consider which topics and grade levels you are best suited to create, and create resources that meet those needs. Use social media and other marketing tools to reach your target audience effectively.
11. Stay organized: Selling on TpT involves a lot of moving parts, from creating resources to managing sales and customer inquiries. Stay organized by creating a system for tracking your products, sales, and customer interactions.
12. Collaborate with other sellers! Collaboration can be a great way to expand your reach and attract new buyers. Consider collaborating with other TpT sellers on product bundles or other projects.
13. Take advantage of TpT's promotional tools, like offering sales, and creating bundles.
14. Figure out what sells on your shop, and create more!
15. Respond quickly and courteously to customers Q&As.
16. Stay up-to-date with TpT's policies and guidelines.
17. Be patient and persistent! YOU CAN DO IT!

Looking for more advice about selling on TeachersPayTeachers or creating resources?

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