There are lots of reasons why you may want to leave teaching. I get it. I can’t lie, I have had these thoughts too. I have thought about leaving my job and selling teaching resources online through Teachers Pay Teachers instead of teaching as a source of income. I see a lot of sellers that make a lot of money! I have even gone so far as to chase this dream and have started selling on Teachers pay Teachers (Tpt). But before you quit your job, I wanted to let you know what I have learned and what I wished someone had told me before I started Tpt.
1. Tpt is a journey, not a race. You will need LOTS of TIME (and even more faith and patience.)
Teachers Pay Teachers is not a get rich quick thing – AT ALL. (And if you are someone that got rich quick doing this, then you, my friend, are my hero! (Please email me your secrets LOL!)) Teachers Pay Teachers is a long game. The amount of time you will invest in this journey cannot be fathomed. You need to be prepared to invest in this as a job and invest your time. I had no idea how many hours I would put into TpT but my husband now refers to me as married to my computer… so there’s that. And once you invest all this time, you need to have faith in what you have created and patience for it to sell. This is not an overnight magic million.
2. It is going to take money to make MONEY. Be prepared to spend some moolah.
Like any good business, you will be investing money BEFORE you make money. You need to be prepared that you may make very little at the beginning and you will be spending quite a bit. There are so many financial factors I did not consider before I started Tpt. A shortlist would be:
- clipart
- fonts
- computer equipment
- computer programs (courses, photographs, PowerPoint, adobe, the list is truly endless)
- office supplies (paper and ink alone – oh my and don’t get me started on laminating)
- photography paraphernalia
- marketing, websites, social media
Do not lose hope! You CAN make money on Tpt – good money there are just a lot of factors in play as to how much you will make and how quickly you will make it. I would LOVE to tell you there is some “secret formula” but the truth is you have to want it and you have to make it happen. This leads me to the next point…..
3. Mindset. You need a positive ATTITUDE and you need to HUSTLE.
Nothing in life comes easy. And honestly, if you work for something you will have pride in what you have accomplished. You need to WORK for what you want. No one is going to do it for you. I have yet to find the “Hey, I want an easy way to make six figures a year without working how do I do it” course. You may have heard Tpt sellers say the following: “My resources don’t sell”, “I have a hundred products but don’t make much money”, “I don’t understand why I am not making money, I have resources”…. and things along those lines. I am here to tell you – If you make it, they will buy it. You have to have a good cover, a great description, a FANTASTIC product AND you have to have ratings and feedback that support your product. That takes time! That takes a business strategy. If you are not seeing sales, you need to figure out why. Don’t be defensive if you ask people for their honest opinions and they give it to you (this is where the thick skin comes in to play). Believe in yourself, invest in yourself and hustle to get what you want.
4. It’s Gametime! You need a PLAN.
Why are you wanting to sell your resources? Were you like me and purchased resources for several years and thought “I should be doing this – I could make this ” and you just didn’t know where to start or how to get going? Are you wondering “What do I need to know, have and do to sell resources online?” Is it just as easy as making something – putting it online and it sells? Sure! But if you want to make more than pocket change, if you want to use Teacher pay Teachers to make a BIG change you need a plan. WHERE WAS THIS ADVICE YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS STARTING?! I was the random “make it, post it, cross my fingers and pray to God – hope to sell it” girl. No plan, no clue to call my own. Here is my advice: Start with a game plan! LEARN from Tpt sellers that have succeeded! Ask yourself: How did they do it? What makes them different? How can I set myself apart? But most importantly, ask yourself how badly do you want it?
5. ***And the BEST part about Tpt ***
(for me anyway)
It’s all summed up in one simple, ear-pleasing, smile-inducing, make you wanna skip down the road wearing a sombrero and singing a show tune sound:
Cha-Ching
If you have an iPhone and you download the Tpt app, every time you make a sale your phone goes Cha-ching! Like a cash register. Hallelujah for passive income! It is the motivation to keep going. It is an affirmation that you made something worthwhile. It is the best feeling knowing what you do and what you make is valued. My hope for you, my reader, is that you have that sound resonates in your ears! Here’s to quitting our day jobs.
