You’re probably here because you’re thinking about starting your own TpT business. Or maybe you’ve already created a store and added a few products. But now you’re feeling overwhelmed with everything you have to learn. Either way, you’ve come to the right place! Today we’re sharing our top tips for getting started on TeachersPayTeachers. And the cool part is that each tip leads to even more resources where you can keep learning. As you read, please let us know what questions you have in the comments below!
Tip #1: Explore and Decide if TpT Is Right for You
My first tip for getting started on TeachersPayTeachers is to take some time to explore. The fact that you’re reading this tells me you’re already interested, and I know you probably have some questions. A Facebook group for beginner sellers is the perfect place to gather information and ask questions as you consider starting your own TpT business. Make note of the kinds of questions people are asking. Start a list of things you want to look into as you start your store. Make the most of free resources like the Ultimate Checklist for New Sellers and TpT University to help you get started with the basics. If you’re still not sure whether TpT is right for you, check out this blog post all about questions to ask before getting started on TpT.
Tip #2: Start with a Business Mindset
After exploring to make sure TpT is right for you, it’s time to commit to the idea. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing TpT as a side hustle to pay for your weekly Target trips, as a way to ultimately replace your teaching income, or just because you like the idea of one day becoming a trillionaire. As soon as you start your TpT store, you become a small business owner. The sooner you adopt a business mindset, the sooner you will find success on TeachersPayTeachers.
But what does it mean to have a business mindset? To me, having a business mindset means that you have an ultimate vision for your teacher seller business. You know that you’re here to make money, and that you have to have a plan for making it happen. You know that you have to be productive with your time and that you have to be strategic with your decision-making. Having a business mindset also means you’re willing to invest in yourself. As a new seller, one of the first ways you can invest in your business and yourself is to sign up for the TpT seller premium membership. We’ll talk about more ways to invest in your business with tip #4, so make sure you keep reading.
Tip #3: Find Your Niche & Fill a Need
Something you’ll hear a lot is that you need to find your niche on TeachersPayTeachers. That means you want to carve out a specific area of expertise that you’ll focus on as you grow your business. Finding your niche can feel really overwhelming, especially if you’re just getting started on TpT. So check out our finding your niche post to help guide you through the process. You can also start thinking about how to fill a need with our finding inspiration for TpT product ideas post.
Tip #4: Invest in Your Business
Remember that part of adopting a business mindset from the very beginning is being willing to invest in your TpT business. Spending money before you’re making money always seems scary, and it doesn’t help that some investments will have a higher return than others. We’ve taken out a lot of the guess work for you by breaking down what we think are the best ways to invest in your TpT business for new sellers.
Tip #5: Over Deliver and Make It Easy with Quality Products
Even though this is tip #5, it’s probably the most important tip of all. The best way to find success on TpT is to create high quality products that will make your customers happy and keep them coming back. We believe strongly in the power of over-delivering with your resources by creating products that go above and beyond expectations, while also keeping things super simple for your customers. What does that look like? Read all about 9 ways to add value to your TpT resources plus 9 MORE ways to add value here.
Tip #6: Create Product Lines & Bundles
When you ask TpT sellers for things they did that made their business grow, creating product lines and bundles is a very popular answer. It’s a game changer when you start to create products that relate to one another and offer them as discounted bundles. Customers are encouraged to spend more since they’re getting a better deal. And trust me, your cha-chings just magically sound better each time you sell a higher priced bundle. Read all about the power of product lines and bundles and how they can make you more money on TpT.
Tip #7: Market Your Resources
There are hundreds of millions of products on TeachersPayTeachers. You’re going to have to advertise your resources if you want them to be found more often. The good news is that there are lots of options for marketing your products, and you don’t even have to spend money to do it. As a beginner, make sure you consider all the different ways to market your TpT products for free before looking into paid advertising options.
Tip #8: Find Your TpT Community
I wish I had found other TpT sellers so much earlier than I did. Trust me when I say the process of starting and growing your own business is a lot more fun when you have friends by your side. You can start today by joining our Facebook group for new TpT sellers and checking out our post about even more ways to find your TeachersPayTeachers community.
Tip #9: Be Prepared to Learn
You honestly won’t believe all of the new knowledge and skills you’ll pick up as a TpT seller. I’ve learned so much over the last decade, and I continue to learn more everyday. Thankfully, there are a TON of resources out there to help you get started. Here with the School of Sellers, we share TpT seller tips and advice on our podcast, in our courses, YouTube channel, Facebook group, and even a fun TikTok account. We’ve also put together a list of the best business books for TpT sellers to help you get started.
Tip #10: Make the Most of Your Time
Time is our most valuable resource as business owners, so it’s important to ensure you’re making the most of it. Focus on productivity by limiting distractions, batching your tasks, and repurposing whenever possible. One way to make the most of your time is to have a solid plan in place. To make things easier for you, we created a free content calendar with all of the important dates for the entire year. Erin also shares a ton of productivity tips and tricks on the podcast.
Those are the tips! Are you ready to get started? Learn more about these topics and your next steps in the Ultimate Checklist for New TpT Sellers. Don’t forget to join us in the School of Sellers 101 Facebook group because we’re already looking forward to meeting you!
Let’s connect! Follow us on the podcast, the Facebook group for new sellers, the Facebook group for established sellers, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok!
