Tuesday Tips! Let's Have Fun Linky

Happy Tuesday! The weather in NJ is hot and sticky today, so I’m staying indoors and being productive buying all the school supplies from Target. I know, I know! It’s way too soon, but school supplies are a hot commodity around here and if you don’t act fast (and I mean within 48 hours of the products being set) you don’t get anything. 

As part of Brigid from Bits of First Grade’s link up for Vegas week, I will be sharing some tips. This is quite comical for me since I’m very new to this whole world and I’ve been blogging for less than two weeks, but I have already learned a lot and what kind of teacher would I be if I didn’t share? J

TPT: Become a Premium Seller right away! When I first started posting products on TPT, I was excited just to see things sell. My profits were, and still are, very modest but I would still beam every time an email popped up with a “product sold” message. I couldn’t justify spending money to upgrade my membership without making steady money. What I didn’t realize then is just how quickly you make up the money you spend on upgrading your status...even if you only sell one 5 dollar product a week. Sometimes you need to spend money to make money and I have found that to be true for me in setting up my TPT store for success.

Blog: Wait until you are ready! Really, truly ready. So here’s a little confession for you, I’ve tried starting a blog two times before this. The first time was my first year of teaching. I was a new graduate with an hour and a half commute each way and a brand new teaching position that hadn’t existed before in my school. I thought a blog would be a way to document my adventures, but it was just daunting. Two years later, when I felt more settled into teaching, I tried again. This time, I was beginning a new job in a new district and planning a wedding. I couldn’t commit the time and energy that my blog deserved and I ended up feeling worse trying to keep up. Fast forward another year, I am finally ready. Ready to devote the time and resources needed for a *hopefully* successful blog.

Classroom: Save your lunch break for you. When I first started teaching, someone gave me this advice. I honestly thought the person was crazy. How could I give up precious alone time in my classroom? It was much easier to eat lunch while doing a million other things. Except...it’s not. Head into work early or stay late, work like a horse during your prep or take work home, but give yourself 30 minutes to eat, use the bathroom and be human. You will be a better teacher for it.

Social Media: Get involved! Again, I am in the beginning stages of turning my selling “hobby” into a business, but I have seen so much success as I’ve ventured into social media. You might be thinking you don’t have much to offer to those who are achieving wild success, but if you don’t put yourself out there you’ll never know. It might be scary for someone like me who is on the shy side, but I promise it’s worth it!

So there you have it, my tips as a relatively new teacher and a brand new teacherpreneur. What tips/advice do you have for new teachers and sellers?