It takes so long to make products for my TpT store.

That’s the most common complaint I get from teachers who sell their resources on TeachersPayTeachers.com. Creating and uploading resources onto the platform is very time-consuming.

How can we make the process quicker? 

Before we start talking about time saving tips, and I have a few, I want to stress to you that “Time Saving is Your Product.”

You’re not only in the business of making great, quality resources that will serve the teachers who buy them and their students; you are also in the business of saving time. One of the reasons your customers are buying your resources is because it takes so long to create them. And if it didn’t take that long, people wouldn’t need to buy them from you.

So the fact that they take so long to make, is part of the reason we’re able to sell them.

I bring this up to help you embrace the struggle. And hopefully, help with your mindset.


But with that said, there are still some things we can do to help save time or to be more productive with our time (or in some cases, reallocate our time so that we can spend more on our TpT Business.

5 Time Saving Tips for Sellers on Teachers Pay Teachers 

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1) Templates

This is the most common answer, but I find it unsatisfactory. I think we need to discuss in greater detail what templates we can use. Because odds are, there are templates you could be using that you hadn’t considered.

So here are some templates you could use for your TpT business to save time, increase productivity, and/or improve quality.

Templates for your Products

After creating a product, save it and use it as a template for future resources. For example, if you make flash cards, the file could be reused for different skills Simply changing the words and images inside the flash cards. No need to redo the numbers, match the flash cards to the answer keys, or format the pages.

You can do the same for the resources you create. Turning them into templates where you reuse the format, background, and structure will be a great time saver as well as help guide your resource creation process.

Templates for your TpT Uploads

Having a template that you use for your cover images, preview images, and preview files will help you brand your products as well as make this part of the process quick and easy. 


If you have already made preview images, turn them into templates that can quickly be repurposed for similar products in your product line. I like to use Canva which allows me to easily add embellishments and clipart into each to customize them quickly and easily.

If you would like premade templates for your preview files, cover images, or preview images, I have some you can purchase for a very affordable price.

Click link below to check out templates for your TpT products:

Social Media Templates

After creating a product, you need to promote it to help get traffic to it. An easy and inexpensive way to do this is using social media. 

However, making images for your different platforms can be time consuming. You can purchase templates or make your own and save them in a file to help you find and reuse them. 

Email Templates

Email marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing. But again writing those emails can take a lot of time and energy. 

2) File Names and Folders

Staying organized will help with future posts and product creation. Put everything you make in folders with very specific names. Make it easy for you find or search for them so you can reference them later. 

This is especially true with your social media content, images for your products, and things you purchase. You’ll want to come back to them in the future. So make it easy on your future self. 

I’ve created hundreds of posts on Canva. I did not do a good job labeling the files or putting them in folders to find later. I have to spend a lot of time now going back to find them as I am wanting to repurpose them or in some cases reuse them (because so much time has passed since I last used them).

Do yourself a favor. Be super organized now. It will pay time dividends for a long time. 

3) Spend Money to Save Time

This is the toughest one for me because I’m cheap. I don’t like spending money. But the money you earn on the business, some of it should be reinvested into the business. And time has value. So, spend some money to save time. 

Here are some things you could invest in to save time. 

  1. Templates

We already discussed this above 

  1. Take a Course

When I was convinced to start email marketing, I spent a lot of time researching what service provider to use. I spent a lot of time, but no money.

First. For a small fee, I could have taken a course and saved a lot of time.

But beyond that, I actually chose the wrong one. I picked the moody Susan’s option. I started in it for a long time, though it didn’t have the features I really needed. Eventually, I paid for a different service, that had so the features I wanted. But merging everything over and posting all of my landing pushed you a lot of time. 

And. I chose wrong again. I’m paying too much. And I don’t have the time to redo everything I’ve done. So I stay, paying too much, because I don’t have the time to invest in making another change. 

Taking a course would have saved a lot of time, and money! 

Plus I would have made money faster. I definitely should have taken a course

I have a full suite of courses that will help you on your TpT journey.

Instead of learning through trial and error, is spending exorbitant amounts of time researching the internet trying to find the best advice, cut to the end. 

Here are some courses you could take to help with your TpT business:

  1. Join a Mastermind Group

One of the many benefits of a mastermind is learning from others. Another benefit is that you have people who help keep you accountable and on task.It’s like hiring a coach, but its a group of people, who also become your friends.

My membership includes a weekly virtual meeting. We have experts come and do trainings for us, we share what we’re working on, and we learn from each other.

My membership includes all the courses above and a mastermind. You can learn more here.

Learn more about the Membership
  1. Hire someone to do those time consuming tasks that are essential, but not in your zone of genius.

Can you hire a Virtual Assistant to help you post products? Run your social media? Answer emails? Or do something else that will grow your business. 

Ideally, their work should be a net benefit to your business. But if it frees you up to do other tasks, then the money you will earn by doing those other tasks should pay for the cost of that VA.

  1. What else can you save time on?

There are lots of things that you do that you could pay to have done and save time.

For me, it was mowing the lawn. I used to lose half of my Saturday, every month, mowing the lawn. It took an hour or two to mow it, plus I had to shower and clean up afterwards. And I was so worn out that I couldn’t enjoy the rest of the day. Finally, I realized that it would be so much better to pay someone to do this and get my weekends back. So that’s what I did.

What about you? What are you spending lots of time on that you could hire out? Maybe it’s household chores that you could hire out. Maybe it’s fixing things around the house that take you forever to do it, when you could hire a handyman. 

Maybe it’s cooking and cleaning. I’ve started going to the local grocery store and buying premade meals. They’re more expensive than buying groceries and making it, but I save so much time (and the food usually tastes better than when I make it). I find this option to be more affordable than restaurants, but you could choose to eat out a little bit more to save time.

Just be sure that if you’re taking this route, you’re sure to invest that time back in your business. If I’m being honest, I’m paying someone to mow my lawn, but I don’t work on my business on Saturdays. So I’m not really spending money to invest in the business (but I am investing in my family which is even more valuable). 

4) Focus on your Data

What products sell and what don’t? If you’re noticing one of your resources is doing really well, you should create other resources like it. Maybe the same type of resource, or the same resource for other grades. But your data is telling you that this is what people like, so give them more of it.

What is getting traffic to your store? You need to be spending more time promoting yourself and your stuff there.

I guarantee email marketing is going to be one of your best (if not your best) traffic source. So spend your time here and not on other platforms that aren’t getting you as big of a bang for your buck.

I know we’re talking about saving time, but this is optimizing time. Make the resources that work the best, and be on the platforms that do the best for you.

5) Automate Repetitive Tasks

Automation is a game-changer when it comes to saving time in your TpT business. There are several tasks that you do over and over again, like sending out welcome emails, posting to social media, or setting up sales. Many of these tasks can be automated, so you’re not spending valuable time on them every day.

For example, you can automate your email marketing by using a service like Mailchimp or ConvertKit. These platforms allow you to set up email sequences that automatically send emails to new subscribers or during product launches. Similarly, social media tools like Later or Buffer can help you schedule posts in advance, so you don’t need to log in daily to promote your products.

Automation tools are a small investment that pays off big in saved time and increased productivity. Look for areas in your business where you’re doing the same things repeatedly and see if you can find a tool to automate them.

You can find auto responders for your social media chats. You can use automation to post on social media. You can even use AI tools like Chat GPT to help you accomplish some of these tasks.

Conclusion:

Time is your most valuable asset as a TpT seller, and finding ways to save time means you can focus on what really matters—creating great resources for your customers. By using templates, staying organized, making smart investments, focusing on your data, and automating repetitive tasks, you’ll be able to streamline your business and maximize your productivity.

Remember, every minute saved is a minute you can reallocate to improving your business or spending time doing what you love. Try implementing just one of these tips and see how much time you get back!

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5 Time Saving Tips for TpT Sellers