tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17878543123038585192024-03-19T05:44:00.820-07:00The Academic VAVirtual Assistant Services for Educational EntrepreneursHoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-77358102280827643522021-01-16T13:24:00.004-08:002021-01-16T13:25:36.389-08:00HoJo's 2020 Income Report by %<p>For years I have looked at bloggers outside of our niche and <b>LOVED</b> reading their -often- monthly income reports. I don't view it as a competition, but rather as looking up to inspirational people. To think people go from literally nothing to hundreds to thousands to sometimes even <i>much more</i> income per month is completely fascinating to me.</p><p><br /></p><p>I've always wished Teachers Pay Teachers sellers would share their income reports. Yet I also understand why they don't.</p><p><br /></p><p>Just like other TpTers, I've never found a good way to share my own income. After all, as TpT sellers, we are earning our money typically from hard-working -and generally underpaid- teachers. It just simply didn't feel write to share income reports. Until now!</p><p><br /></p><p>I think I've found a way to share my income with<u>out</u> truly sharing my income. I hope the images and information below is helpful to other TpT sellers. It gives you a chance to see how you and I compare - from a percentage standpoint.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;">Please note that there are affiliate links in this blog post. The Academic VA is a DBA of HoJo's Teaching Adventures, LLC. You can read our <a href="https://hojosteachingadventures.com/about-me/disclaimer/" target="_blank">entire disclosure statement here</a>. </h4><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Before I get started, did you know I send out a <a href="https://hojo-s-teaching-adventures-llc.ck.page/3f4eecbcda" target="_blank">weekly newsletter specifically for teacherpreneurs</a>? It's true! You'll get at least one free download a week, tips and ideas to help you implement new trends or important things right away, as well as random thoughts from someone who has been on TpT since 2009 - ME! <b><a href="https://hojo-s-teaching-adventures-llc.ck.page/3f4eecbcda" target="_blank">Sign up here!</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">2020 Income</h2><div>Let's get started with my 2020 income. As you can see, a <i>vast</i> majority of it came from TpT. I'm working to change this, but we all know diversifying your income streams in NOT something that happens overnight.</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMua2odFUd_JMskkTiDO7aE8IyB4YCEt1upDa5JQAzt4Gr1JQfBdgHyO4igJhaxFbRluETKa2cE1PN1E9rzBw2GL6G3s9rF2nzGuV2GC8fMIlsfd_pLFv4p7j6VDYTuKtXcRs5aEi9xcb2/s720/hojo-2020-income.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HoJo 2020 Income by Percentages" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMua2odFUd_JMskkTiDO7aE8IyB4YCEt1upDa5JQAzt4Gr1JQfBdgHyO4igJhaxFbRluETKa2cE1PN1E9rzBw2GL6G3s9rF2nzGuV2GC8fMIlsfd_pLFv4p7j6VDYTuKtXcRs5aEi9xcb2/w640-h640/hojo-2020-income.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2020 Expenses</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Below are my expenses. You can see that my own personal <b>payroll</b> took up 30%, and then the money the business puts into my SEP IRA for <b>investments </b>took another 7%. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The <b>TpT commission</b> took up 18% of my overall expenses. For those of you who don't yet make $20K/year on TpT to get a 1099 from them, they show your <i>total sales</i> on that form. Then you need to deduct the commission as an expense. That is what is reflected below. (I've always found it odd that this money never even crosses my "desk", yet I still claim it. But that's how it works.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Outside services - like <b>virtual assistants</b> - cost me quite a bit each year. This number is a bit high in my opinion, yet also justifiable to me. My primary goal when I left my admin job in the spring of 2015 was to be a mom. Yes, I also wanted to work on this business, but I hire out a <i>lot</i> to be able to fully enjoy time with my kids. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And - if I'm being perfectly honest - I struggle with some of the more monotonous tasks when my kids are around. I will forget what puzzle piece I was cropping and end up doing the same thing 2-3 times - so I figure it's a better use of my time <u>and</u> money to hire others. Plus this upfront investment should pay for itself multiple times over as the resources they help me make sell for many years. Hopefully I need less outside help as my store grows, but I guess I don't know exactly what the future will hold... </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">(I added about 50 new resources in 2020, but we worked a LOT on making items digital - which requires a LOT of puzzle piece cropping for my store...)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm actually surprised that my <b>advertising</b> expense was 9%. I've always aimed for about 5% and planned to up that to 10% in 2021, but maybe I was already closer than I thought...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">None of the other areas were super surprising to me, BUT keep in mind that your percentages could look quite a bit different than mine. Every business is going to look different. Heck - my <i>own</i> business will probably look different next year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0H3qlyvS7n6dsDglgZZyvndITyMWCMZbBdgYjM-YhmiW4VdRJvoE7kAvhLohqIhi10PAPXQ7cpOT_9ryE6Z27WcPiylevZ5L7fF-OyD0hfBHIoxc7agRRx7UgtquNQwc_vG1WeulzJ6D/s720/hojo-2020-expenses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HoJo 2020 Expenses by Percentages" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0H3qlyvS7n6dsDglgZZyvndITyMWCMZbBdgYjM-YhmiW4VdRJvoE7kAvhLohqIhi10PAPXQ7cpOT_9ryE6Z27WcPiylevZ5L7fF-OyD0hfBHIoxc7agRRx7UgtquNQwc_vG1WeulzJ6D/w640-h640/hojo-2020-expenses.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><p></p><h2>Profit First</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">Now please do NOT think that I'm saying <i>my numbers are the "right" numbers</i> <b>because I am NOT.</b> Honestly, I don't know that there are truly any "right" percentages for a business. But I know ever since <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073521414X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=073521414X&linkCode=as2&tag=sdclassroom-20&linkId=2ad034ad0115b7122670f081fe425a8e" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I read the book Profit First</a> that I have tried to align with the numbers Mike shares. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can get <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/mikemichalowicz/Website-Resources/Profit-First-One-Sheet-and-Overview+(1)+(1).pdf" target="_blank">an overview of the book here</a>. Or <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/ProfitFirst/Graphics+%26+Charts+From+Profit+First.pdf" target="_blank">go here and look at Figure 4</a> to see where I ultimately hope my numbers align. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This chart below shows how I compared to Mike's graph. The whole tax situation is something I'm still trying to get right with our new accountant. I have a feeling that number will align more in the coming year. (I fired my last accountant mid-2020, and the new guy and I are still working out a few things.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But as I stated above, I knew my expenses are a bit high - therefore meaning my own compensation is a bit low. With that being said, the S Corp did give me a raise in November 2020. (I jokingly tell people that my boss realized I was worth more. HA!) So I anticipate the numbers getting closer to Mike's in the coming years, but I also don't think I'm doing all bad! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">(And yes, I realize my numbers only equal 99%. #DangRounding) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtGTDfNiBryQFMeGZx9U3_T6kYrXV8DJIqJQoWtxcLgCo0785jwQKW6tW-nBaiui4rkZc8U7_ohOl9crmPXOnCQ5Kp5Nv88YhYCd-s5wREZKONfE41evUbqytGPDxzgwYJaaueDHNBytw/s720/2020-hojo-profit-first.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HoJo compared to Profit First percentages" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtGTDfNiBryQFMeGZx9U3_T6kYrXV8DJIqJQoWtxcLgCo0785jwQKW6tW-nBaiui4rkZc8U7_ohOl9crmPXOnCQ5Kp5Nv88YhYCd-s5wREZKONfE41evUbqytGPDxzgwYJaaueDHNBytw/w640-h640/2020-hojo-profit-first.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would LOVE if you shared your <b>Profit First</b> percentages in the comments below! Or let me know what other thoughts you have about the information above! Was this helpful? Do you think it was in bad taste? Please be honest! I can handle it. :) </div></div>HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0South Dakota, USA43.9695148 -99.901813115.659280963821153 -135.0580631 72.279748636178851 -64.7455631tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-13351984053905509732020-11-16T18:47:00.003-08:002020-12-02T18:47:49.928-08:00Tracking Income and Expenses as a TpT Seller<p>Many of the teacherpreneurs I know will say things like, "I'm a teacher, not a business person!" But I have realized - even if it took me awhile - that we tend to do better on TpT when we start treating it like a business. Which is why today I want to share with you how to track income and expenses as a TpT seller.</p><p><br /></p><p>Scroll down to watch my video, get my FREE income and expense spreadsheets, and see another helpful link that helps me track other important business items. </p><p><br /></p><p>Please remember, I am NOT a business expert. I am NOT an accountant. And I can NOT possibly fully understand your business. This is what works for me, and I want to give you the editable tools to tweak my system to make it work for you. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbR5-uKeVdDBqjuf5g4CNiMsnIxLQBJyvfnTVT89ESytqcx0VZd1TH_mabkmf63iC4YoLS5_BmFmTwIaYYqdYqi39GiSfJVHTMNtQlDqqkuOPvPahHi1AHl3uK2O3st-NMFGPiA5hwo3c/s720/income-expenses-tpt-seller.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tracking income and expenses as a TpT seller" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" data-pin-description="Treating your TpT store like a business is a crucial step to grow as an entrepreneur. Here one seller shows how she tracks her income & expenses. I think you'll enjoy learning my approach to tracking my monthly income and expenses. You'll see how I set this up in just a couple minutes a day, allowing me to log in once each month, and yet I have handed my paperwork to my accountant by January 5th the last three years for taxes. #teacherpreneur #Tptseller #edupreneur #teacherauthor #tpt" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbR5-uKeVdDBqjuf5g4CNiMsnIxLQBJyvfnTVT89ESytqcx0VZd1TH_mabkmf63iC4YoLS5_BmFmTwIaYYqdYqi39GiSfJVHTMNtQlDqqkuOPvPahHi1AHl3uK2O3st-NMFGPiA5hwo3c/w400-h400/income-expenses-tpt-seller.jpg" title="Tracking income and expenses as a TpT seller" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">My Income and Expense Tracking Video</h2><div><br /></div><p><a href="https://youtu.be/QEEEO2YrTIs" target="_blank">Here is an eight minute video walking you through the system I use.</a> I'm also writing a bit about it below, but I think it'll be better to see it. Watch it on 2x the speed if you're short on time. :) </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The BIG Secret</h2><div><br /></div><p><b>Set up a new email address.</b> Yes, I know....NONE of us want another email to check. But this email serves a purpose. It houses ALL of your business money so you can focus more on other things. And you do not use it for ANYTHING else. The only emails coming in this way are for YOU, your bookkeeper (if you have one), possibly your tax person, and maybe the IRS if you were to ever be audited. </p><p><br /></p><p>As income comes in or money goes out - forward that email, take a picture of that receipt, or log those miles traveled. This way you can quickly and easily put the information into an email and send it over to that new email address. </p><p><br /></p><p>Then once a month you can log into your email, put everything into the appropriate places on the spreadsheet, transfer them over to your year-end data, and you're done.</p><p><br /></p><p>At year end, I print the last page and send it to my accountant. </p><p><br /></p><p>For the last three years I have had all my business taxes ready to go by January 5th - other than waiting for official tax documents I need. <b>But at least everything that <i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">I</i> have to do is done! </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>Here are free downloads of my Google Spreadsheet for my income and expenses. You may have to tweak the categories a bit to ensure they make sense for YOUR business. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DEiFBM9TqH0rAfeY8_j8eK5Mjafgit4d2dCYvF6Y11w/copy" target="_blank">Blank Expenses Spreadsheet</a></p><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16R17vOZKKVg6B92xehq4gOsVNTj4LC-A49u-yCThRGQ/copy" target="_blank">Blank Income Spreadsheet</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I also own <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/TPT-Seller-Data-Analysis-Planner-Editable-Excel-Files-1619892?utm_source=HoJo-Teacherpreneur&utm_campaign=Tips-Tuesday" target="_blank">this item from TpT</a>. I do use many aspects of it, but the income and expenses part were too much for me. I'm all about keeping things as simple as possible! But Kristen has done an amazing job of creating so many ways for TpT sellers to <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/TPT-Seller-Data-Analysis-Planner-Editable-Excel-Files-1619892?utm_source=HoJo-Teacherpreneur&utm_campaign=Tips-Tuesday" target="_blank">analyze data and plan with this great download</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p>If you have any questions about my system, feel free to ask them below. I will do my best to answer them!</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://hojo-s-teaching-adventures-llc.ck.page/3f4eecbcda" target="_blank">Want weekly tips, a free download, and great information about TpT?<br />Sign up for my free weekly "Teacherpreneur Tips Tuesday" email!</a></h3><p><br /></p><p>Thanks for being here! <br />~Heather aka HoJo~</p>HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-57630439444604714272020-10-06T08:31:00.001-07:002020-10-06T08:33:26.281-07:00Your Mind and TpT<p> This post is going to be a bit different than anything I have written before, but it was a very powerful "aha!" moment for me - and I hope it does the same for you! <b>Your mind and TpT!</b></p><p>Below I am going to pose some questions for you. Please answer each one - either in your head, out loud, or even on paper - before moving on through the post. Pretty simple, yet super powerful! =)</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;">How much money do I currently make in a year on TpT?</h2><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">-</div><div style="text-align: center;">--</div><div style="text-align: center;">---</div><div style="text-align: center;">----</div><div style="text-align: center;">-----</div><div style="text-align: center;">------</div><div style="text-align: center;">-------</div><div style="text-align: center;">--------</div><div style="text-align: center;">---------</div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;">---------</div><div style="text-align: center;">--------</div><div style="text-align: center;">-------</div><div style="text-align: center;">------</div><div style="text-align: center;">-----</div><div style="text-align: center;">----</div><div style="text-align: center;">---</div><div style="text-align: center;">--</div><div style="text-align: center;">-</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now that you have that answer, let's keep going. Your second question is below.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>-</div><div>--</div><div>---</div><div>----</div><div>-----</div><div>------</div><div>-------</div><div>--------</div><div>---------</div><div>----------</div><div>---------</div><div>--------</div><div>-------</div><div>------</div><div>-----</div><div>----</div><div>---</div><div>--</div><div>-</div><div><br /></div><h2>Why not double that amount in the next year?</h2><div><div>-</div><div>--</div><div>---</div><div>----</div><div>-----</div><div>------</div><div>-------</div><div>--------</div><div>---------</div><div>----------</div><div>---------</div><div>--------</div><div>-------</div><div>------</div><div>-----</div><div>----</div><div>---</div><div>--</div><div>-</div></div><div><br /></div><div>What thought did you have? The first thought - the one that came to you automatically.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is this thought true? Totally true? </div><div><br /></div><div><div>-</div><div>--</div><div>---</div><div>----</div><div>-----</div><div>------</div><div>-------</div><div>--------</div><div>---------</div><div>----------</div><div>---------</div><div>--------</div><div>-------</div><div>------</div><div>-----</div><div>----</div><div>---</div><div>--</div><div>-</div></div><div><br /></div><div>My initial thought was, "I don't have enough time. The kids are still home quite a bit, and I don't get enough time to put in the hours I need."</div><div><br /></div><div>As soon as I had that thought, I literally said "whoa" out loud.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>That is NOT true!</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, my kids are still home a bit. We have a 4-day school week here, so they are both home every Friday. And my youngest only goes to preschool two mornings a week. </div><div><br /></div><div>But my kids are NOT the reason I couldn't double my TpT business in a year if I really put my mind to it. </div><div><br /></div><div>If I am being <i>really</i> honest with myself, I waste too much time on social media. I don't always follow my plan like I say I will. I've taken more "me time" in the last few months than I normally have in the past. I could certainly hire out more help. I could run more ads. There are <u style="font-style: italic;">so many ways</u> I could double my business in a year - yet that initial thought may very well be holding me back.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What was your initial thought? Did you have an "aha!" moment like I did? </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Because if we are truly honest with ourselves, plenty of other TpTers can double their money in a year - even when they still work full-time in the classroom. Even when they have multiple kids at home. Even while pregnant. Even while dealing with tragedy, natural disasters, or other massive life changes.</div><div><br /></div><div>This does NOT mean you <u>need</u> to double your money in a year. But if that was a goal you truly wanted to attain, your thoughts could be holding you back.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>So what TpT goal do YOU really want?</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>What thought comes to mind for you when you reach that goal?</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>THAT thought could be holding you back. <br /></b>(Or maybe your thought is amazing and you'll reach the goal in half the time!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Our thoughts are truly powerful. And once we recognize them, we can do the work to change them. The work is not always easy, but recognizing our thoughts is the first step. =)</div><div><br /></div><div>If you found this post about <b>Your Mind and TpT </b>helpful, please share it with a friend or help spread the word by pinning the image below.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="Your Mind & TpT - Are you holding yourself back?" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" data-pin-description="Your Mind and TpT - Are your thoughts holding you back from your truest potential on TpT? Click through, answer a couple EASY questions, and you will quickly see if you have the right mindset to be successful. In the wrong frame of mind? No worries! The post talks about ways to change that as well! #Teacherpreneur #TeachersPayTeachers #TpTSeller #TpTAuthor #WomenInBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxinBCG-e2uewZu_2HFjmmT_qEVMVMrFbDfshRAtWFwfqxr0bQQK3tbKH753PFy2YyGY8IsLS1MXutMGrHEwMSmp7oGgaUMqRGK_ioXh397PoqTSpi-xzY-oEzOF6MRTi0jNh3w1Ku8B5g/w400-h400/your-mind-and-tpt.jpg" title="Your Mind and TpT" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Want weekly tips, ideas, and free downloads related to TpT sent directly to your inbox each day? Sign up for <b><a href="https://hojo-s-teaching-adventures-llc.ck.page/3f4eecbcda" target="_blank">Teacherpreneur Tips Tuesday</a></b> right here! </div></div>HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-33245551772923825712018-07-24T08:07:00.000-07:002018-07-27T07:55:07.161-07:00Check out the newest podcast on Elite Edupreneurs!Hey all! Just a quick note to let you know I am on the Elite Edupreneurs podcast this week. Rachel and I talk a TON about virtual assistants, SEO, Pinterest, and more.<br />
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You'll also learn a bit more about my teaching background and TpT story.<br />
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I'd love for you to check it out!<br />
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<b><a href="http://tpttalk.libsyn.com/ep-58-heather-fergen-hojos-teaching-adventures" target="_blank">Click HERE either image below to go listen to the podcast now! </a></b></div>
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<a href="http://tpttalk.libsyn.com/ep-58-heather-fergen-hojos-teaching-adventures" target="_blank"><img alt="HoJo was a guest speaker on Episode 58 of Elite Edupreneurs. Click through to listen to her chat about virtual assistants, search engine optimization, a few Pinterest tips, and more! Plus you'll get a bit of her teaching background as well as her TpT story. #HoJoTeaches #VirtualAssistant #SEO #SearchEngineOptimization #TeachersPayTeachers #Teacherpreneur #Edupreneur #EliteEdupreneurs #Pinterest #BusinessWoman" border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvfLLZ0ySqf4VfM0lO4jX7DX_WMNnanTzA6mDN_xl4OAwH_yt-xGPSPb4iM-1OpJQqKP7slttI5yBJxadIqRabsv1NMaFP2MIwWgfPbUI5ET-i4KdyNT3PaXPvPqOodLFhqrwbHf8Iq87/s640/Elite-Edupreneurs.jpg" title="HoJo was a guest speaker on Episode 58 of Elite Edupreneurs. Click through to listen to her chat about virtual assistants, search engine optimization, a few Pinterest tips, and more! Plus you'll get a bit of her teaching background as well as her TpT story. #HoJoTeaches #VirtualAssistant #SEO #SearchEngineOptimization #TeachersPayTeachers #Teacherpreneur #Edupreneur #EliteEdupreneurs #Pinterest #BusinessWoman" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-80217802624445231532018-05-01T22:48:00.002-07:002018-05-01T22:48:28.607-07:00How do I improve SEO on my blog? {Figuring Out How to Even Start}Have you ever sat back, looked at your site, and wondered, "<b>How do I improve SEO on my blog?</b>" Let me tell you - SEO is a crazy beast. But it's not quite as intimidating as you may believe once you understand the basics and have a plan in place.<br />
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I firmly believe the #1 thing you need to do when you start focusing on SEO for your site is to create a plan. Without one you're going to get overwhelmed and quit.<br />
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Let me share my story and explain a bit more...</h3>
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<img alt="Image with text "How do I improve SEO on my blog?"" border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" data-pin-nopin="NOPIN" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00bXFlJZNs3fbfy6rBgF8Nv-YltqrjRB_vaBaCz2kh8l0ZZUuCTYS6bXF33NKTqKt0-wG4fv9HlgQGBsLNNMf6NsDwpYeZ7Ri5TzbTTgmMbsVvQCGVZEdE4rn4c617Txe1c6XJN-tXio6/s640/how-do-i-impove-seo-on-my-blog.jpg" title="How do I improve SEO on my blog?" width="640" /></div>
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I started blogging back in November 2011. Some of those posts were ugly. Hideous even. Looking back - I really had no idea what I was doing.<br />
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Then in 2015 I became a virtual assistant and started learning a bit about search engine optimization (or SEO).<br />
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I knew I had to change something on my blog, but I really had no idea where to start. I had <a href="http://the-focused-teacherpreneur.thinkific.com/courses/SEOBasics" target="_blank">the basics of SEO</a> figured out - but I had over 600 blog posts to go through. The thought of that alone was enough to make me want to curl up in a corner and never blog again.<br />
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But I kept hearing how people who focus on SEO show up in searches and have their pins show up more. I wanted in on that action!<br />
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So I created a plan...</h3>
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Step 1 - Work on your top 10 overall posts.</h4>
Hopefully you have Google Analytics installed. But - in case you don't - look at your blog stats to determine your top ten all time blog posts. (Hand raised - I was one of those people who hadn't yet installed GA. EEK!)<br />
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Once you have those blog posts determined, work through them one at a time and complete SEO on each one. These first posts may take you awhile, but that's ok! These posts are already doing well for you, so you want to get that SEO "juice" going big time!<br />
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Step 2 - Work on your next 10 blog posts.</h4>
Hopefully you're now in a bit of a groove. Each of those first ten posts probably took me close to an hour to do, but by this second round of posts I was doing most of them in the 30-45 minute time range.<br />
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Step 3 - Decide which path to take next. </h4>
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My third step was to start looking at seasonal blog posts, but I've worked with enough bloggers to know this is not always the next most logical case. I had a LOT of seasonal content, so I wanted to make sure those posts were showing up for me in search engines and on Pinterest. </div>
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BUT I know other bloggers have chosen to focus on their main material. For example, one blogger I worked with sold a lot of problem based learning material. She made those blog posts her next focus because she wanted to have them seen more. Another blogger worked on her classroom management line because she had created one massive bundle on TpT and she wanted to drive each of those posts to that new resource. </div>
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Regardless of your third step - decide what it is, continue with your plan, and go.</div>
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The best part about this step is that you're going to be getting quicker at completing each blog post. The more you do - the easier it gets! (I can complete most blog posts in 15-25 minutes, depending on length.)</div>
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Step 4 - Keep going.</h4>
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This is probably the hardest step. You've got some great momentum going. But now you have to keep going. If you've written 50 or less blog posts, you'll probably finish in a reasonable time frame. But - if you're like me - you're going to have over 400 blog posts to clean up. (I deleted over 200 of them when I made the switch from Blogger to Wordpress. Yes, they were <i>that</i> bad!)</div>
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Yet here it is - May 2018 - and of those 400 blog posts I have to clean up, I've only done about 200. (Over the course of 2+ years. Oops!) My plan is to do two a week, so I have a long road ahead of me. And some weeks I forget to actually do the clean up. BUT I have a plan in place and I keep moving along at a snail's pace. </div>
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The next time you're wondering, <i style="font-weight: bold;">"How do I improve SEO on my blog?" </i>- keep these four steps in mind. If you want to save time, <a href="http://the-focused-teacherpreneur.thinkific.com/courses/SEOBasics" target="_blank">grab a copy of SEO basics</a>. I spent hours researching and learning how to do SEO, but my friend Shelly and I have created one great course to ensure everything you need to know to get started with Search Engine Optimization is in one convenient place. </div>
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The <a href="http://the-focused-teacherpreneur.thinkific.com/courses/SEOBasics" target="_blank">SEO Basics course</a> includes:</h3>
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<ul>
<li>a PDF guide</li>
<li>an SEO checklist so you know exactly what to do for each blog post</li>
<li>and five videos walking you through everything you need to do </li>
</ul>
<h3>
Here are the actual videos:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Video 1 = the basics</li>
<li>Video 2 = Pinterest keyword rich descriptions</li>
<li>Video 3 = Ensuring your Blogger blog post is ready to go</li>
<li>Video 4 = Ensuring your self-hosted Wordpress blog is fully optimized</li>
<li>Video 5 = wrapping it up</li>
</ul>
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With <a href="http://the-focused-teacherpreneur.thinkific.com/courses/SEOBasics" target="_blank">this SEO Basics course</a> and the four steps outlined above, you're going to be well on your way to showing up in more search engine inquiries and Pinterest searches. This will lead to more pageviews and ultimately to more sales in your Teachers Pay Teachers store. </div>
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What are you waiting for? You can improve SEO on your blog! <a href="http://the-focused-teacherpreneur.thinkific.com/courses/SEOBasics" target="_blank">Grab your SEO Basics course</a>, create a plan, and start today! You'll be glad you did! </div>
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<a href="http://the-focused-teacherpreneur.thinkific.com/courses/SEOBasics" target="_blank"><img alt="Click here to purchase your own copy of "SEO Basics" so you can get started on improving your blog posts." border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="736" data-pin-description="How do I improve SEO on my blog? The answer to this question lies in four steps outlined here. Click through to see what one teacher blogger recommends. You'll fine her four step system to help you show up in more search engine and Pinterest searches. Plus get information on a great search engine optimization course that will help you learn the basics so you can take your blog and TpT store to the next level." height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Oyw0jtSLQeqfp2RT8U3A2IuuDN3pG4mcc1FpB_0hssMzuK6T8erWHv4QwpAfbS9_PuIXsh3jNvFYcvYsyjzSEbwK6YfOyxz_Mb6iu0p4L0UC0B80w08j6NqHnY33nH5bknxWl_ELHicZ/s640/how-do-i-impove-seo-on-my-blog-2.jpg" title="" width="426" /></a></div>
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HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-34230557183433121302017-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:002017-10-18T17:43:05.110-07:00How to Upload Pins Directly into TailwindIn case you haven't noticed from previous posts here on the blog, I'm a pretty big fan of Tailwind. That's why today I want to show you <b>how to upload pins directly into Tailwind</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK_p45961SmxhKyu3Y_-K2Dbt7LIki9ynWvFJRkvAVqJgqkJ-pJ1nqgcg-YaN31D6ECkD-gJKkA34lfP4kQc50_2zNcQ7Brc0fqRW84BDY6cNfTtDWGJWt8KoTJ7b70jUqhJaSEbI6kYu/s1600/how-to-upload-images-directly-into-tailwind-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="image showing words how to upload pins directly into tailwind" border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" data-pin-nopin="NOPIN" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtK_p45961SmxhKyu3Y_-K2Dbt7LIki9ynWvFJRkvAVqJgqkJ-pJ1nqgcg-YaN31D6ECkD-gJKkA34lfP4kQc50_2zNcQ7Brc0fqRW84BDY6cNfTtDWGJWt8KoTJ7b70jUqhJaSEbI6kYu/s640/how-to-upload-images-directly-into-tailwind-wide.jpg" title="How to Upload Pins Directly into Tailwind" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now I'm sure some of you are wondering why this is even important. Yes, you could do it directly in Pinterest. But when you upload images directly into Tailwind, you're given the option of scheduling them out - or spacing them out - over time so they don't show up back to back. And I personally love this feature!<br />
<h3>
Here's the video tutorial for how to upload pins directly into Tailwind.</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hAQPG1yLGlE" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<h3>
In case you'd rather read your directions than watch them, follow these steps.</h3>
<ol>
<li>Log into Tailwind.</li>
<li>On the left-hand side of your Tailwind main page, choose the "Scheduled Pins" tab.</li>
<li>You'll see all of your images on the right hand side under "Your Schedule". Look above that. </li>
<li>Click on "Create New Pin".</li>
<li>Then click "Upload Images". </li>
<li>Find your image. Click on it. Then click "Open". (On a PC, you can click "Ctrl" and click on multiple images if you want to upload more than one.)</li>
<li>Tailwind will automatically upload your image and save it as a draft. You should then be taken directly to this draft page. </li>
<li>Now that you're in the "Drafts" file, you can see your newly uploaded image.</li>
<li>You <u>have</u> to edit the URL! The default is going to be sending the image to your blog URL. Update that by clicking on it and typing or pasting in whatever URL you want the image directed to when it's live on Pinterest. </li>
<li>Edit the description. You can use up to 500 characters. What you choose to write will help you show up in Pinterest search results.</li>
<li>Schedule your pin. You can add it to the end of your queue or <a href="http://www.theacademicva.com/2017/09/how-to-schedule-specific-times-in.html" target="_blank">give it a specific time</a> so it doesn't change what you already have scheduled. </li>
</ol>
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<div>
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If you're not already using Tailwind, I'd love for you to use <a href="https://www.tailwindapp.com/i/hojostptstore" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my referral link</a>. You get $15 toward your plan <i>and I do too</i>, which is one month FREE! (Yes, that is <a href="http://www.theacademicva.com/p/disclosure-privacy-statement.html" target="_blank">an affiliate link</a>, but I've been using Tailwind nearly two years - so I <b>strongly</b> believe in this program.)</div>
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That's it! It seriously only takes a few minutes to upload pins directly into Tailwind. And I've gotten to the point where I do this in Tailwind instead of Pinterest because I like the option of being able to spread the pins out. </div>
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What other video tutorials would you like to see? My goal is to update the blog once each month, so I may be able to feature YOUR request. Leave your comment below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD9VFUgy4gFNKLziYbbX_LqrGkLdBpDAhoYfyhkuQX0XRKBz8JjT7pRkw5WkE4k5jMll9kd0q94Xqpy5xd45jyA04wlBzuSd3QqbXxegs9vBeKtc0wY4ztuOiVX8gSHp7UeMLUcdI53WY/s1600/how-to-upload-images-directly-into-tailwind-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Learn how to upload pins directly into Tailwind with the video tutorial and directions at this blog post. This easy approach allows you to customize what time these new pins go out so you don't have to upload them all to Pinterest at the same time. It's a great strategy for bloggers who use Tailwind regularly." border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD9VFUgy4gFNKLziYbbX_LqrGkLdBpDAhoYfyhkuQX0XRKBz8JjT7pRkw5WkE4k5jMll9kd0q94Xqpy5xd45jyA04wlBzuSd3QqbXxegs9vBeKtc0wY4ztuOiVX8gSHp7UeMLUcdI53WY/s640/how-to-upload-images-directly-into-tailwind-tall.jpg" title="How to Upload Images Directly into Tailwind" width="426" /></a></div>
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HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-24440031722778308822017-09-15T00:01:00.000-07:002017-09-26T17:46:54.009-07:00How to Schedule Specific Times in TailwindSince becoming a virtual assistant for other teacher-bloggers I've found that some of my clients want to add more pins to their queue. This is totally fine, but it can sometimes mess with what I've already done. That's why today's post explains <b>how to schedule specific times in Tailwind</b>. This will allow you to add pins into Tailwind at EXACT times without messing with something that has already been scheduled.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-ArWOhzIdOnpYXc6cXAzj-U7jGnMTeROPQyVJAOdSI2dcKNQGyYLaRX2UmHebKSvk09dUZH6P581kAECKHnzivqkE1nX5Hd-pWU-2VdkCzzFnWAMfYqzPJjtrES3sQYVU-GE4zD6utF7/s1600/how-to-schedule-specific-times-tailwind-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you use Tailwind for Pinterest marketing, you're going to find this tutorial helpful. You'll get a write up and video explaining how to schedule specific times in Tailwind. With this tip, you'll quickly be able to add additional pins into your queue when you realized you forgot something and you're already done pinning for a specified time period. Or you can add pins to specific boards that have more rigid rules. Click through now to learn more! " border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-ArWOhzIdOnpYXc6cXAzj-U7jGnMTeROPQyVJAOdSI2dcKNQGyYLaRX2UmHebKSvk09dUZH6P581kAECKHnzivqkE1nX5Hd-pWU-2VdkCzzFnWAMfYqzPJjtrES3sQYVU-GE4zD6utF7/s640/how-to-schedule-specific-times-tailwind-wide.jpg" title="If you use Tailwind for Pinterest marketing, you're going to find this tutorial helpful. You'll get a write up and video explaining how to schedule specific times in Tailwind. With this tip, you'll quickly be able to add additional pins into your queue when you realized you forgot something and you're already done pinning for a specified time period. Or you can add pins to specific boards that have more rigid rules. Click through now to learn more! " width="640" /></a></div>
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Yes, this will help if you have a virtual assistant, but it can also work if you have your own scheduling plan and realize you need to add something else. Maybe you forgot that pesky little holiday is next week, and you know you won't have time to live pin. Or perhaps you just created a new resource and want to get it scheduled out across your boards right now while you're thinking about it.<br />
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Regardless - this short tutorial will help you see how to schedule specific times in Tailwind for your pins. Watch below.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0YyuKmEc3YI" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Are you can see, I showed you how to schedule directly from a Tailwind tribe or from Pinterest with a random pin you find. (You could even pin right from your blog or TpT store too!)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Now - if you don't like watching videos, here you go! (I'm one of the people in that boat. I'd rather read something than watch a video 9/10 times.)</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Here's the gist of how to schedule specific times in Tailwind.</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li>Find the pin directly on Pinterest, the pin within Tailwind tribes, the blog post, or the resource you want to schedule.</li>
<li>Click on the Tailwind button to bring up the typical Tailwind scheduler or pop up.</li>
<li>Toward the bottom, on the left-hand side, there's a little clock. (It's to the left of the "Add to Queue Now" button.)</li>
<li>Click on that clock and set the date and time you want the pin to go out. (You can schedule out to multiple boards here - even setting a specific time in between them.) </li>
<li>When you're sure the date and time are correct, click on "Set Custom Time". </li>
<li>Finally click "Schedule Now". </li>
<li>Your pin should be all set to go out at a specific time!</li>
</ul>
<div>
If you're not already using Tailwind, I'd love for you to use <a href="https://www.tailwindapp.com/i/hojostptstore" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">my referral link</a>. You get $15 toward your plan, which is one month FREE! (Yes, that is <a href="http://www.theacademicva.com/p/disclosure-privacy-statement.html" target="_blank">an affiliate link</a>, but I've been using Tailwind nearly two years - so I <b>strongly</b> believe in this program.)</div>
<div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Still have questions on how to schedule specific times in Tailwind? Let me know in the questions below. I'll do my best to help you out! This should help you add a few last minute pins without messing with your schedule or the schedule your VA did for you. Good luck! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LBviwtVW-fi-VIjJo2gerLGwGGBzbhmP11zCO4hyphenhyphenGDinVbQsWtXB8bGpzw2wPEg9cDn4ymCru78NlSgQWBhhI-dlOp5lXVNlsLklUwISW_VPAZ1WEAvtzg7_JsZmW_RqROLMO29HGBvE/s1600/how-to-schedule-specific-times-tailwind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you use Tailwind for Pinterest marketing, you're going to find this tutorial helpful. You'll get a write up and video explaining how to schedule specific times in Tailwind. With this tip, you'll quickly be able to add additional pins into your queue when you realized you forgot something and you're already done pinning for a specified time period. Or you can add pins to specific boards that have more rigid rules. Click through now to learn more! " border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LBviwtVW-fi-VIjJo2gerLGwGGBzbhmP11zCO4hyphenhyphenGDinVbQsWtXB8bGpzw2wPEg9cDn4ymCru78NlSgQWBhhI-dlOp5lXVNlsLklUwISW_VPAZ1WEAvtzg7_JsZmW_RqROLMO29HGBvE/s640/how-to-schedule-specific-times-tailwind.jpg" title="If you use Tailwind for Pinterest marketing, you're going to find this tutorial helpful. You'll get a write up and video explaining how to schedule specific times in Tailwind. With this tip, you'll quickly be able to add additional pins into your queue when you realized you forgot something and you're already done pinning for a specified time period. Or you can add pins to specific boards that have more rigid rules. Click through now to learn more! " width="426" /></a></div>
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HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-2552764755261255332017-09-14T12:52:00.000-07:002017-09-15T12:52:22.918-07:00My Trademark Story...Here I am going to share my experience with getting a trademark. This is <u>not</u> me telling you what to do. This is <u>not</u> legal advice. This is simply my story.<br />
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In May 2016 I applied for a trademark on the term <i>Magic Square Puzzles</i>. I believed this would be in my best interest since that was my best selling resource line on Teachers Pay Teachers. I struggled a bit with choosing which category to fill out, but I got through it and hit submit.<br />
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I posted my first Magic Square in late 2011. I remember doing something somewhat like what I made with my 4th grade teacher, but I don't remember the exact name she used for them. Plus what I remember from 4th grade and what I created to sell are slightly different. I though I made up the term (although I've now done multiple Google searches and realized that there are a variety of "magic squares" involving numbers on them. When I requested the trademark, I did NOT know it was such a common term).<br />
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My reasoning for filing a trademark was simple - I thought it would protect me. I thought it meant others couldn't use the term. I thought it meant others couldn't come after me if they created something similar since I created it. I thought it was the next step and the "right thing" to do in my TpT journey.<br />
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Fast forward, it took months for me to hear back from the trademark office. When I did finally hear from them, I had used the wrong category. Since I'm using downloadable goods, I needed to choose that option. The attorney changed it, no big deal. But this minor change took over four months to get changed. My e-mails went to the attorney's spam folder. My phone calls went un-returned. It took much longer than it needed to, yet I've since learned that some people have it take even longer.<br />
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When I finally had the right category selected, he then informed me that I could not get the trademark for anything related to math. So my trademark says, excluding math. I was severely disappointed at this, so I started to do some Google searches and realized it was a fairly common term as far as math and numbers are concerned.<br />
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In May 2017, I was finally awarded the trademark. I remember being so excited! All my hard work on TpT had paid off. The trademark was mine!<br />
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Within about a week of being awarded the trademark and getting it in the mail, I asked my virtual assistant to search TpT for the term "Magic Square Puzzles" and create a list of all the resources that used the term. She was told to NOT list anything math related, since my trademark excluded math terms.<br />
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When I got the list, I found the copyright/trademark infringement information on TpT. I made sure to list all of the information they requested and I sent off the e-mail. My understanding was that I needed to protect my trademark in order to keep it. So that's all I thought I was doing.<br />
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Within a few days I heard back from Teachers Pay Teachers that they had removed all the infringing resources and e-mailed all of those sellers to notify them. I thought it was done.<br />
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I then took a two hour drive with my family to visit my grandparents and sister for the evening. My grandparents house is old, steel sided, and gets <u>no</u> cell reception.<br />
<br />
When I got home that evening, I came across a 100+ comment post in a fairly popular Facebook group for Teachers Pay Teachers sellers. It was quite obvious that I had upset people with my trademark. There were statements like, "How can a 'common term' be trademarked?" and "Why did she not tell us via Q&A rather than give our stores a strike?" and "It's just a business thing. Don't take it personally."<br />
<br />
<div>
Another thread popped up in the same Facebook group with examples of other terms sellers could use to "get around" my trademark. They could say "Magic Square Puzzlers" or "Magic Squares" and be just fine. That was the moment I realized my trademark wasn't nearly as powerful as I had thought it would be. People could still use the exact same format - even the same numbers if it coincidentally happened - and just change the title by one little letter or one small word, and there was <i>nothing</i> I could do.</div>
<br />
It took me quite awhile to fall asleep that night. People had been given strikes?! When I had contacted TpT about the cease and desist, I realized that other sellers would probably have to take their resources down - but I didn't realize the exact process. And I truly had <i>no idea</i> that other sellers' stores could be given strikes. Plus all they needed to do was change a word or two and they were not trying to take ownership of my trademark. What was the point? And why had I waited a year, gone through all those headaches, and spent all that money?<br />
<br />
Ugh. This entire process was so much more complicated than I had realized.<br />
<br />
The night the Facebook conversation within the group popped up started an entire string of messages to me that came and went for at least two weeks. (And an occasional one still shows up months later...)<br />
<ul>
<li>"Stay strong! It's just part of doing business. They'll get over it."</li>
<li>"If I use the term "Magic Square PuzzleRs", am I infringing on your trademark?"</li>
<li>"How did you go about the trademark process? That's so smart, and I want to learn more!"</li>
</ul>
<div>
These and <i>many</i> other messages appeared in private Facebook messages and various e-mails (even now - four months later). I also know at least one person from that Facebook grouped blocked me on FB, and multiple people said within the thread that they would "not associate" with "such a seller in giveaways or any other aspect of business".</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In all honesty - I expected some backlash because people would have to take their resources down. But I did not completely think through the trademark process. I did not realize the implications of my trademarking decision. I've always been a firm believer in the "rising tide raises all ships" mentality that is TpT. And now I feel as if I've sank a few ships - or at least put dings and small holes in some boats. That was never my intention and not how I thought the trademark process worked.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Why am I writing this?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I want my side of the story out there. I want people to see that getting a trademark is <u>not</u> cut and dry. It is a process. It's probably in your best interest to get a lawyer involved. Definitely do a Google search to see if your term is truly all that unique! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you do go through with applying for a trademark, you may very well upset people. Be ready for the repercussions of your actions. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know my intentions were good, but my research stunk. A lot. Both my research on the trademark process <u>and</u> my research on the term I wished to trademark. I did not do my homework. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Please know what you are getting into. Do your homework. Don't just ask around to your TpT friends and trust that "How do I get a trademark?" Google search that you did. It may not be enough.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know I would certainly do things differently if I were ever to apply for another trademark. And I sincerely hope others pursue their trademark in the most ethical manner possible.<br />
<br />
Finally, I would like to publicly apologize to those I hurt. It was never my intention to get any stores a strike. People who know me in real life know that I do my best to be a kind, honest, and upfront person. And I do my best to be the same way in my professional life.<br />
<br />
~Heather aka HoJo~</div>
HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-6275058453306700712017-08-15T00:01:00.000-07:002017-09-07T20:46:01.675-07:00When Should I Publish New Blog Posts?You know the scene. You're super excited for the upcoming Back to School season. Not only have you spent the summer getting your classroom ready, but you have some <i>amazing</i> ideas to share with other teachers on your blog.<br />
<br />
You go back to school on August 27, so you figure you'll have the post go out on August 24. That way the teachers who find your post will have a couple days to mull over your idea, print your freebies, and thank you for all of your awesomeness.<br />
<br />
You go with your plan, hit publish, and then can't figure out why all you hear is crickets...<br />
<br />
<h3>
What happened? Why is no one reading my post?! </h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmkADFr4T2wrBN4mtCXxmQjyOHWB3mlHEXx_0XM5pHseV5CQQaGkP0DLAzJClWB_lUkKKiPqqnAOMlMWpgjJdZZCcwQNmOW1ubnJoonUK0Pr_AqA0qpkuLusH32QnZhlIQFeL_nGHisW3/s1600/when-should-i-publish-new-blog-posts-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="When should I publish new blog posts? This is a question that goes through many teacher blogger's minds. Here are tips to help you decide when it makes the most sense to publish a new blog post, particularly those that are seasonal in nature. {teacher blogger tips, teacherpreneur blogging strategy, TpT advice}" border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmkADFr4T2wrBN4mtCXxmQjyOHWB3mlHEXx_0XM5pHseV5CQQaGkP0DLAzJClWB_lUkKKiPqqnAOMlMWpgjJdZZCcwQNmOW1ubnJoonUK0Pr_AqA0qpkuLusH32QnZhlIQFeL_nGHisW3/s640/when-should-i-publish-new-blog-posts-wide.jpg" title="When should I publish new blog posts? This is a question that goes through many teacher blogger's minds. Here are tips to help you decide when it makes the most sense to publish a new blog post, particularly those that are seasonal in nature. {teacher blogger tips, teacherpreneur blogging strategy, TpT advice}" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
The world of blogging - particularly blogging for teachers - has changed a LOT in recent years. Teachers used to find their favorite bloggers and check out their blogs regularly. Some literally just went right to your blog to see what was new, others subscribed to your RSS feed so they received an e-mail notification anytime you had something new, and others used a service like BlogLovin' to follow you. Regardless, they <i>chose</i> to follow you.<br />
<br />
But things have changed. There are still readers out there who will specifically go to one blog to see what's new or use another method mentioned above, but that is more the minority. Instead, people are turning to Pinterest to find the latest and greatest information.<br />
<br />
But - you know what? There's a slight problem with that. It can take Pinterest up to eight weeks to really index (or "read") your pin and begin showing it to people. <i>Eight weeks?!?</i> (Some experts even say it can take as long as twelve weeks. I'm going to be optimistic here and say it's <i>just</i> eight.)<br />
<br />
So that blog post you just shared on August 24? It won't really take off until at least mid-October. What good does that do anyone at that time during the year? So it's not really even going to take off. Sigh. :(<br />
<br />
<h3>
What can you do?</h3>
<br />
Here are a couple ideas:<br />
<br />
<h4>
1. Post it anyway.</h4>
<div>
You can definitely publish your post on the day you first planned to do it. But know this - it may not get seen right away. However, people will eventually find it. The back to school example I shared may take off for you the following July and bring in a great amount of traffic in July and August of the next year as teachers prepare for school and start looking for ideas. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another thing you can do is post it and then send out a letter to your newsletter subscribers. (What? You haven't started a newsletter yet? DO IT! I wish I would have started this back in 2011 instead of 2015. It really would have helped my business, and it's the one thing I truly own if everything else went away today.) This way everyone who has signed up and shown interest in you will see your new, timely post!</div>
<h4>
2. Schedule it later.</h4>
<div>
Scheduling a post for a future date is another option. Write that back to school post now, while it's still fresh in your mind. But schedule it for next summer. That way you have an awesome blog post ready to go <u>and</u> people will be able to find it if you post around June. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you <i>really</i> want to share your great idea now but know it's too late to post it - schedule the blog post like I mentioned above, but send a link to the freebie out to your newsletter subscribers. They'll love knowing they got something that won't be available to anyone else for nearly a year, and you'll love knowing you helped out a bunch of teachers. :) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Regardless of which option you choose, don't let hearing crickets get you down. My blog took <i>forever</i> to take off, and everyone's definition of "taking off" is going to be different. There are still some days where I question why I'm blogging - but then I remember that my goal is to help teachers. My impact can go so far beyond that of the four walls of the classroom I used to teach.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now some of you may be reading this saying, "But Heather, I want to know <u>exactly</u> when to publish new blog posts."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pinterest-Teacherpreneur-eBook-2647749" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="If you're a teacher blogger, you MUST check out this Pinterest ebook to make the most of the platform. You'll have my blog pageviews and increase your sales after implementing these tips. " border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoPAd3_LIBEcrKzUzrHFxRpKHKYnB44DFDaP2vSArs9Hxq8q3B6ZK1sMOJeD2tm2jFCX8Ti2cOkSBJGO8FqrhyMx0-PlWUT5jK-dO_jq2kS66qzIo199b6hO1IszMemGXUQ-jkE3h4YtK/s320/Teacherpreneur-Pinterest-Ebook.png" title="If you're a teacher blogger, you MUST check out this Pinterest ebook to make the most of the platform. You'll have my blog pageviews and increase your sales after implementing these tips. " width="250" /></a>Well, sorry, but I don't have a good answer for you. There is no one magical day and/or time that is going to bring you more traffic.<br />
<br />
Personally, I have posted weekly on my teaching blog and life blog for over a year. But it just simply got to be too much with two kids. Now I post once a month on <a href="http://hojosteachingadventures.com/" target="_blank">my teaching blog</a> - the 1st of the month. On my life blog I post on the 1st and the 15th. And on this blog I post on the 15th.<br />
<br />
Do I believe posting at this day and time brings me more traffic? No. But I do believe that blogging consistently helps my blog out. I have a new post to promote regularly, and each new post I am able to promote means more potential traffic for my blog. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Best of luck deciding when to publish new blog posts. Once you find a method that works for you, you'll be excited for the additional traffic! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do you want your blog posts to do ever better on Pinterest? Then check out <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pinterest-Teacherpreneur-eBook-2647749" target="_blank">my Pinterest ebook</a>. It'll help you better your entire Pinterest game. The information on pages 9 and 10 will really help up your blog traffic if you implement it correctly! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a a="" advice="" are="" blog="" blogger="" blogging="" data-pin-description="“When" decide="" goes="" help="" here="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifP0mAW-BPnEbyOoJdw6fgVTVY744GLpjSpjA3JfPIyI-ubBFff4XJWS8uGCMFljJhfWHCWQ5wI6aEdX0JXACT_WIonpj65x6V1x5-ew5EJSckF1UFpvEuh6b1fuvNZyogAQwEXG8hhhfc/s1600/when-should-i-publish-new-blog-posts-vertical.jpg" i="" imageanchor="1" in="" is="" it="" makes="" many="" minds.="" most="" nature.="" new="" particularly="" post="" posts="" publish="" question="" s="" seasonal="" sense="" should="" strategy="" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" teacher="" teacherpreneur="" that="" the="" this="" those="" through="" tips="" to="" tpt="" when="" you=""><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifP0mAW-BPnEbyOoJdw6fgVTVY744GLpjSpjA3JfPIyI-ubBFff4XJWS8uGCMFljJhfWHCWQ5wI6aEdX0JXACT_WIonpj65x6V1x5-ew5EJSckF1UFpvEuh6b1fuvNZyogAQwEXG8hhhfc/s640/when-should-i-publish-new-blog-posts-vertical.jpg" title="When should I publish new blog posts? This is a question that goes through many teacher blogger's minds. Here are tips to help you decide when it makes the most sense to publish a new blog post, particularly those that are seasonal in nature. {teacher blogger tips, teacherpreneur blogging strategy, TpT advice}" width="426" /></a></div>
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HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-60283201947144381552017-07-15T00:01:00.001-07:002017-09-07T20:58:56.437-07:00How to Host Third Party Images in BloggerDon't you just hate it when you find out the site you've been using for almost five years to host images decides to start charging you $400/year overnight? Um....no. I don't make enough to justify that cost, and I'm just cheap.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoujtLnQs0HGcVTautzsv9XnnYfG5i_cKCn3u_kUKr54OytBk8z0OTFy064dGCQMQYxtEsr4AzY_NzTYhStzkimepHJHJHZaMgLZrRvyOTgZFPvd4DtDRP6eMyYtQdU3p76qcEbVvFp-KH/s1600/third-party-images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Do you not want to pay for third party image hosting? No worries! Here you will learn to host host third party images in Blogger. It's easy and free to do. This is a great tip for anyone wanting to save some money and use a blogging platform they're comfortable with. Video and written directions both available. " border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoujtLnQs0HGcVTautzsv9XnnYfG5i_cKCn3u_kUKr54OytBk8z0OTFy064dGCQMQYxtEsr4AzY_NzTYhStzkimepHJHJHZaMgLZrRvyOTgZFPvd4DtDRP6eMyYtQdU3p76qcEbVvFp-KH/s640/third-party-images.jpg" title="how to host third-party images in a Blogger blog" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So today I want to share with you <b>how to host third party images in Blogger</b>. It's super simple, even if you're not the most tech savvy individual. {If I can do it, anyone can!}<br />
<br />
<h4>
Let's get started with the video.</h4>
<div>
Feel free to ignore the part where I talk about the TpT UTM codes. I started going that route, and then realized I would need to log into my traffic tag - which means logging into my dashboard. I'm just not comfortable with all of internet land seeing that. ;)</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k4JHqisuy-g" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
If you're more of a written directions person, no worries!</h4>
<ol>
<li>Log into Blogger.</li>
<li>Create a new post.</li>
<li>Upload your picture like you would if you were writing a normal post.</li>
<li>When the image is uploaded, right-click on it. </li>
<li>Click "Copy Image Address".</li>
<li>Now you can paste that URL into the area you need it - your TpT site, blog, or whatever other online location where you would use third party hosting. </li>
<li>Do NOT publish that blog post. Just save it. I named mine something so I can find it again (3rd party image hosting). </li>
</ol>
<h3>
That's it. Really!</h3>
<div>
You've now saved yourself from having to pay $400/year. And yes, there are plenty of other options out there as well - but since so many teacher bloggers already have a Blogger account (whether you currently use Blogger or have since switched to Wordpress like I have), it makes sense for us to use this platform. Free. Easy. Done! :) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Questions about how to host third party images in Blogger? Ask below! I'll do my best to help you out. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimS_aZNprmiGwqXlSPM3SKlEZbKdNewpNX2tOEHcilmuiKhVhJB-XlnS095d1pCZIX8lWXC62Q1nBcweNRCz5DTF9QYI_DhDRh0UZ3JTuwJrZgECIpt1zxAb1wnnfikOvz31U-0bxShNNa/s1600/how-to-host-third-party-images-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Do you not want to pay for third party image hosting? No worries! Here you will learn to host host third party images in Blogger. It's easy and free to do. This is a great tip for anyone wanting to save some money and use a blogging platform they're comfortable with. Video and written directions both available." border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimS_aZNprmiGwqXlSPM3SKlEZbKdNewpNX2tOEHcilmuiKhVhJB-XlnS095d1pCZIX8lWXC62Q1nBcweNRCz5DTF9QYI_DhDRh0UZ3JTuwJrZgECIpt1zxAb1wnnfikOvz31U-0bxShNNa/s640/how-to-host-third-party-images-tall.jpg" title="Do you not want to pay for third party image hosting? No worries! Here you will learn to host host third party images in Blogger. It's easy and free to do. This is a great tip for anyone wanting to save some money and use a blogging platform they're comfortable with. Video and written directions both available." width="426" /></a></div>
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HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-61928883349671809792017-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:002017-09-07T22:33:16.350-07:00Help! How Do I Create Images for My Blog More Quickly?I frequently get told, "I would blog more often, but the images take <i>so much time</i>."<br />
<br />
I hear ya, my friends! And if you're anything like me, you're not the best at design, layout, or really <i>anything</i> to do with creating presentable images for your blog.<br />
<br />
But - let me tell you a little secret... It does <b>not</b> have to be so hard! Or so scary!!<br />
<br />
Now you're probably asking, "But Heather, how do I create images for my blog more quickly?"<br />
<br />
And I'm so glad you asked!<br />
<h4>
It's all about the template. </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUC6PFQtJLFvYGXRogffhL1-kDlezMajPJOdHUJ0nbsfB_-RMrk6fYOM5jolGgx2tIdihTnl0R5UFLXIQ7-ah13X9iA2Lg4r78vWBjM7ooVEd6TB-U-tPoVFpxeE3Wo-OPP5ReTnx3daT/s1600/quicker-images-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How do I create blog images more quickly? That's a question that many bloggers and online entrepreneurs ask. This post will help you find the answer you need! Plus you'll be set up in no time. Click through to see the simple trick and everything you need to be ready to go after just a little bit of upfront work. " border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUC6PFQtJLFvYGXRogffhL1-kDlezMajPJOdHUJ0nbsfB_-RMrk6fYOM5jolGgx2tIdihTnl0R5UFLXIQ7-ah13X9iA2Lg4r78vWBjM7ooVEd6TB-U-tPoVFpxeE3Wo-OPP5ReTnx3daT/s640/quicker-images-wide.jpg" title="How do I create blog images more quickly? That's a question that many bloggers and online entrepreneurs ask. This post will help you find the answer you need! Plus you'll be set up in no time. Click through to see the simple trick and everything you need to be ready to go after just a little bit of upfront work. " width="640" data-pin-nopin="nopin"/></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Seriously!! Take the time to create a template. I'm a creature of habit, and I want to keep things as simple as possible. For me - this means I create all my images in PowerPoint. It's the program I already use to create <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Hojo/Type-of-Resource/By-TpT-Sellers-for-TpT-Sellers" target="_blank">my TpT resources</a>, so it only makes sense for me to create my images using the program I'm most comfortable with.<br />
<br />
Do you use Canva? Or another program? That's totally fine! Find a way to create a template that works for you, and go with it! (There are even people who do all this via their smartphones. I'm not quite that techy - yet! - but I still think that's an awesome route to go!)<br />
<br />
But this post is going to specifically talk about my template.<br />
<br />
I actually have three. One for vertical Pinterest images, one for wider Facebook images, and a third for square images. I don't make every image for each blog post, but I have the template saved and ready.<br />
<br />
You'll need to add your fonts, colors, and then save the images to the correct size. That's it! Really!!<br />
<br />
As of September 8, 2017, here are the image sizes I use:<br />
<ul>
<li>Facebook - Width 12.5" x Height 6.563"</li>
<li>Pinterest - Width 9" x Height 18"</li>
<li>Square - Width 8" x Height 8"</li>
</ul>
<div>
Below is a picture of what my template looks like when I have it saved right in PowerPoint. </div>
<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLv7ZGAKcI-cwqQZCSmcPVcSs_H6iXyYxWkybR4rkYGu4jG10SGLBgLm0PIjelnnhteo1_wpAygg94YqIQZrTBMo2bdE4nSRpgo_yr8yTQW13UMLZwfOIEKBcZLVbHooPjRgRQJ8Hl2Hw/s1600/quicker-images-square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How do I create blog images more quickly? That's a question that many bloggers and online entrepreneurs ask. This post will help you find the answer you need! Plus you'll be set up in no time. Click through to see the simple trick and everything you need to be ready to go after just a little bit of upfront work. " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLv7ZGAKcI-cwqQZCSmcPVcSs_H6iXyYxWkybR4rkYGu4jG10SGLBgLm0PIjelnnhteo1_wpAygg94YqIQZrTBMo2bdE4nSRpgo_yr8yTQW13UMLZwfOIEKBcZLVbHooPjRgRQJ8Hl2Hw/s1600/quicker-images-square.jpg" title="How do I create blog images more quickly? That's a question that many bloggers and online entrepreneurs ask. This post will help you find the answer you need! Plus you'll be set up in no time. Click through to see the simple trick and everything you need to be ready to go after just a little bit of upfront work. " /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The lower left corner has the link to my color palette. The middle is my three primary color choices, with the secondary colors just to the right of them. Then I also have the two fonts that I use. Finally, the upper right-hand corner has the link to download the fonts. This way I can re-assess them if I ever lose them or need to share them with a VA or someone else. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you're not sure I'm using the correct sizes, feel free to do a Google search for other sizes. Or simply create your template based on the size you currently use. </div>
<div>
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<div>
I promise you, once you get the template set up it will be soooo much easier! What used to take me 30-90 minutes to do, now takes 5-10. #happydance</div>
<div>
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<div>
Any questions about your template? Feel free to ask them below. I'll do my best to answer them!</div>
<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4j2-waHIb9CdkkdfhOoFQ0TaB0MZeyLqEtXiI_e7ZjE813Je_sPc1ctrPqwZGhkhfn8eU94jVGbEn1UxkncFhCKF0n8izgXBovXSa_HRS1Ogxm8eHj6OVWuDy88JTIzE_hv1PhQE5Rq2b/s1600/quicker-images-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How do I create blog images more quickly? That's a question that many bloggers and online entrepreneurs ask. This post will help you find the answer you need! Plus you'll be set up in no time. Click through to see the simple trick and everything you need to be ready to go after just a little bit of upfront work. " border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4j2-waHIb9CdkkdfhOoFQ0TaB0MZeyLqEtXiI_e7ZjE813Je_sPc1ctrPqwZGhkhfn8eU94jVGbEn1UxkncFhCKF0n8izgXBovXSa_HRS1Ogxm8eHj6OVWuDy88JTIzE_hv1PhQE5Rq2b/s640/quicker-images-tall.jpg" title="How do I create blog images more quickly? That's a question that many bloggers and online entrepreneurs ask. This post will help you find the answer you need! Plus you'll be set up in no time. Click through to see the simple trick and everything you need to be ready to go after just a little bit of upfront work. " width="426" /></a></div>
HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-79872399135442350142017-04-15T00:01:00.000-07:002017-04-15T00:01:10.466-07:00Should I Hire a VA or Train Family & Friends?I've heard several different teacherpreneurs ask whether they should hire a virtual assistant or train a family member or friend to work as a VA for them. Today I want to focus on the pros and cons to each of these options.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TpbJ9NPiuJNZfdcaMrz30Ul4yTwdHlX9GPv1v_0CXu5dXb9lJP6pXpRn61Kfboal2tgXcAY3m2FPXorrYguKQM0MBjUBSFmsgFALknHP676n6u1-13005emgGnV_XhPvHCjtx-n980Z5/s1600/hire-a-va.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you're a teacher blogger (or teacherpreneur), you've probably heard about virtual assistants at one point or another. Now the question is - should you hire a VA or are you better off training a family member or friend? This post goes into the pros and cons of both options, but you'll see a resource that can help you navigate the virtual assistant world. (There's even a FREE preview.) Click through now to see if a VA would help take your Teachers Pay Teachers business to the next level. " border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TpbJ9NPiuJNZfdcaMrz30Ul4yTwdHlX9GPv1v_0CXu5dXb9lJP6pXpRn61Kfboal2tgXcAY3m2FPXorrYguKQM0MBjUBSFmsgFALknHP676n6u1-13005emgGnV_XhPvHCjtx-n980Z5/s640/hire-a-va.jpg" title="If you're a teacher blogger (or teacherpreneur), you've probably heard about virtual assistants at one point or another. Now the question is - should you hire a VA or are you better off training a family member or friend? This post goes into the pros and cons of both options, but you'll see a resource that can help you navigate the virtual assistant world. (There's even a FREE preview.) Click through now to see if a VA would help take your Teachers Pay Teachers business to the next level. " width="640" /></a></div>
<h2>
Should I hire a VA or train family and friends?</h2>
<h3>
Pros to Hiring Family or Friends</h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>You can train the person to do <u>exactly</u> what you want. You can even train them in person!</li>
<li>You'll be able to meet up to chat with the person about how things are going. This allows you to do more training or simply check in.</li>
<li>Your friend or family member <i>may</i> cost less per hour than the virtual assistant you find. </li>
</ul>
<h3>
Cons to Hiring a Family or Friends</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Sometimes friends and family don't work as hard as we had hoped. You may need to do more checking in or even fire the person. #awkwardfamilygettogethers</li>
<li>You will spend time training the person.</li>
<li>The person you choose to train isn't going to bring anything new to the table. They'll be able to do what you want after training, but that will most likely be it. (Unless you're fortunate enough to have a social media marketing person in your circle. Then that's an entirely different story!) </li>
</ul>
<h3>
Pros to Hiring a Virtual Assistant</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>A virtual assistant is typically an expert in some area or another. Your business can grow because of this expertise without you actually having to learn the platform yourself. </li>
<li>Many times you can find a virtual assistant who is also experienced in the teacherpreneur world. This VA just "gets" what's going on, and you won't have to train her on various platforms to help your business grow. </li>
<li>A great VA is also someone you can bounce ideas off of to help your business grow. </li>
<li>While a VA may cost more per hour than your family member or friend, this is their business and they may very well be more efficient. Therefore you may spend the same amount (or potentially less) than you're paying your family member or friend due to inefficiency.</li>
<li>A virtual assistant is treating this as their business. Therefore you can expect business-like interactions. If this is not the case, you can look at your contract (even before you sign it!) to make sure you know your "esccape route" - should it be needed. </li>
</ul>
<h3>
Cons to Hiring a Virtual Assistant</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>You and the VA may not be a good fit. A good virtual assistant will give you a "trial period" to ensure that both parties are happy with the way things are going. (We do a month here at <i>The Academic VA</i>.) </li>
<li>Communication may not be as easy. Unlike the person you know well, your virtual assistant could be on the other side of the country or world. Getting in touch via e-mail, phone, or online chat isn't as easy as sending a quick text message. (This being said, a good VA will have in their contract <u>exactly</u> how long you should expect - at a maximum - before hearing back from them. <i>Always</i> make sure to check references and do your homework before hiring someone!) </li>
</ul>
<div>
Regardless of the option you choose, know that hiring a virtual assistant can be a GREAT thing. It frees you up to do more of what you love. There are <a href="http://www.theacademicva.com/2017/02/you-should-hire-virtual-assistant.html">many reasons to hire a virtual assistant</a>, so I hope you can choose the option that is the best for you. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
If you're new to the world of virtual assistants, I highly recommend purchasing the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Virtual-Assistant-Information-eBook-2551945" target="_blank">TpT Virtual Assistant eBook</a> I have written. This will help you get started - whether you want to train a VA yourself <u>or</u> hire a VA. While the book itself is helpful, you'll also be granted access to a Facebook group where you can talk to other virtual assistants <u>and</u> teacherpreneurs about your virtual assistant journey and what steps to take.</div>
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Here is some of the feedback received about this ebook:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YhyphenhyphenxtJnHNjdA_duy8Kk466W9UV2Zxr9Wl9BMBxzNR7CVTqIjsfB0jTgVPP2m5d1xSkqMePI7yn5Hi3iApj9gBWeLl3SGWECFGp5I7cqxd0VY6AMXLzwdgVg7whT2KfnWLc9xs3Ai2ExW/s1600/VA-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Are you a teacherpreneur who is looking for a virtual assistant? This book will help you out! Are you a virtual assistant who wants to work with a TpT seller? Then this book is also for you! Click through to see how this amazing resource can help you find OR become a virtual assistant! Plus you'll gain access to a secret Facebook group for collaboration! {There's a FREE preview when you click through.}" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YhyphenhyphenxtJnHNjdA_duy8Kk466W9UV2Zxr9Wl9BMBxzNR7CVTqIjsfB0jTgVPP2m5d1xSkqMePI7yn5Hi3iApj9gBWeLl3SGWECFGp5I7cqxd0VY6AMXLzwdgVg7whT2KfnWLc9xs3Ai2ExW/s1600/VA-1.png" title="Are you a teacherpreneur who is looking for a virtual assistant? This book will help you out! Are you a virtual assistant who wants to work with a TpT seller? Then this book is also for you! Click through to see how this amazing resource can help you find OR become a virtual assistant! Plus you'll gain access to a secret Facebook group for collaboration! {There's a FREE preview when you click through.}" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>This resource was very helpful! I have worked with virtual assistants before but I still found this book to be useful and helpful. Thanks for creating this, Heather!</li>
<li>So much helpful info! This is all a new world for me, and I appreciate you breaking it down specifically for teacherpreneurs! Thank you! </li>
<li>I learned so much reading all of this great information! I haven't found a VA yet but I know exactly what to arrange and decide on together! Thanks for all your guidance and support! This is an amazing resource and a must buy for anyone who needs a VA!</li>
</ul>
<div>
Interested in seeing even more feedback and checking out more details about the TpT Virtual Assistant eBook? <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Virtual-Assistant-Information-eBook-2551945" target="_blank">Click here to see it all!</a> Or check out the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw19GjZlyb-sblRmWnV6WG0wOXM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">FREE preview here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uXemWTu8dR4t5ig_lwt8HyJ_OD2P_qABQ0RnfWFC7V-yBbgJ1udNQdMYXf5lX9yQsHJzkWFj7dThlC14tGwA5inbOMvR5AzvAYItddJUwXrlwt_XxQuPX4Qk8n5_ylxpsfBz-2da1wxf/s1600/hire-a-va-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="If you're a teacher blogger (or teacherpreneur), you've probably heard about virtual assistants at one point or another. Now the question is - should you hire a VA or are you better off training a family member or friend? This post goes into the pros and cons of both options, but you'll see a resource that can help you navigate the virtual assistant world. (There's even a FREE preview.) Click through now to see if a VA would help take your Teachers Pay Teachers business to the next level. " border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uXemWTu8dR4t5ig_lwt8HyJ_OD2P_qABQ0RnfWFC7V-yBbgJ1udNQdMYXf5lX9yQsHJzkWFj7dThlC14tGwA5inbOMvR5AzvAYItddJUwXrlwt_XxQuPX4Qk8n5_ylxpsfBz-2da1wxf/s640/hire-a-va-tall.jpg" title="If you're a teacher blogger (or teacherpreneur), you've probably heard about virtual assistants at one point or another. Now the question is - should you hire a VA or are you better off training a family member or friend? This post goes into the pros and cons of both options, but you'll see a resource that can help you navigate the virtual assistant world. (There's even a FREE preview.) Click through now to see if a VA would help take your Teachers Pay Teachers business to the next level. " width="426" /></a></div>
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HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-48665004004744068002017-03-15T00:01:00.000-07:002017-09-07T21:03:30.107-07:00How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher BloggerCongratulations! You've hired a Virtual Assistant (or VA) to help you out with your blog and Teachers Pay Teachers store. When that first invoice comes around, it's easy to send them money. But there are several options. Do you know which one to choose? Today we're going to discuss <b>how to pay through PayPal as a teacher blogger</b> so you know exactly what you should be doing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rcb9igXfJpoO2niTHbBHl73Kh1S54mkG7SSnQUtrtrzqeGNnuvNf5DAkIrrvl7Dw9VlrEk4JS4opuZaw7d0aqyNafEU8k3zb5RKRWuYNJ-vheRUjFnP3UpBocUfLlyJ4rkeNMwuC130-/s1600/Pay-for-services-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down. " border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rcb9igXfJpoO2niTHbBHl73Kh1S54mkG7SSnQUtrtrzqeGNnuvNf5DAkIrrvl7Dw9VlrEk4JS4opuZaw7d0aqyNafEU8k3zb5RKRWuYNJ-vheRUjFnP3UpBocUfLlyJ4rkeNMwuC130-/s640/Pay-for-services-wide.jpg" title="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down. " width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm not entirely sure what you've heard, but I'll be the first to admit that I was misinformed. Also - I'm afraid I shared this misinformation with some others - so I'm trying to rectify that today!<br />
<br />
Let's start with PayPal's Terms of Use, or <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/useragreement-full" target="_blank">the User Agreement</a> you agreed to when you signed up to use their services. It clearly states:<br />
<br />
<h3>
"You may <b>not</b> use the "send money to a friend of family member" feature in your PayPal account when you are paying for goods and services."</h3>
<br />
Here's that chunk taken directly <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/useragreement-full" target="_blank">from their website</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigM6XPspzmLCHJZn41_J9laIYgDGy7awZ7mjEVuH8LBb5ETLTS-OHK4MmMbkuloIOaYHgvuwGV8SsiO9QarpgwudlgV75QUiJ-f8hbQn-l_ittDyVLN-onVsZRCaNQwT9brCqD7Rzro_e5/s1600/PayPalTOU.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down. " border="0" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigM6XPspzmLCHJZn41_J9laIYgDGy7awZ7mjEVuH8LBb5ETLTS-OHK4MmMbkuloIOaYHgvuwGV8SsiO9QarpgwudlgV75QUiJ-f8hbQn-l_ittDyVLN-onVsZRCaNQwT9brCqD7Rzro_e5/s640/PayPalTOU.png" title="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down. " width="640" /></a></div>
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Please do <u>not</u> pay in this manner! </div>
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Your virtual assistant may ask you to pay them in this way, but do not! I know people who have pre-paid for website design work to be completed via the "Friends and Family" option, only to have the designer never do the work or only complete half of it. And you know what - PayPal would NOT refund their money. :( They said the money was sent to "friends and family", so there was no way to get it back.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
PayPal actually protects the buyer! If you prepay for work, that's perfectly acceptable. BUT PayPal will refund your money (or at least part of it) in most instances if you can prove via some method (screenshots, email, etc) that the promised work was not completed. But you <u>must</u> be using the "Pay for Goods or Services" feature.</div>
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<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What does that option look like? Oh, I'm so glad you asked!</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHY4oT5BAPXRHVHNK3uMcBZhxNek8YB4W_LQWHuxFWtWmMvZJxN01TFTN7O_qqSCjGLeM1Cg3HuD7St8Ml3Mnj2eBulh63w7CzH6BgI2ndps1zYwHkPH6ITBz9r5Hpnrv1Bmdyw1RiYLPH/s1600/PayPalPayOptions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down. " border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHY4oT5BAPXRHVHNK3uMcBZhxNek8YB4W_LQWHuxFWtWmMvZJxN01TFTN7O_qqSCjGLeM1Cg3HuD7St8Ml3Mnj2eBulh63w7CzH6BgI2ndps1zYwHkPH6ITBz9r5Hpnrv1Bmdyw1RiYLPH/s640/PayPalPayOptions.png" title="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down. " width="640" /></a></div>
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As of the date of this blog post, you hover over "Tools", then go down to "Send Money". These are the options presented to you. </div>
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If you are paying for work that's already been completed, simply click on "Pay for goods or services", and you'll be on your way!<br />
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Does your VA have to pay a fee if you pay this way? Yes, they do. However, they should know this when they set up business. This is one of those (sometimes annoying) operating costs that they should take into consideration when they set their prices.<br />
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Now - one area where I'm extra cautious is when I'm sending money for a giveaway or for another blogger for a get-together or some other event or situation.<br />
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For example, I am part of a group of teacher blogger sellers who hosts a giveaway several times a year. Each time we need to send money to the gal organizing the event. No problem, right? But - how do I pay?<br />
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I still use the "Pay for goods and services" option because it's part of my business. But it can be a hassle to figure out exactly how much to pay the person when I don't know what fees PayPal is going to take out on their end.<br />
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That's where <a href="http://thefeecalculator.com/" target="_blank">this handy little website calculator</a> comes into play! Let's say I need to send $25.00 over to the person in charge of the giveaway. How much do I send them to ensure they get the correct amount?<br />
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First I head over to this website (which I have booked just for such occasions!). Then I simply type in my dollar amount and click "Calculate".<br />
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Look at what it shows me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRx8fPU-hnA4dkvvtKAsVioh1OIAnUz5u7CcwNsB2avFim8AZ6k0Ohb1iq6_IWpnsotSrWcbBnCDPrizmMZoJLHif9DoMkOI4bQjQGhoPos2sveOaBnGXBfzUe_A3TSHD_chJh-bq9HV0e/s1600/PayPalFeeCalculator.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down. " border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRx8fPU-hnA4dkvvtKAsVioh1OIAnUz5u7CcwNsB2avFim8AZ6k0Ohb1iq6_IWpnsotSrWcbBnCDPrizmMZoJLHif9DoMkOI4bQjQGhoPos2sveOaBnGXBfzUe_A3TSHD_chJh-bq9HV0e/s640/PayPalFeeCalculator.png" title="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down. " width="640" /></a></div>
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Now I know that I need to send the giveaway organizer $26.06 via the "goods and services" option in order for her to receive $25.<br />
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Is this annoying? Yes, a bit. BUT - I'd rather pay the extra $1.06 (which I can use as a tax write-off as part of the giveaway anyway) than have my PayPal account shut down due to using it incorrectly.<br />
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Please make sure you realize how to use PayPal correctly! I'm sure I still have plenty more to learn, but I wanted to share these tips so you also knew how to pay through PayPal as a teacher blogger. After all, no one wants to see their PayPal account shut down - <u>especially</u> if that's the way you've chosen to be paid each month by <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Hojo" target="_blank">Teachers Pay Teachers</a>!<br />
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Do you have another PayPal tip I need to know? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Rkn7vpJP-ST0NGwkF575yqDtmjlIrjy4WNA2RlyuPu2KgATIUEA28Cj_K-ZN4pkIwU0rq7kiWShpukmDJymve-rLLzqYOAPECzUyNM7temyf7uSmrboeinv_uG4Oj4ASyyEucfmhyeFm/s1600/Pay-for-services-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Rkn7vpJP-ST0NGwkF575yqDtmjlIrjy4WNA2RlyuPu2KgATIUEA28Cj_K-ZN4pkIwU0rq7kiWShpukmDJymve-rLLzqYOAPECzUyNM7temyf7uSmrboeinv_uG4Oj4ASyyEucfmhyeFm/s640/Pay-for-services-tall.jpg" data-pin-description="How to Pay Through PayPal as a Teacher Blogger --- Are you a teacher blogger or teacherpreneur? Then you HAVE to read this post! Make sure you are paying for items through PayPal in the correct manner. This could include paying for website design, sending money to another seller for a giveaway, paying your virtual assistant for work completed, and more. Click through for all the details and to ensure your PayPal account is NOT going to get shut down." title="" width="426" /></a></div>
HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-52970120505157446302017-02-15T00:01:00.000-08:002017-02-15T14:54:01.617-08:00Seven Reasons You Should Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your TpT Store <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Are you looking for ways to grow your Teachers Pay Teachers store, but you're not sure how? Here are the seven reasons we believe you should <b>hire a virtual assistant for your TpT store</b>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeG2LTi9cqJOcSdVuotEvvW-2kRGauABC_7I_Oc5Fc5C_ZJq31J1HIrMQjSpWmiHN4o2uiTlHNyY5CfRGUbr2gW268r548o0d9Ga0IqSvlduSehp3z_tSXBHANYUgOJcRH0XfxR0kE25f/s1600/Hire-a-Virtual-Assistant-TpT-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This blog post will explain seven reasons you should hire a virtual assistant for your TpT store. Whether it's increased productivity, more profits, expertise in various areas, saving you time, letting you be more creative, or one of the other reasons - you should REALLY read this post! You'll learn how to grow your Teachers Pay Teachers store and how to be successful, find more profits, & help more teachers worldwide. If you've been considering hiring a VA, what are you waiting for? " border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqeG2LTi9cqJOcSdVuotEvvW-2kRGauABC_7I_Oc5Fc5C_ZJq31J1HIrMQjSpWmiHN4o2uiTlHNyY5CfRGUbr2gW268r548o0d9Ga0IqSvlduSehp3z_tSXBHANYUgOJcRH0XfxR0kE25f/s640/Hire-a-Virtual-Assistant-TpT-wide.jpg" title="This blog post will explain seven reasons you should hire a virtual assistant for your TpT store. Whether it's increased productivity, more profits, expertise in various areas, saving you time, letting you be more creative, or one of the other reasons - you should REALLY read this post! You'll learn how to grow your Teachers Pay Teachers store and how to be successful, find more profits, & help more teachers worldwide. If you've been considering hiring a VA, what are you waiting for? " width="640" /></a></div>
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If you're like most other TpT sellers, you're constantly bombarded by offers for the newest, latest, and best ideas to grow your blog, social media, and store. It seems like there is always a new webinar, class, or handbook on marketing, branding, or selling. And you MUST HAVE these to grow your store and increase your profits, right?</div>
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While I'm sure the majority of these resources are valid and will help you grow your store, let me tell you about another option you may not have considered - hiring a virtual assistant (or VA). </div>
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Here's how a VA can help make all the difference in your TpT store's growth and help boost your profits this year. </div>
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Before we get into <u>how</u> a VA can help you, let's focus on exactly <u>what</u> a VA can do for you. Honestly - there is no right answer! Any of number of services may be completed by your VA. </div>
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For example:</div>
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<li>product proofreading and editing</li>
<li>researching & implementing SEO for your TpT resource pins</li>
<li>using <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Search-Engine-Optimization-for-Blogger-Blogs-2385356" target="_blank">SEO to help your blog posts</a> gain traction on Pinterest and with search engines</li>
<li>scheduling your pins on Tailwind</li>
<li>adding your evergreen pins to BoardBooster so they loop indefinitely</li>
<li>live pinning your TpT resource pins to ensure you meet the needs of each collaborative board you're on</li>
<li>scheduling social media</li>
<li>and much more! </li>
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(You can see a more extensive list of VA duties on page 5 - marked p. 3 - in <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw19GjZlyb-sblRmWnV6WG0wOXM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">this FREE resource</a>.)</div>
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Now that you know <b>what</b> a VA can do for you, let's take a look at <b>why</b> you should hire one and <b>how</b> a VA (or VA team) can help boost the growth of your TpT store. </div>
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Seven Reasons You Should Hire a Virtual Assistant for Your TpT Store</h2>
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1. Expertise</h3>
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Even though we'd like to think we can be an expert at everything related to TpT and online marketing, we just can't. There are not enough hours in the day to keep up with all the info that's out there - especially when it's growing all the time! </div>
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Your Virtual Assistant is a specialist who can focus on any or all of those areas for you! Contact the VA you're considering to see what area/s they specialize in. </div>
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2. SEO </h3>
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Do you have the time to learn all the secrets of SEO? Probably not, but your VA does! (In case you're really confused, SEO stands for <u>S</u>earch <u>E</u>ngine <u>O</u>ptimization - that means the keywords and terms you need to rank higher in search engines like Google and on Pinterest, among other things.) Plus - Google and Pinterest (two of the biggest platforms where SEO matters) are <u>constantly</u> changing! Quit trying to keep up with all the changes! Let your VA do that!</div>
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Your VA can learn all about those all-important search engine keywords, phrases, and ranking. They can even take that knowledge and all of the SEO best practices to help you get more Google pageviews and referrals - as well as help your Pinterest traffic!</div>
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3. Time</h3>
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Do you always feel as though your to-do list for both life and TpT is out of control? Hiring a VA to do many of the time-consuming (and often monotonous) tasks related to your business will free up your time for TpT product creation. <u>Or</u> use that new-found time to devote to your children, family, friends, exercise, pets, and <b>life</b> in general!</div>
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4. Creativity</h3>
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As mentioned above, when you hire a VA to do the tasks you don't enjoy or are not an expert in - you can spend your time on the TpT related tasks that you <b>do</b> enjoy and find worthwhile! You'll no longer feel weighed down by other tasks, and - as a result - your creative energy will start to flow more readily! You'll find yourself inspired to create more useful and helpful resources for teachers across the world. </div>
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5. Rules</h3>
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Have you looked at all of the rules for your Tailwind tribes and collaborative Pinterest groups lately? WOW! There are soooo many! Your virtual assistant will take the time to get to know the rules, ensuring you don't get kicked out of anywhere. They can even analyze which boards are proving worthwhile for your business and help you decide which ones it may be time to leave. </div>
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6. Cost</h3>
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By now you may be thinking, "But I can't afford a VA!" However, have you taken into account all of the growth your store will experience as a result of your time being freed up to do more of what you love? The growth of your store will turn into profits for you!</div>
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7. Profits</h3>
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After you've hired a virtual assistant for your TpT store, your store will prosper! Even if you choose a VA to do one small thing (and it's ok to start small!), your store will grow! Buyers will have an easier path to finding you and the wonderful resources you create.</div>
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While Heather and her team here at The Academic VA, LLC provide virtual assistant services for others, Heather also often hires out help. Ghost writing, Wordpress blog design, some product photography, and even editing are all services Heather has hired out in the past. She started small by hiring out just one little thing - but each month she finds herself getting more and more help with her blogs and store. </div>
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And guess what? It continues to pay off each month! Heather is able to spend more time with her family, create more resources to help students across the globe, and continue to grow her VA team and business to be able to help more educators reach teachers worldwide. </div>
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It only makes good sense to hire a virtual assistant for your TpT store. Let your VA take over an aspect of the business that you're not strong in or a part that you don't enjoy. This way you can focus on the parts that bring you joy!</div>
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Whether you're convinced you should hire a virtual assistant for your TpT store or not, it's certainly worth your time to give it some serious consideration. </div>
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If you still have virtual assistant related questions, feel free to contact Heather right here at The Academic VA, LLC. Or check out the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Virtual-Assistant-Information-eBook-2551945" target="_blank">Virtual Assistant ebook</a> she wrote specifically for teacherpreneurs and aspiring virtual assistants. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnK6hYvHrt-ZBXBOxRi1wgQOOgfO1-2Tpe26SadVdWuDLOZTHFhiwma-V6RcbbQMnP-E7PBHJR3KKJ79S4g8H28jPE0I4sSUpSWdrjVQlKMmfjoABadWLqa8RcDMDrXEE4FrqQEggV1-R/s1600/Hire-a-Virtual-Assistant-TpT-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This blog post will explain seven reasons you should hire a virtual assistant for your TpT store. Whether it's increased productivity, more profits, expertise in various areas, saving you time, letting you be more creative, or one of the other reasons - you should REALLY read this post! You'll learn how to grow your Teachers Pay Teachers store and how to be successful, find more profits, & help more teachers worldwide. If you've been considering hiring a VA, what are you waiting for? " border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnK6hYvHrt-ZBXBOxRi1wgQOOgfO1-2Tpe26SadVdWuDLOZTHFhiwma-V6RcbbQMnP-E7PBHJR3KKJ79S4g8H28jPE0I4sSUpSWdrjVQlKMmfjoABadWLqa8RcDMDrXEE4FrqQEggV1-R/s640/Hire-a-Virtual-Assistant-TpT-tall.jpg" title="This blog post will explain seven reasons you should hire a virtual assistant for your TpT store. Whether it's increased productivity, more profits, expertise in various areas, saving you time, letting you be more creative, or one of the other reasons - you should REALLY read this post! You'll learn how to grow your Teachers Pay Teachers store and how to be successful, find more profits, & help more teachers worldwide. If you've been considering hiring a VA, what are you waiting for? " width="426" /></a></div>
HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1787854312303858519.post-67069838435577811152016-11-26T07:44:00.002-08:002018-04-21T08:26:57.711-07:00Teacher Blogger Problem 101: I Don't Know What to Write AboutAs a teacher blogger, do you ever struggle coming up with blog topic ideas? You know - you sit down to write and nothing comes to you.<br />
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Sigh. The struggle is real!</h4>
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Not anymore! Here are some tried and true tips to help you fill up your draft folder so you <u>always</u> have something to blog about.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARqAfyMYT07E4ZDe6-UhTiPKse2PeqgVwhLZAPBH_cVO0DKnD3AE-L5jtKW3ivTLCD_wPRkwQ89Owwv3nmobDGybbu2-a4PRbJHCmoUD1cEJkd9CGTexeD8agOWwtrXKClDo2xiDKjH8P/s1600/Dont-Know.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Many teacher bloggers (or teacherpreneurs) struggle to come up with new blog post ideas. This post will change that! Use the 13 different ideas here to curate a large list of new blog posts. You'll have a list of blog post ideas that you can use to write a year's worth of content on your blog! Click through now to see all the ideas." border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARqAfyMYT07E4ZDe6-UhTiPKse2PeqgVwhLZAPBH_cVO0DKnD3AE-L5jtKW3ivTLCD_wPRkwQ89Owwv3nmobDGybbu2-a4PRbJHCmoUD1cEJkd9CGTexeD8agOWwtrXKClDo2xiDKjH8P/s640/Dont-Know.jpg" title="Many teacher bloggers (or teacherpreneurs) struggle to come up with new blog post ideas. This post will change that! Use the 13 different ideas here to curate a large list of new blog posts. You'll have a list of blog post ideas that you can use to write a year's worth of content on your blog! Click through now to see all the ideas." width="640" /></a></div>
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Now there are a few ways you can do this. </div>
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<li>Open your blog, create one new post, and start a massive list. (The downside to this is that you have to open that one post and scan through it each time you go into your blog.)</li>
<li>Go old school and write everything down in a notebook. (This method definitely works, but I highly recommend transferring it into your blog shortly after getting it all written down. This way you don't lose that piece of paper!)</li>
<li>Turn each idea into it's own blog post. (Yes, that means you need to save each post individually - but it's <u>much</u> easier to scan these posts and pick one to write about in the future. Than again, I may be biased since this is the format I use... ;)</li>
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Now that you know <u>how</u> to write your blog posts, it's time to come up with the ideas! Here are some tips:</div>
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<li><b>Create a list of classroom procedures.</b> It may seem simple to you, but new teachers (and even some experienced ones) often struggle with classroom procedures. Write about how you teach each one!</li>
<li><b>Create a list of holidays.</b> I don't care what grade level you teach, you probably cover the holidays in your classroom in some way. Blog about each one! This way you can share your expertise, drive blog traffic for each of the seasonal holidays, <i>and</i> mix in any seasonal resources you may have as well. </li>
<li><b>Create a blog post for each product line.</b> Chances are if you're a teacher-blogger you probably sell resources as well. Make sure you brag up your products!</li>
<li><b>Write how to posts.</b> Think about things you do in your classroom that others may not understand. Write up a simple "how to" post explaining how it works.</li>
<li><b>Solve a problem.</b> Teachers have all sorts of problems. Sometimes it's classroom management, other times it's finding ways to make extra money. Regardless, write a blog post about how you've solved these problems. </li>
<li><b>Share your strong areas.</b> We all have strengths as teachers. Think about the types of questions your colleagues ask of you. Write about them!</li>
<li><b>Share your story.</b> Many blog readers like to know more about the person behind the blog. Tell them about you!</li>
<li><b>Share an "aha" moment you've had.</b> Maybe you learned a valuable lesson or you watched your students have a light bulb moment. Share about it!</li>
<li><b>Tell about your favorite classroom items.</b> If you are an Amazon affiliate, this is a <i>great</i> way to potentially earn some commissions.</li>
<li><b>Go into details about your schedule.</b> Many teachers like to hear how others work their schedules to get ideas for themselves. Write about what works in your classroom and why you do things this way.</li>
<li><b>Answer questions. </b>The longer you run a blog and/or sell teaching resources, the more questions you're going to be asked. If you notice a pattern of the same question being asked repeatedly - answer it via a blog post!</li>
<li><b>Write an "I wish I had known..." post.</b> As teachers we are constantly growing and learning. Many times our views or teaching practices change over the years. Write a post reflecting on this.</li>
<li><b>Create a FREE resource.</b> This is an especially great way to grow your e-mail list by asking people to sign up in return for the free download. </li>
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After you've brainstormed using these 13 tips for blog idea topics, you're sure to have some great blog post topics to choose from! Want even more? Check out my <a href="http://hojosteachingadventures.com/teacherpreneur-resources" target="_blank">Teacherpreneur Page</a>!<br />
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Want even more blogging ideas, tips, and tricks? <a href="http://eepurl.com/dsh4kL" target="_blank">Sign up for my teacherpreneur newsletter list!</a> I only send a few messages a year - mostly when I change strategies on my blog or store. But this way you are the first to get the updates! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxLYMYcYWvQGvcu6-qTLrw0w1mCiheMgd1ruRAlPlxjRs89UY4yU6zXRzEm1YrhM0tZ7wXV9kjGn2dkGUq3MynyjgbWncu3r6O0B3tW41GaEWyremr5Qkv3v_uEIdTEj_0RLKCwlD-IXN/s1600/Dont-know-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Many teacher bloggers (or teacherpreneurs) struggle to come up with new blog post ideas. This post will change that! Use the 13 different ideas here to curate a large list of new blog posts. You'll have a list of blog post ideas that you can use to write a year's worth of content on your blog! Click through now to see all the ideas." border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxLYMYcYWvQGvcu6-qTLrw0w1mCiheMgd1ruRAlPlxjRs89UY4yU6zXRzEm1YrhM0tZ7wXV9kjGn2dkGUq3MynyjgbWncu3r6O0B3tW41GaEWyremr5Qkv3v_uEIdTEj_0RLKCwlD-IXN/s640/Dont-know-tall.jpg" title="Many teacher bloggers (or teacherpreneurs) struggle to come up with new blog post ideas. This post will change that! Use the 13 different ideas here to curate a large list of new blog posts. You'll have a list of blog post ideas that you can use to write a year's worth of content on your blog! Click through now to see all the ideas." width="426" /></a></div>
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HoJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185490202086864410noreply@blogger.com2