This week I had a big celebration, well not that big, but it is worth celebrating! Back around February, I decided I wanted to find a way to make some extra money. I am a teacher, and I feel like I make decent money, but I’m tired of being tied to a strict budget, especially with everything going up in price. However, I decided I wanted to do something where I was not tied to a schedule-there goes tutoring. I wanted to do something on my own time and from home. Afterall, I have a Master’s degree and I have a good job, this job I could afford to be picky. So the research began!

First, I found online test correctors. WOW! That was easy, until I read that you only work through testing season and you had to work quickly enough to get more things graded before the tests were completed. sigh However, I signed up with a few companies and yeah, it was what I thought, just not what I was looking for.

Something in my head kept telling me to market my own teaching materials. I have had friends ask for things I created all the time. But, being stubborn I kept looking. I stumbled upon digital art. Well, I could do that. I researched, I watched YouTube, I created, and put a few ideas on Etsy. Nothing……I stumbled upon Affiliate Marketing. Now before you go, oh no, one of those people selling the expensive program, nope! I am still working on setting things up and learning how to do Affiliate Marketing through companies that I love. Guess what…..it let me back to teaching.

I gave in. I started putting my teaching creations on Etsy, nothing. I put some products on Teacher Pay Teachers. Nothing. I came across a lady explaining an app called Koji. It is like Linktree, but free and you can sell your products from it. The research said it was a decent company, and the best part, they only take 5% of your sale. You get to keep 95%! I started setting up my teaching products and a few affiliate products. Nothing.

Out of nowhere, I got an email from Teacher Pay Teachers, I got a sale! What! I texted one of my friends and said, hey thanks for making a purchase, but she didn’t. I jumped online and it was a random customer. I actually made a sale! I was so excited. Then I looked at the profit, from $2, I made 0.80. WHAT! Well, I did make 1 sale, and this was enough to shift my mindset, and create more. I added a few more things to my TPT page. However, I kept pushing the Koji App. I would get visitors and looks, but no sales. Then another 5 sales went through on TPT. Two of those were $5.00. My profit was $2.40, but guess what I was sleeping and this is the direction I wanted to go. I am moving up on TPT and I have ideas that are not really on TPT. I am genuinely excited. But, I want to make more profit.

So, Koji? I know a digital influencer that uses it and makes thousands a week, so this must work. Really, I have no clue. I might need to make a purchase on my own to make sure I am marketing it correctly. But, I can’t help but wonder if it is because people do not know about Koji. Do they think it is a fake site? Do they think it will not work and take their money? Who knows? Then I thought I would turn to my Medium audience….HA my few, but we all need to start somewhere. I would like to know, do you tend to stick with Etsy and TPT or a platform that has a reputation over a new app that is being introduced to you, like Koji? Let me know and if you have had experience with Koji, was it good or bad? For now, I will celebrate the 0.80 and the $2.40, it is a move in the right direction. I just want $500 or $1000 a month, if it was a week-I could handle that. Stay tuned to hear about my adventures trying to set up a email service, this is making me feel old!

Thanks for reading and I hope you stay inspired!

Michelle