Of all the many directions one can go when starting an online business, dropshipping has become quite a popular choice. And a profitable one at that. You might be asking yourself, “What is dropshipping about?” and “How does it work?”. Well, I’m going to answer both of those questions for you in this blog post.
I’m also going to show you a super easy way to find drop and wholesale suppliers that you can trust! I know there are so many scammers out there who will rip you off in a heartbeat so I promise to point you in the right direction. Keep on reading and find out just how easy dropshipping can be.
What Is Dropshipping?
Usually when you open an online store, you need to have it stocked up with merchandise to sell right? Well this usually involves buying your inventory in advance so that you will have product to sell. Dropshipping lets you by-pass that step.
With Dropshipping – When a customer buys something from your store (at retail price), you contact your supplier and place an order for that product (at wholesale price). Then your supplier packages and ships the product directly to your customer.
You just made a sale and you didn’t even have to have that product in-stock or have to worry about packaging and shipping the product.
All you need is a computer, an online store, and a basic understanding of how to sell stuff online. If you’re a newbie who just wants to get a feel of what it’s like to have an online business, dropshipping is definitely a great choice. It’s an opportunity to “get your feet wet”.
Show Me The Money!
One of the most popular places to open a store online is EBay. Amazon is a great choice as well. But if you’re just starting out, I would recommend a platform like Shopify. You will have a lot of competition with Amazon and EBay.
Once you get your store up and running, choose a product or products that you want to sell. You will pay wholesale price for these products and then mark them up anywhere from 10 – 50% and make a profit.
Then you need to set up payment options for your customers. You can choose a payment source like PayPal, Stripe, Afterpay or any of the 100’s of options out there. It’s not mandatory to have every single payment source available, but the more flexible you are, the more sales you will make.
How Can I Find Legit Dropshippers?
You really have to be careful when you’re searching for dropshippers online because some of them will rip you off. They will take your money and not send you a thing. The easiest way to find legit dropshippers that you can trust is through an online directory known as SaleHoo.
With SaleHoo you can find over 8,000+ dropshippers, wholesalers and liquidators that are trustworthy. Then you can simply filter the ones that offer dropshipping services. And according to the SaleHoo website, they personally verify each and every supplier to ensure that every product is authentic and legitimate.
Once you’ve decided on a supplier or suppliers that you feel comfortable with, it’s time to make contact. One tip that I’ve learned is to actually contact 4 or 5 suppliers so that you can make sure you’re getting the best possible deal and a great business partner. And emailing them is fine but a phone call is way better. That way you can feel each other out and it will be easier to establish a relationship.
Here’s a list of tips and tricks that you may find useful when contacting your supplier.
- Have a serious buyer mentality. Do your research on the supplier and know if they provide drop shipping or not. Come across like you mean business and you’re in it for the long-haul. Try not to sound like a newbie.
- Communicate clearly. Have a list of questions ready to go and try not to ask too many questions. Know exactly what you want and be to the point but also remember to be polite.
- Be a long-term customer. Suppliers ideally want to work with someone who is in it for the long-haul. You can achieve this by sending them a link to your online store or briefly mentioning your future plans for your online business.
And like I said earlier, try to keep your questions to a minimum if possible. Some important questions that you should ask are:
- Availability of the products you’re interested in selling.
- Make sure they provide the service you want. (dropshipping, wholesale, or private labeling)
- Payment (terms and method)
- Is there a Minimum Order Quantity? (MOQ)
Finding a good quality supplier will be very beneficial for your online business so I would advise you to take your time in order to find the perfect match. For more information, I definitely recommend SaleHoo, as they will make it as easy and smooth as possible for you.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. Kind of like with Affiliate Marketing, it’s a good idea to find a profitable niche first. Once you have found your niche, open your online store and start promoting specific products that are relevant to your niche. Then come the sales and from there on out, the sky’s the limit! You can do this!!
For those of you who have tried dropshipping, will you please share your experience in the comment section below? This will be a huge help to all the online entrepreneurs out there.
And if you enjoyed reading this post, please share it with your friends on social media!
Thank you so much for reading!
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