Guest Author - Kim O´Shea
The cheapest and easiest way to source products is to find a good dropshipper. There are thousands out there to choose from. Dropshipping saves you time and money. You don’t have to store products, apply for discounts with shipping companies, arrange finance for stock or even build your own website. Dropshippers can provide everything you need to get started quickly and cheaply.
Some sellers prefer to have their own website, that’s fine if you intend to sell a limited range of products as data input is very time consuming. Most dropshippers set up your website and populate it with their products. It’s up to you to promote this website and bring in the sales. Online auctions are ideal for selling dropshipped product. If you intend to sell a lot of product, look for a dropshipper who can supply csv files of their products for you to upload directly to Ebay. This will save you a lot of time which you can then spend promoting.
When you look for a dropshipper don’t jump at the first offer. Research a minimum of three companies. This will give you an idea of the different terms and incentives they offer. Some companies ask you to pay a fee up front before you even get to see their inventory. Some ask you to pay a monthly or yearly fee. Take all this into consideration. What sales will you need to achieve to cover this cost? How much money and time will you need on promotion to achieve these sales?
Make sure the products appeal to you. If they don’t appeal to you, you won’t feel confident about promoting and selling them. It’s easier and more satisfying to sell something you believe in than just selling for the sake of it.
When you search for companies don’t just google dropship. You will find the big companies but remember everyone else will find them too. This means that you will have to spend a lot of time and money promoting so that you get your share of sales.
Focus on the products you want to sell. Search for suppliers or manufacturers of these products. A lot of them offer a dropship service. If you find a product you like but they do not mention dropship, send them a brief email to ask if they would consider dropshipping their product for you. Specialising can be very lucrative so don’t feel you have to sell a huge range. It is far easier to promote a few good quality items than to try to sell everything at once.
Dropshipping is the ideal solution for people who want to get a business started quickly without spending a lot of money. Don’t forget that you still have to sell your products. Learn as much as you can about online promotion and advertising to get your business off the ground. Most online auction sites have advice pages to help you. Use this information and watch the cash start to flow.
