Want To Start An Online ECommerce Business?
Learn how to start a Dropshipping Business
Starting A Drop Shipping Business
Starting a dropshipping business may sound daunting when you think about finding products and good suppliers, creating a website that looks good and works well, integrating payment systems etc. But it does not have to be that difficult. Read our short guide on starting an online drop ship store below and with our stores for sale you can be up and running in just 30 minutes.
To start your own dropshipping business from scratch, you need to identify a profitable niche, decide on the products you want to sell, and identify your competitors.
There are hundreds of drop shipping business ideas, but you need to find a niche where you can add value. When you find the business field that interests you the most, you need to research on products demand, number of competitors in that niche, and the potential it has for additional merchants
One of the most important tasks is to find reliable suppliers who will offer you the option to sell their products without buying them first.
There are several potential sources to find suppliers:
- Search online for “wholesalers” and the product you want to sell;
- Search through Yellow Pages under Suppliers or Wholesalers;
- Search for manufacturers of the products you want to sell and ask them for distributors;
- Search through your competitors’ websites.
Finding reliable suppliers who will carry on product shipping successfully and handle customers’ complaints professionally is one of the most important factors for the success of your drop shipping business. Any fail in product shipping or a supplier’s error can directly influence your online business’ reputation and future sales.
In order to ensure that you’ve found a reliable supplier that will work with you smoothly, you might want to ask them the following questions:
- How long it will take for an order to be shipped once you have placed the order with them?
- What shipping methods do they offer?
- What are their quality control systems and do they offer warranties?
- How do they handle customer complaints and what is their return policy?
When you build the foundation to start your dropshipping business, you will need to register with your state and obtain all required permits to start operating.
Select a business structure – Every business has a certain legal structure, and you must get your government’s permission to create some of them. You need to decide whether you’ll be a Sole Proprietor, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or a Corporation. Each structure has advantages and disadvantages, and it is recommended to discuss it with a lawyer or accountant. Obtain necessary licenses and permits – You need to pay taxes to the federal government, so you need a tax identification number, sales tax ID, and a resale certificate that will exempt you from paying sales tax when you buy items from your supplier.
Last but not least, you need to choose online platform and available domain name, create and optimize your website and advertise it properly in order to bring on the customers.
Choose online platform – You can create your own eCommerce site, or you can sell on an existing online marketplace, such as eBay, Amazon.com, or Bonanza.com. Selling on an existing marketplace will require less work, but you might get lost in the crowd of sellers. If you decide to set up your own eCommerce store, it’s recommended to choose between Magento, WordPress (WooCommerce) and Shopify. All of these will provide you custom flexibility and work with the most popular payment gateways.
Create your online store – You need to choose a unique and available domain name and to get your products online. When deciding on the retail price for your products, you are free to choose the margin but it’s recommended not to deviate much from the competition.
How You Can Make Money From Drop Shipping?
With drop shipping, you work with suppliers who are offering you products for wholesale prices, while you set your own retail prices and make a profit out of chosen margins. As simple as it sounds, there is a list of strategies and tools that you need to utilize properly in order to maximize the return from your drop shipping business.
How To Start A Drop Shipping Business?
To create a successful online store, you need the right product, an attractive website easy to navigate and place orders and a good marketing strategy that will bring you on the buyers.
Sounds Like A Lot Of Work?
Or have something new in mind?
Check out how you can save time and money by purchasing a turnkey drop shipping website.
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Sounds Like A Lot Of Work?
Check out how you can save time and money by purchasing a turnkey drop shipping website.
Alternatively, You May Want To Save Your Time And Money And Check Out The Turnkey Drop Shipping Websites Currently On Sale.