Dropship Your Way to Success

Many people know they would like to start an Internet business, but they don't have a product to sell. The solution is often drop shipping.

Drop shipping is a business arrangement in which a company (often the manufacturer of a product) sells a product at wholesale prices to a reseller and ships the product directly to the reseller's customers. The retailer makes the company's products available to customers, often through a web site, collects payment, and then orders the product from the manufacturer. This arrangement works well for both the manufacturer and the seller. The manufacturer is able to make the product available to a large number of retailers. The retailers are able to sell products they would not otherwise have access to. Drop shipping allows almost anyone to start a retail company without needing to order large amounts of inventory. This eliminates the need to store the product and cuts overhead dramatically. The reseller only orders products after he has sold it, and in most cases only after being paid. For small businesses concerned about cash flow, this is very attractive.

There are two different philosophies concerning what items to sell via a drop shipper. You may choose whichever appeals to you. The first group believes that you should research the market to determine what items to sell. They say you need to find a high demand item, then locate a drop shipper that sells that item. The second group believes that you should sell what you are interested in. If you like knives, find a company willing to drop ship knives. If you like power tools, find a drop shipper for those. They believe that if you sell something you enjoy, you will do a better job selling. Whichever method you choose, an outstanding way to find a drop shipper is the web site, World Wide Brands (http://databuilders.net/wwb). The people at WWB work full time finding companies willing to drop ship their products for you, Their database is updated constantly to insure only the best companies are made available.

If you decide to go it alone and find a drop shipper yourself, look for a company that either drop ships exclusively, or requires you to register as a member before getting the wholesale prices. If anyone can log into the site and pay the same low price, why should customers buy from you? Many companies require you to provide a business license number before allowing you to register. This is to insure you are a legitimate retailer. If you do not have a license, you should get one. Ideally, the company will deal exclusively in the product you want to sell.

I also do not support companies charging for drop shipping. You may see some offers similar to "Sell hundreds of products for only $29.95 a month." They go on to tell you that you can make thousands of dollars selling their products on E-Bay, so the $29.95 they charge shouldn't matter. There are enough companies that don't charge anything. Avoid paying for the right to sell someone's product for them.

Perhaps the most difficult part in starting a drop ship business, is building the web site. If you have never built a web site before, it can be an overwhelming task. You must consider each detail, from deciding what software to use, to finding a host, and accepting payments. I recommend using osCommerce to build your online store. It is free software that can be modified to look like you want it to. There is an online knowledge base that can answer many of your questions about setting it up and configuring it, or you can let someone else set it up for you.

Thousands of people are making money using the osCommerce, drop shipping combination. It is a powerful, inexpensive way to get your business started.

About The Author

Jason Conley is the owner of Databuilders, a web hosting company for small and home office businesses. He has built a number of drop ship web sites using osCommerce, and contributes regularly to the osCommerce support forum. You can contact Jason at jkconley@databuilders.net, or visit Databuilders at http://databuilders.net.

---

An Introduction To eBay Consignment

After I started selling on eBay, I was approached by... Read More

How To Sell On Ebay: Pricing Strategy

Many new Ebay sellers make one of two mistakes: either... Read More

Smart Ways Your Business Can Benefit From Online Auctions

It seems as if everyone is talking about online auctions.... Read More

Attract eBay Buyers Like Crazy!

As an ebay(TM) seller it happens very often (too often)... Read More

Selling on eBay - Have You Found the Magic Formula Yet?

Selling on eBay can be very profitable and a great... Read More

From Ebay Zero to Power-Selling Hero: The Devil Is In The Details

If you've ever heard the expression "the devil is in... Read More

Online Auctions: How To Generate Fast Traffic From Online Auctions

Have you ever participated in any online auctions?Yes, people are... Read More

eBay - Getting More Bids Using An Auction Preview

If you sell in small niches as I recommend and... Read More

Before You Sell On Ebay, Take The Most Important Step

If you want to earn a full-time income selling on... Read More

Search... Search... Search Your Way To eBay Cash!

One of the most valuable things in life is the... Read More

Using Paypal for eBay Purchases

Paypal is the preferred payment choice for many buyers because... Read More

The Down Side Of Using Dropshippers In The Ebay Auction Arena!

Ok, let me just say right up front that I... Read More

When You Need Extra Cash Ebay Fits the Bill

We all have items in our closets and stuffed in... Read More

What YOU Must Know About The Advantages And Pitfalls Of Dropshipping

The following may be the most important information about dropshipping... Read More

Starting an eBay Home Business

Do I need to explain what eBay is?If 'Yes', where... Read More

Losing Sales By Overcharging For Shipping And Handling

As a serious seller on eBay you're familiar with their... Read More

eBays Hot Selling Books, Find Out Which Books Sell & How To Find Them

Selling books on eBay can be a very lucrative business!... Read More

Traditional Marketing Techniques for eBay Auction Ads

Ya know, I sort of giggle when I look at... Read More

E Bay.com HTML Auction Templates: Which is Best for Ebay Selling?

There are a plenty of free e bay.com free auction... Read More

Drop Shipping Increases Profits

You would like to increase your income by selling other... Read More

Auction and Its Benefits

An auction is basically a public sale wherein any object... Read More

Do You Pay Taxes On eBay Income?

Q: I read your last column about paying income tax... Read More

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Make More Money on EBay

Have you ever dealt with a salesperson or a waiter... Read More

How To List Your Items On eBay

Listing your items on eBay can be very confusing if... Read More

7 Steps to Easier EBay Shipping

If you're like me, you probably hate packing and shipping... Read More

Making Money on eBay is Really Easy

If I can do it you can.Let me tell you... Read More

eBay Listing Service : Make Managing Your Auctions Easy

Do you want to have a lot of auctions going... Read More

Selling through Auction Marketplaces

Consumers are increasingly feeling more comfortable in buying products through... Read More

Use Auction Templates For eBay Success!

Auction templates are simply a must for successful online auction... Read More

To eBay or NOT to eBay

FACT: eBay's Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS) 2003 - GMS, the... Read More

eBay is the Greatest Opportunity YOU Have to Create a Career Online

eBay's being spoken about everywhere these days. At work, school,... Read More

Online Auctions Business

Online auction sites are a great way to find a... Read More

Online Auctions: 10 Secrets You Should Know Before Bidding At An Online Auction

You may have heard about ebay and other online auctions.You... Read More