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.

---

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

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

Is The eBay Fee Increase Actually Good For Business?

Fee Increase Leaves Some Sellers Angry, Others ThrilledMuch of my... Read More

So, Can You Really Sell EBooks On EBay And Make Cold Hard Cash?

Selling eBooks on eBay, and making any worthwhile profit from... Read More

Better Than Sliced Bread? Drop Shipping, The New Home Business Craze

Many of you will probably remember the days when the... Read More

Making Money On EBay Can Be So Simple, Just Let Somebody Else Do All The Hard Work For You

OK, so you've been bitten by the eBay bug!You've ransacked... Read More

7 Steps to Easier EBay Shipping

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

How To Find REAL Wholesale Dropshippers For Almost Any Product

With more and more people getting online, many of them... Read More

Finding Antiques And Collectibles To Sell On eBay

Many people who decide to make a living selling collectibles... Read More

eBay Motors : Buy or Sell a Car on eBay

Are you having trouble finding a great deal on a... Read More

From Ebay Zero to Power-Selling Hero: Don?t Be That Random Ebay Guy

If I could convey only one concept to someone who... Read More

How To Sell On Ebay: Pricing Strategy

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

The Webs Best Online Auction Sites

The best online auction links for buyers and sellers are... Read More

How To Stop Ebay Buyers From Sniping Your Auction For Less Than Its True Value

There are many savvy eBay buyers who use automated bidding... Read More

Free Auction Templates: How to Set Your Border Color With FOAM

If you have not heard of Foamtemplates.com yet, home of... Read More

Buying & Selling Gently Used Baby Clothing, Strollers, Toys, and Other Baby Items & Products on eBay

Need Extra Money? Buy and Sell Your Gently Used Baby... Read More

How to Sell Your Crafts on eBay

Artists, craftspeople and photographers are successfully selling their wares everyday... Read More

Effective Online Car Sales on Ebay Motors

Remember back when selling online was a new experience? Dealers... Read More

When You Need Extra Cash Ebay Fits the Bill

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

How Do You Find A Reliable Dropshipping Source?

A Dropshipper is someone who will anonymously send the goods... Read More

The Top Ten Antique Categories On eBay!

Knowledge is Power! And this statement could not be more... Read More

Internet Auction Sites : Find Good Deals on Almost Anything

You can find good deals on almost everything you need... Read More

Online Auction Fraud

eBay sales may have grown 51% last year over 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

The Top Ten Tips For Auction Success!

If you were to look through eBay, or any other... Read More

Taxing Your eBay Profits

As a small business person-slash-advice columnist I dread the first... Read More

eBay - Profiting With Books By Janette Oke

Janette Oke is a Christian writer whose books about life,... Read More

EBay: No Way?Yes Way (Ten Seller Themes)

Hearing that there are more than 1.2 million registered eBay... Read More

How To Make Money Online : Sell On eBay

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

Bananas - Your Source of eBay Packing Materials!

This is the most boring stage of the process and... Read More

The Quickest Way To Have A Product To Sell On The Internet

Creating a product from scratch that you can sell on... Read More

Target Potential Bidders With Laser Beam Precision!

When a potential bidder (customer) is looking at a specific... Read More

Six Steps Towards Successful Buying at eBay Auctions

Buying on eBay can be very rewarding, either in terms... Read More

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Make More Money on EBay

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