Drop-ship or U-ship: That is the Question

For small Internet retailers, drop-shipping is one of the best innovations since sliced bread. How else can a start-up offer a wide variety of products and convince customers that they have a fully-stocked warehouse-while investing virtually nothing in inventory or warehousing? Before you jump right onto the drop-shipping bandwagon, however, there are some pitfalls to avoid.

While a quality drop-shipper is truly a dream come true for the Internet retailer, there are plenty of painful pitfalls to avoid. Things can get embarrassing and costly in a hurry when a drop-shipper:

? sends products out late
? forgets to process your orders
? sends out poorly packaged products
? double-bills your credit card for orders on a regular basis
? provides cheaply made products and/or shoddy workmanship.

A Matter of Credibility

In addition to the above drawbacks, many customers are not very impressed when they find out you retail drop-shipped products. This is especially the case with the rustic log furniture I sell on the web. Many phone customers ask if we make the products ourselves, or are "merely" drop-shipping.

They are relieved and impressed when they find that we manufacturer, finish or pack most of the log furniture we sell at our warehouse. We sell to a lot of people with expensive vacation homes, and quality is of utmost importance. It's always easier to testify to the quality of furniture when you have seen it yourself, and we are able to offer a more unique line by going to Amish suppliers whose products aren't sold elsewhere on the Internet.

Advantages of Drop-Shipping

With this said, there are still some sizeable advantages to drop-shipping. As the volume of our orders grows, it becomes more and more difficult to package all of that furniture. Fortunately for us, our largest supplier is only two miles away and we have a pretty good deal going: we finish all the log furniture they want finished, and they drop-ship the unfinished furniture. So they make it, we finish it.

That means if somebody orders unfinished furniture, it can go directly from the factory. This might have made me nervous about quality control at one point, but I have developed a high degree of confidence in our log furniture manufacturer. In the five years I have been associated with them, they have never let me down. They fill orders with a high degree of quality and accuracy, which makes our job easy.

Choosing a Drop-Ship Partner

Unfortunately, not all drop-shipping companies are as reliable as the one I have found. This is why it pays to do your homework before choosing a drop-shipping company. If you align yourself with fly-by-night operations, your business will most likely suffer as a result. If you are wildly successful, which you no doubt hope to be, a small start-up may not be able to manufacturer or ship product fast enough to meet your needs. A drop-shipper that is unstable as a business may be happy to take your cash but fail to fill orders on a timely basis.

Any business who drop-ships your orders will affect your reputation as a company one way or another. As a result, it's important to make sure any drop-shipping companies you partner with meet the high level of customer service and quality control standards you set for your business.

Copyright 2005 Log Cabin Rustics

Cari Haus is webmaster for http://www.logcabinrustics.com, an online retailer of quality log furniture.

---

5 Secrets To Make A Killing on EBay

Secret #1: Find a 'real' wholesale and drop ship companyDo... 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

Seven Steps to eBay Selling Success

More and more people try their luck at selling on... Read More

When is Wholesale Really Wholesale

You've finally found the wholesale source for the high demand... Read More

The Webs Best Online Auction Sites

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

Taxing Your eBay Profits

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

Online Auctions: 5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit From Online Auctions

Online auctions are now the new gold rush on the... Read More

Auction and Its Benefits

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

Dont Sell Grandmas Jewelry at a Yard Sale...Get More Money

Have some vintage jewelry? There are several ways you can... Read More

How to Sell Your Crafts on eBay

Artists, craftspeople and photographers are successfully selling their wares everyday... 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 Sellers - Seize Control Of Your Business!

As the online auction model of business continues to evolve... Read More

Six Steps Towards Successful Buying at eBay Auctions

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

Taking Paypal on eBay

Accepting Paypal as a payment method might increase your selling... 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

Snipe Your Way to Auction Success

Bidding for a bargain is all part of the exciting... Read More

How to Market with Niche Auction Sites

Online auctions are big business. But they can be big... Read More

Target Potential Bidders With Laser Beam Precision!

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

The Ins and Outs of Dropshipping on eBay

Dropshipping is an attractive marketing technique, but when you take... Read More

Increase your eBay Profits the Easy Way

Sometimes the simplest things can boost the number of visitors... Read More

Make Money on eBay the EASY way!

Probably just like you, I had an overwhelming desire to... 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

How To Find Tons of Hot Items Selling On EBay ...In Less Than 10 Minutes

There are many ways to start a home business online,... Read More

8 Top Tips For Successful Art Auction Listings

Why is it that some artists seem to make easy... Read More

Profit through Other Peoples eBay Errors

There are many issues that influence how an eBay auction... Read More

Using Paypal for eBay Purchases

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

Starting an eBay Home Business

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

Doing It eBay: An eBay Business Means Fun and Profits in a Global Marketplace

In 1995, when Pierre Omidyar introduced an online business venue... Read More

Make BIG MONEY on eBay - Your Unlimited Cash Cow

Let me be brutally honest; until recently, I had never... Read More

Online Auctions: The New Way of Shopping for Mauritians

Since their introduction several years ago, online auctions, such as... Read More

From Ebay Zero to Power-Selling Hero: Using Feedback Effectively

When I talk about feedback to new Ebay sellers, I... Read More

Making Money on eBay is Really Easy

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

Get More for Your Money Shopping for Designer Shoes on eBay

The worlds online market place.In just a few short years... Read More