I’ve been involved in a number of conversations where people have been talking about their passion to start a business from scratch. Some want to make money selling stuff online while others are really excited about this new concept called “dropshipping“.
I’m going to focus on the latter because I haven’t fully researched the former. There may be a later article covering how you can make money selling stuff online if that’s what you’re interested in!
Now, let’s get our mindset straight – there’s no getting away from it so I’ll just say it… Starting up your own small business is never easy and the majority of them fail within the first few years of operation. That being said, my aim is to share with you ideas and tips on what to do and what not to do in order to give you an advantage over the other guys.
If you can’t make it work, there’s no shame – just have a read around and see if anything takes your fancy or maybe try something else. However, I’m going to assume that this blog post will provide you with a push in the right direction!
Table of Contents
What is Dropshipping?
First things first, let’s get all of the jargon out of the way. This is how Wikipedia describes dropshipping: The online retailer approaches a supplier, from whom they would usually buy products at wholesale prices, and requests them to perform customer service by selling their items through a website that has no affiliation with the supplier. In other words, you are basically selling products on your website without ever having to pay for them.
What is the Point of Dropshipping?
The biggest advantage of dropshipping is that it has very low overheads. This means two things: Firstly, there’s no need to rent a shop or an office complete with expensive stationery/furniture, etc. Secondly, you can sell to customers at lower prices because you don’t have all of those extra costs. That’s not to say that you should price gouge your customers but I’m sure you see where I’m coming from! Another key advantage is that purchasing products through wholesale suppliers reduces the lead time between order and delivery which again leads to more sales opportunities Further advantages are listed here
Who Can Use This Method?
Dropshipping is a business model that can be used by anyone and it has been taken up by people of all ages and backgrounds. I’m always surprised when I hear about the success stories of retailers/entrepreneurs who started with nothing but managed to carve out an excellent living for themselves without ever requiring any external funding or bank loans.
What Should You Sell Online?
The next point worth considering is what sort of products will you sell online. The answer here, as always, depends on personal preference but there are some guidelines that should be followed:
Dropshipping within your niche market:
We all know that we should try to focus on one specific area and excel at it before branching into other areas. It’s possible to sell just about anything online provided you have the right marketing plan in place
Dropshipping products that don’t require branding:
If you want to start a dropshipping business, then your product choices should be simple items that do not necessarily require a logo. This is because you’ll need to use suppliers who offer white label dropshipping products which allow for personalization through your own brand/logo etc. However, if you still want to work on branding later, consider using logo designing tools for business and creating a unique one for your company
Start Your Business By Listing on B2B Websites
So here is the list of top b2b websites:
1. eWorldTrade
eWorldTrade is a B2B website that allows you to post classified ads and connect with your potential customers through contact on the website.
You can sell anything on eWorldTrade as long as it’s legal and this is a great way to test the waters and see if anyone is interested in buying what you’re offering before investing large amounts of time and effort into setting up your own website/storefront etc.
2. Alibaba
For those who don’t know, Alibaba is one of the biggest websites in the world for sourcing products from China as well as other countries within Asia such as Thailand, Vietnam, etc. It’s often said that nine out of ten businesses fail but I’m going to wager that most people reading this will already be business owners themselves which means that we all understand the importance of a business plan.
One of the biggest advantages with Alibaba is that there are literally thousands of products available to choose from and this makes it a great choice for anyone who wants to start a new dropshipping business as you can sell just about anything!
3. JINGYI
JINGYI is another online marketplace that allows you to connect with potential suppliers however this website has one key advantage: It’s completely free to join and list your products for sale on the website so if you want to test out the market before investing large amounts of money, then Jingyi might be the answer.
4. EC21
EC21 is more than just a B2B listing website as it also provides excellent marketing services which allow for personalization through your own logo etc. The website has advanced search features that allow you to find just the products you’re looking for and this is yet another example of how much time and effort has been spent in order to make EC21 a really beneficial resource for starting any kind of online business.
5. Alibaba Express
If you only want to deal with suppliers who are located within China, then Alibaba express is the perfect choice as this provides access to many more companies compared with other websites which typically only cater to exporters from Asia However, please be aware that there will be increased costs associated with importing products into Nepal or whatever country you may be located because prices are usually higher due to additional shipping fees, etc.
6. Amazon
It’s worth pointing out that Amazon is not just about dropshipping and you might be wondering how it could possibly benefit the prospective drop shipper. One of the reasons why this website is so successful is because buyers can browse through different categories which include products offered by private individuals as well as established brands From a marketing perspective, this creates additional opportunities because if your product gets noticed by people who are browsing on Amazon, then there’s always the possibility for repeat purchases provided you offer excellent customer service, etc. This means that even if someone buys your product elsewhere, they may still come back to purchase more goods from you in the future.
7. Etsy
Finally, don’t forget that Etsy allows sellers to sell their own handmade products online however please bear in mind that you will need to create your own personal store on Etsy and you’ll also have to list all the products individually. I would therefore suggest this website for people who are just starting out with dropshipping, don’t have a large product range, or simply want to test out the market.
8. Dhgate
Dhgate is yet another online marketplace that should be extremely appealing for prospective sellers because it’s completely free to join! This could be compared with Alibaba Express however there are some key differences which include access to different payment options as well as listing various shipping speeds so if you want something simple without too much fuss, then Dhgate might be the answer.
9. Oberlo
Oberlo is best known for being an app that can be used with Shopify however it also provides access to AliExpress which means you have the option of importing products directly into your own dropshipping business.
One of the major reasons why thousands of people are choosing to use Oberlo is because it’s completely free and this makes it great value for money when compared with similar alternatives. It’s worth pointing out that although there are no fees involved, you will need to make a minimum payment in order to log in each month which again could be seen as good news for dropshippers who typically don’t generate much revenue!
10. WhoIsHostingThis
Dropshipping is emerging as one of the best ways to generate income online but this means building your own store which isn’t an easy thing to do when you’re just starting. WhoIsHostingThis has emerged as a great business idea because it allows people to earn money by sharing their expertise in this area and all they need is a basic website with self-hosted WordPress.
The web design process is really easy and once someone has created their site, they can list detailed tutorials on how others can build their own stores, etc. This would be beneficial for people who want to learn more about the subject but don’t necessarily have the skills or resources available to create something themselves From a marketing perspective, there could be additional revenue generated through affiliate links and banners, etc that will allow users to link back to relevant eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, etc.
