Dropshipping lets you sell products online without holding inventory. When a customer orders, your supplier ships directly to them. It's one of the lowest-risk ways to start an ecommerce business.
How Dropshipping Works
- You create an online store
- Customer places an order on your site
- You forward the order to your supplier
- Supplier ships directly to the customer
- You keep the profit margin
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Low startup costs ($100-500)
- No inventory to manage
- Work from anywhere
- Test products with low risk
- Wide product selection
Cons
- Lower profit margins (15-30%)
- Less control over shipping
- High competition
- Customer service challenges
Getting Started
Step 1: Choose Your Niche
- Passionate communities
- Problem-solving products
- Not extremely seasonal
- Price range $20-200 ideal
Step 2: Find Suppliers
- AliExpress: Wide selection, beginner-friendly
- Spocket: US/EU suppliers, faster shipping
- CJDropshipping: Reliable, good support
- Printful: Print-on-demand products
Step 3: Build Your Store
- Shopify: Most popular, easiest
- WooCommerce: Free, WordPress-based
- BigCommerce: Enterprise-level
Finding Winning Products
- Solves a problem
- Not easily found in local stores
- Good profit margin (3x cost minimum)
- Lightweight for shipping
- Trending but not saturated
Product Research Tools
- TikTok trending products
- Amazon Best Sellers
- AliExpress trending
- Google Trends
- Spy tools (Sell The Trend, etc.)
Marketing Your Store
- Facebook/Instagram Ads: Most popular, scalable
- TikTok Ads: Lower costs, viral potential
- Influencer Marketing: Product reviews/demos
- SEO: Long-term organic traffic
- Email Marketing: Recover abandoned carts
Realistic Expectations
- Month 1-3: Testing products, likely breaking even or losing
- Month 3-6: Finding winners, $500-2,000 profit
- Month 6-12: Scaling, $2,000-10,000+ profit
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing oversaturated products
- Neglecting customer service
- Not testing multiple products
- Giving up too quickly
- Ignoring unit economics
Dropshipping is a legitimate business model that requires effort and learning. Start small, test often, and scale what works!