Purchasing resources for Drop Shipping


Quickly find business drop shippers and wholesalers. Review listings to hire a drop shipper to handle your merchandise and help your business become a stockless retailer.

Search Results

Fulfillment

Directory of fulfillment houses and order fulfillment processing centers. Find links to fulfillment companies specializing in customized order fulfillment services, including pick, pack and ship, call returns management, and more.

www.business.com/shipping-and-supplies/fulfillment/
Third Party Logistics

Directory of third party logistics companies (or 3PLs) who specialize in 3PL warehousing and other 3PL services for supply chain management. Outsource your inventory needs to a third party logistics provider.

www.business.com/shipping-and-supplies/third-party-logistics/
Boxes

Quickly find vendors offering cardboard boxes and shipping cartons. Research suppliers offering mailing boxes and packing boxes. Find manufacturers and wholesalers of all types of industrial boxes and cartons for your business.

www.business.com/shipping-and-supplies/boxes/
Drop Shipping Key Terms

Source: /guides/drop-shipping-key-terms-33895/

Since a lot of business has migrated online, drop shipping has become a popular setup for retail. With drop shipping, a seller places orders from a manufacturer as they come in from customers, rather than stocking up initially. Read More »

Drop Shipping Basics

Source: /guides/drop-shipping-basics-23106/

Many small business owners turn to drop shipping companies in order to help their business grow. Drop ship services allow business owners to sell products without the hassle of stocking and shipping the products. Read More »

Drop Shipping


Drop shipping is a way to send goods straight from your supplier to your customers online — without some of the risks normally associated with having a store. For example, with drop shipping you don't have to pay for goods until they are sold, thereby reducing a common financial risk for retailers.

More than simply reducing risk, however, drop shipping can enhance existing brick-and-mortar operations with valuable partnerships and improved customer service. Get started with three easy steps:

  1. If you don't already have them, get a business license and tax ID number, as a drop-shipping business must be treated as a real and legitimate business — complete with all the tax and legal precautions that you would take in opening a traditional business.
  2. Choose reliable wholesale drop shippers and surefire products that will sell in volume and which have wide appeal.
  3. Market your drop-shipped products on your own Web site and on Internet auction sites such as eBay, leaving you with immediate profits before you even buy anything.

Forge relationships with wholesale drop shippers

Your expenses may include sign-up and drop-ship fees to the drop-shippers' sites, and possibly a membership fee.

Select products worth marketing

Because the drop shipping process eliminates big-order discounts, look for maximum margins by selecting products that are heavily discounted to sell in quantity. Selling a consumable product can create ongoing demand. You may find more unique goods from companies with fewer than "hundreds of thousands" of products. Keep your customers with good customer service and follow-through.

Develop your Web site or auction site

An integrated e-commerce Web site will allow you to do everything from ordering inventory to processing PayPal payments online.
  • Choose wisely. Select your drop-shipping partners carefully by reading reviews. Make sure they're not just one in a line of middlemen, which will add cost to your product.
  • Self-promote. Use articles you or others write on your Web site to attract readers and position yourself as an expert.
  • Do your homework. Advanced searches will help you find and sort products based on price, brand name, suppliers and other features.
  • Stay in touch. Some drop shippers will provide email alerts to let you know when orders have been received and when merchandise leaves the warehouse.