Are you looking for a reliable way to make extra money or a home-based business that’s easy to start? Consider going into the eCommerce business by drop-shipping supplements. You can do it without investing any money of front in most cases, and there are plenty of outlets online where you can put up a storefront in minutes.
What is Drop Shipping, and Why Supplements?
Answering the easiest question first, supplements are a $200 billion dollar a year industry. It’s expected to keep growing as the population ages and people become more health conscious. They’re also easy to sell as long as you find a reputable wholesaler who drop ships. One-size fits all, and you don’t have to worry about special orders like with clothes and other items people sell online. There are affiliate programs and franchises you can turn to, but who wants to get involved in a glorified pyramid scheme or turn to door-to-door sales and rely on commissions to pay the bills?
Unless you own a space that can be turned into a warehouse, drop-shipping is the way to go. Drop shipping allows you to sell products without keeping inventory on hand. If you learn the ropes and do it right, it can also be pretty lucrative. Many of those products you see for sale on auction websites and storefronts you find on shopping aggregators are from drop shipping companies.
How Does Drop Shipping Work?
There are two ways you can start. Either find a turnkey operation that supplies the product and provides a website. You can also open a storefront on a shopping website and find you own suppliers. The first option might be viable if you want someone to do the hard work of web design and locating products for you. They’ll still ship from their warehouse under your business name. However, you’ll also probably have to pay several hundred dollars up front, be limited to only the products they carry and compete against others to sell the same exact merchandise through the same platform.
The second option requires less financial investment up front, but more time. It also gives you more flexibility and the benefit of support services from companies that help a lot of home-based retailers gain market share through a trusted name. Who doesn’t know Amazon or Shopify?
Here is how easy it is:
- Browse the wholesaler website to find products you want to sell
- Export the photos and descriptions to your online store
- Customers shop and pay you for supplements
- You place an order with the supplier
- They ship everything to your customer under your name
How Do You Find a Drop-Ship Supplier?
You can either ask other drop shippers who their supplier is or do an online search for wholesalers in your niche. Beware when looking for a drop ship suppliers through online search. There are some listings that only provide access to a list of wholesalers, and they may charge a lot of money for access. Some charge a flat rate, while others charge a monthly membership fee.
There are some advantages if you want to invest the money. Most of their vendors are reliable, have been in the business for a while and they’re vetted by the listing agency beforehand. If you search on your own, you may end up with a company that doesn’t deliver as promised, who sells shoddy merchandise or has other issues. You can usually learn this information by Googling the name of the supplier for complaints.
The key to making money and building customer loyalty is to find a reliable supplement fulfillment company to supply your inventory and ship order under your name.
