What is Drop Shipping, and What is a Drop Shipper?

In this article, we are going to talk about drop shipping. I will be explaining a few basic things you need to know to get started with drop shipping. For example, what is drop shipping, how drop shipping works, how to make money online with drop shipping, and how to find a drop shipper. Why? Because drop shipping is an easy and virtually risk-free way to make money online.

Drop shipping is a term that has become increasingly popular; specially in 2020 with many people starting to look for ways to make money online. Drop shipping simply means selling a physical product on your website that you do not have on hand.

Note: External links in this post are affiliate links, which means I might make a commission if you purchase something.

When the customer comes to your website and places an order, your website sends the order to the drop shipper, and the drop shipper sends the product to the customer. In a way, your website is a facilitator between the customer and the drop shipper.  

You might wonder, what is the difference between, a drop shipping business and a regular store that also buys from a supplier? The difference is that if you have a store, you buy inventory from the supplier and keep it in stock. As a drop shipper, you do not have to buy any inventory, and you do not have to keep anything in stock. The drop shipper keeps everything in stock. Your main job is to receive the order from the buyer and send it to the supplier.   

One huge benefit of a drop shipping business is that you do not have to ship anything at all. Many people do not want to sell physical products precisely because they do not want the hassle of dealing with packaging items, keeping track of products, and making trips to the post office. With drop shipping, you do not have to do any of this because the supplier will handle it.

To make money with drop shipping, you need to have your own website, which is not difficult to do (check out DreamHost (affiliate link)) then you find a drop shipper who has the product you want to sell. Then you mark up the price (sell it more expensive). Prices are usually marked up by 10 to 50 %.

When choosing a drop shipper, you want to do some research first because there are a lot of drop shippers out there that can’t be trusted. Perhaps you have heard stories about drop shipping products from China. Some drop shippers will take your money and not send you items. Others will send you illegitimate items that are illegal. You want to stay clear of all of that.

I think the easiest way to find drop shippers that you can trust is through SaleHoo.

SaleHoo is an online directory that has over 8,000+ drop shippers, wholesalers and liquidators.

The reason why it is good to use a service like SaleHoo is because you can ensure you will be dealing with verified suppliers you can trust.

In conclusion, drop shipping is an easy way to make money online because you do not have to buy inventory, you do not have to keep anything in stock, and you don’t have to ship anything. All you have to do is create a website and connect with suppliers. When customers place an order on your website, you send the order to the drop shipper, and they send the product to the customer. You pay the drop shipper a discounted amount for the product, you charge the customer 10 -50 % more, and you keep the difference. It is that simple.