A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Start a Dropshipping Business

The day job isn’t quite dead, but it seems that it doesn’t provide the same sense of security for Aussies that it once did. Otherwise, around 48 per cent of them wouldn’t either have or be thinking about launching a side hustle of some kind.

For many, the idea side hustle is one they can run from a laptop. Enter the dropshipping business.

If you don’t already run one, though, there is the small problem of how to start a dropshipping business. Wondering what dropshipping is and how to get started? Keep reading for our guide on starting your dropshipping empire.

What Is Dropshipping?

Before you launch a dropshipping business, it helps to understand the essentials. A dropshipper functions as something of a middleman between customers and vendors or manufacturers.

The dropshipper gets the orders and payment from the customer. Then, you place an order with the customer as the recipient. One of the big benefits of dropshipping is that you carry no inventory, which keeps costs down.

With the basics covered, let’s jump into how you get started.

Pick Your Niche

Before you worry about branding or a website, you should pick your niche. Picking a niche that you’re familiar with will make things easier. Let’s say you know a lot about pet supplies. That’s a niche you’ll likely find more success with because you can talk about it.

Find a Supplier

Finding a supplier is next up in your how to start dropshipping checklist. While you won’t carry inventory yourself, you will need a reliable supplier for your dropshipping products.

There are a number of reputable suppliers, but finding one close to home is often best. It reduces shipping times if nothing else.

E-commerce Website

You’ll need an e-commerce website to sell products to customers. Ecommerce sites are a little different than other sites because they usually come with some built-in things you need. Think of things like easy connections for payment gateways and easy setups for product pages or categories.

Marketing

Once you get everything else set up, it’s time for your to start marketing. You’ll probably want to start with free things you can do, such as social media posting, content marketing, and some of the do-it-yourself-friendly SEO tactics.

If you get some traction and bring in some revenue, you’ll want to look at things like paid advertising and potentially outsourcing some of your content creation tasks.

How to Start a Dropshipping Business? Plan

The answer to the question of how to start a dropshipping business is the same as any other business. You must make a plan. The good news is that the financial bar for entry is comparatively low.

Time will end up as your biggest upfront investment. Still, you need to think through what niche you know enough about that you can write good product descriptions and social media posts. How will you brand your business?

DropshipOnly specialises in supplying small businesses with dropshipping products. For questions or more information about our products, contact DropshipOnly today.