by Ann Miller

Created on: January 19, 2008

DROPSHIPPING

Starting your own business can be an expensive and a chancy business. Not everyone can afford to lay out large amounts of cash getting started in business or are willing to gamble large amounts of cash up front. An attractive alternative to buying up and storing stock for sale is to investigate drop shipping.

Simply put, you register with a distributor who will usually provide you with images and sale merchandise. You market and sell the product. Once it is ordered by your customer, you contact the drop shipper who will package and post the item. You pay the wholesale invoice to the drop shipper and the difference (the Profit) goes into your pocket. The profit is less than if you are buying inventory but you take away hassles or storing, holding large quantities of stock and post and handling.

Who can benefit from a dropshipping business?
1. Someone who wants a home based business.
2. Someone who wants a second income.
3. Someone who just loves buying and selling.
4. Someone who wants to try running their own business while limiting the gamble.

PLEASE NOTE the information enclosed here is not guaranteed and I cannot be held responsible for any company noted here.
THIS IS NOT A GET RICH QUICK SCHEME but the more you put into it the more you will get out.

Things to bear in mind:
1. Be organized, be professional and treat this like a business. You need to notify the tax man that you are undertaking self-employed work and make sure you keep accurate records right from the start.
2. Research your market, make sure the product you choose will sell.
3. Keep your list of items small to begin with until you establish your market.
4. Be prepared to deal with returns and faulty products and times when the product is out of stock. Ensure you have a procedure set up with your supplier beforehand to deal with problems.
5. Check out your supplier, ensure they are reliable, there are scam artists out there so beware. There is a list of some directories listed later in the article that you might like to investigate.
6. Make your marketing eye catching and effective. You will sell more if you take time and ensure you present your product in the most professional way.

WHERE TO SELL:
Auction sites:
http://www.ebay.co.uk
http://www.ebid.co.uk
http://www.qxl.co.uk
http://www.cqout.com
http://www.amazon.co.uk

On-line:
With a simple website you can sell on line but remember you need to register your website with search engines or no one will find you.
Advertise your website in your

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