NC ANTIQUES - Auctions And Estate Auctions








 

 

 


Dropship Your Way to Success


Many people know they would like to start an Internet business, but they don't have a product to sell. The solution is often drop shipping.

Drop shipping is a business arrangement in which a company (often the manufacturer of a product) sells a product at wholesale prices to a reseller and ships the product directly to the reseller's customers. The retailer makes the company's products available to customers, often through a web site, collects payment, and then orders the product from the manufacturer. This arrangement works well for both the manufacturer and the seller. The manufacturer is able to make the product available to a large number of retailers. The retailers are able to sell products they would not otherwise have access to. Drop shipping allows almost anyone to start a retail company without needing to order large amounts of inventory. This eliminates the need to store the product and cuts overhead dramatically. The reseller only orders products after he has sold it, and in most cases only after being paid. For small businesses concerned about cash flow, this is very attractive.

There are two different philosophies concerning what items to sell via a drop shipper. You may choose whichever appeals to you. The first group believes that you should research the market to determine what items to sell. They say you need to find a high demand item, then locate a drop shipper that sells that item. The second group believes that you should sell what you are interested in. If you like knives, find a company willing to drop ship knives. If you like power tools, find a drop shipper for those. They believe that if you sell something you enjoy, you will do a better job selling. Whichever method you choose, an outstanding way to find a drop shipper is the web site, World Wide Brands (http://databuilders.net/wwb). The people at WWB work full time finding companies willing to drop ship their products for you, Their database is updated constantly to insure only the best companies are made available.

If you decide to go it alone and find a drop shipper yourself, look for a company that either drop ships exclusively, or requires you to register as a member before getting the wholesale prices. If anyone can log into the site and pay the same low price, why should customers buy from you? Many companies require you to provide a business license number before allowing you to register. This is to insure you are a legitimate retailer. If you do not have a license, you should get one. Ideally, the company will deal exclusively in the product you want to sell.

I also do not support companies charging for drop shipping. You may see some offers similar to "Sell hundreds of products for only $29.95 a month." They go on to tell you that you can make thousands of dollars selling their products on E-Bay, so the $29.95 they charge shouldn't matter. There are enough companies that don't charge anything. Avoid paying for the right to sell someone's product for them.

Perhaps the most difficult part in starting a drop ship business, is building the web site. If you have never built a web site before, it can be an overwhelming task. You must consider each detail, from deciding what software to use, to finding a host, and accepting payments. I recommend using osCommerce to build your online store. It is free software that can be modified to look like you want it to. There is an online knowledge base that can answer many of your questions about setting it up and configuring it, or you can let someone else set it up for you.

Thousands of people are making money using the osCommerce, drop shipping combination. It is a powerful, inexpensive way to get your business started.

About The Author

Jason Conley is the owner of Databuilders, a web hosting company for small and home office businesses. He has built a number of drop ship web sites using osCommerce, and contributes regularly to the osCommerce support forum. You can contact Jason at jkconley@databuilders.net, or visit Databuilders at http://databuilders.net.


MORE RESOURCES:

Akerman Facilitates Passing of Innovative Foreclosure Online ...
MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
Historically, foreclosure auctions took place on the steps of county courts; but a recent bill, driven by Akerman Senterfitt's Policy Practice Group, ...
Attorney Senterfitt dies South Florida Business Journal Bizjournals.com
all 13 news articles


Port Authority Joins Suit Against FAA's NYC Airport Auctions
Business Travel News, NY - Aug 26, 2008
AUGUST 26, 2008 -- The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today continued its battle against the federal government's plan to auction slots at the ...
Port Authority Looks To Join Lawsuit Against Flight Auctions NY1
In Dispute Over Plan to Auction Off Airport Slots, US Threatens to ... New York Times
FAA to Review Legality of Port Authority Proposal Hudson Valley Press
New York Sun - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
all 103 news articles


rate buybacks add to bank writedown worries
guardian.co.uk, UK - 4 hours ago
They were typically long-term notes or preferred shares whose yields reset periodically through auctions. As those auctions started failing, the securities ...
B of A Agrees to Securities Buybacks Wall Street Journal
Report: BofA to buy back $43M in auction-rate securities Bizjournals.com
all 19 news articles


CTV.ca

Fed auctions another $75B to ease credit stresses
Forbes, NY - Aug 26, 2008
By JEANNINE AVERSA 08.26.08, 11:43 AM ET The Federal Reserve has auctioned another $75 billion in loans to help squeezed banks overcome their credit ...
Federal Reserve auctions $75B in loans to aid banks Youngstown Vindicator
all 760 news articles


With glut of homes on the market, auctions gain in popularity
Arizona Republic, AZ - 22 hours ago
Purveyors of Internet-driven real-estate auctions say their customers operate in a parallel universe where the quick and the dedicated are rewarded with ...


Earthtimes (press release)

New York probes Fidelity, Goldman ties -- sources
guardian.co.uk, UK - 6 hours ago
Auction-rate securities are long-dated municipal, student-loan or mutual fund debt that paid interest rates that reset periodically in auctions. ...
Cuomo probes Fidelity-Goldman ARS link: report MarketWatch
Inquiry probes Fidelity-Goldman ties: report Reuters
Auction Rate Securities Probe Focusing on Fidelity, Goldman Sachs Ties Newsinferno.com
Forbes - Reuters
all 184 news articles


UPDATE 1-US dealers eager for new Fed funding insurance
Reuters - 5 hours ago
The solid showing at the debut TOP auction was reflected in a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.04. It also surpassed the bidding at recent TSLF auctions which ...
Dealers submit $51 bln bids at TSLF option auction Reuters
all 2 news articles


Common Misconceptions about Government Seized Auto Auctions
3x24 - Your Newspaper and News Magazine, Germany - 10 hours ago
by Davion Wong Government seized auto auctions are getting quite a fair bit of attention nowadays. Among those who heard about them, there are a good number ...
You Can Buy Cheap Used Cars at Government Auctions 3x24 - Your Newspaper and News Magazine
all 2 news articles


NY Fed announces details on TSLF options auctions
Reuters - Aug 26, 2008
NEW YORK, Aug 26 (Reuters) - The New York Federal Reserve announced on Tuesday details on its first two options auctions for US dealers to bid for the Fed's ...


Insurance Auto Auctions Announces the Successful Integration of ...
Earthtimes (press release), UK - 11 hours ago
WESTCHESTER, Ill. - (Business Wire) Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. the leading North American salvage auto auction company today announced the successful ...
Insurance Auto Auctions Announces the Successful Integration of ... PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
Insurance Auto Auctions Announces the Successful Integration of ... Trading Markets (press release)
all 7 news articles

Auctions - Google News

home | site map
© 2006