What do I need to start dropshipping?

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

Starting a dropshipping business is not as simple as it looks,  in fact, nothing is simple.   To start in this type of business, you can go from  zero investment to even thousand of dollars, it wil really depends on your skills, and how much workload you can absorbed.   But to be honest, to start a business properly, and we mean a decent formalized operation, you'll need an initial investment that can range from $100–$500 for platform fees and marketing, as well as a computer with internet access and plenty of time to research and set up a dropshipping store. You will also need to invest time. Consider  around  five to ten hours a week in ongoing management of your new operation.

Following we list the elements that need to be in place to start your dropshipping business:

Your online store: You’re going to need a store for your online business. There are multiple platform that allow you setup the store either by free or pay, choose the platform you like. Most of them have fairly similar pricing schemes.  

Your domain name: You’ll also need a domain name for your online store. You can either get your domain through a dropshipping platform or  from a domains service provider for which you lately will need to register it  through your chosen platform. This process is a yearly payment, so you need to track this as the domain name can be lost.

You will also need an app for dropshipping products: You’ll  need an extension/app that allows you to import products from different suppliers and easily automate orders. 

A good quality product: For your dropshipping business to be successful, you need to make sure to choose high quality products. Fail in this area and you’ll end up with bad reviews and zero return customers. 

A marketing strategy: This is a crucial step in your dropshipping business plan. Is obvious if you’re just starting out, you’re probably on a super tight budget. So don’t keep making tweaks to your store design and pretend like you’re making improvements. In this step all you need to be focus on putting yourself out there and getting your first sale.