Articles by Stu Wiseman on ArticleSnatch.com

Finding the Right Dropship Company

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:11:48 -0500

A supply chain management method in which the retailer does not keep inventory, but instead transfers all customers' orders and shipment details to the wholesaler or manufacturer, who ships the goods directly to the end client is known as drop shipping. The retailer makes his profit on the difference between the wholesale price and the final retail price. The retailer acts more like a middleman in a drop shipping arrangement. This is very popular with many sellers on auctions sites like eBay. Often times the sellers list their items on the auction sites and when a buyer purchases the order is transferred to the wholesaler who fulfills the order and the retailer makes money from the markup to the wholesale price he has. eBay permits sellers to list items that are not currently in their possession provided they follow eBays terms on pre-sale items. Finding a good drop ship company is becoming increasingly difficult, with a lot of scam companies springing up. **End Summary** Topics: dropship]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a member of the Doba team. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

Drop Shipping or Affiliate Marketing?

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:55:03 -0500

With drastic changes in the economy, many people are looking for steady and reliable work. With programs like affiliate marketing and drop shipping, not only is there steady work available, but these options allow people to work from home. Although the drop ship option and affiliate marketing have similar features, they are vastly different and offer different money-making capabilities. Affiliate Marketing With affiliate marketing, the user acts as an online marketer to promote a business and its products. In order to market a product you must place ads throughout the Internet. Companies provide click-able ads, however, it is the marketer's job to place the ads and drive traffic to the ads. Some companies pay for each ad click while others only pay a percentage if a sale is made. Bloggers find affiliate marketing the most beneficial, as placing click-able ads on a blog with an already large viewer base removes the need for driving traffic immediately. Drop Shipping A dropship program allows users to act as an online retailer. In doing this, the online retailer creates a medium between the customer and the manufacturer. **End Summary** Topics: dropship]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a member of the Doba team. Though often mistaken as a dropship supplier, Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

No Job? Create One!

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:50:30 -0500

Web 2.0 has allowed people to easily create their own Ecommerce site online. Barriers to Entry are pretty low which means there is a lot of opportunity out there. It also means there are a lot of people doing it too. In order to be successful you need to do your research. This article is designed to outline the basic steps needed to make your site a success. Here is an outline of the steps you will take to be successful online: 1. Study 2. Begin Writing Down Ideas 3. In Depth Industry Analysis 4. Pinpoint Your Market 5. Choose Your Product and Niche 6. Find Your Drop Shipping Suppliers 7. Design Your Website 8. Market it like Crazy 9. Use Amazon and eBay Study Think about what to sell. What do you like? What are you passionate about? What do you know a lot about? Write it Down Put your ideas down on paper. Create a list of any idea you can think of. The more ideas the better. Discover Discover, through research, those ideas that are the most promising. Many ideas sound good coming into your mind but on paper they look terrible. **End Summary** Topics: dropship]]> drop ship]]> entrepreneurship]]> ecommerce]]> e-business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a member of the Doba team. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

I Want to Create a Website but What Do I Sell?

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:01:40 -0500

Are you looking to be an entrepreneur? Haven't found the right product to sell? Or maybe you have an idea of a product you want to sell. Well, there are some things you should know before you can become a successful online entrepreneur. The groundwork must be laid for success. You must carefully think about the product you want to sell when it comes to drop shipping (commonly misspelled "dropshipping"). You wouldn't just run out and open a store at the local mall selling a product you haven't researched yet. Here are the steps you must take in order to successfully execute your business idea: First, Contemplate Think about what you want to sell first. You most likely have some good ideas about what you are passionate about or what you know a lot about. Second, Free Write Once you have some ideas, sit down and brainstorm those ideas. Make a list of as many ideas as possible. Once you have a set of ideas you will be able to better determine which drop ship product to sell. Third, Research Examine what people want and need. Look on the internet, eBay, and talk with your friends and family. **End Summary** Topics: dropship]]> drop ship]]> entrepreneurship]]> ecommerce]]> e-business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a member of the Doba team. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

Tips For Researching Wholesale Suppliers

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:58:22 -0400

There are many people who start their own businesses that need wholesale suppliers. It can be any number of different kinds of things that need to be ordered, whether it is wood working supplies, all the way to beads and findings. For this article, however, we will use the example that you are going into business selling T-shirts -- ones that have designs or words on them. While this is just one example, you can really use this for just about any kind of home-based business you may have. When you are selling shirts, the first thing you need to figure out is what kind of shirts you are selling. There are ones that already have pre-printed designs on them, but some people like to create their own. In this case, you should already have some kind of press, but if not, there are a number of suppliers. You really need to shop around for the right one, however, because prices and feature vary over many manufacturers. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]> ecommerce]]> internet business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropship wholesaler , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

The Advantages of Drop Shipping: The Top Three

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:09:32 -0400

Are you using drop ship companies for your Web store? If not, you may be wasting money. Drop shipping is becoming a more viable and effective way to retail on the internet. Here are three of the top ways drop shipping can help your business. 1. Money Savers You can save a bundle by switching some of your wholesale buying over to a drop shipper. You don't have to invest in inventory. Ergo, you don't have to pay for someplace to store your products. You also don't have to worry about shipping and handling fees, and can pass the fees you pay to the supplier onto your customers. And you don't have to invest in tons of packaging supplies. Most wholesale suppliers also have images of products available, so you won't have to take time and money to produce your own images. You don't even need to have an office if you don't want to. Many people are breaking into the online retail business right from home. 2. Inventory Expansion Expanding into new branches of existing inventory, or adding completely new aspects of products, is beyond simple. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]> ecommerce]]> internet business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. By working with hundreds of dropshippers , Doba connects retailers with wholesale suppliers to help both be more successful.

The World Cup And Drop Shipping What Drop Shipping And The World Cup Have In Common

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:46:11 -0400

Who (in their right mind) doesn't love The World Cup? It's the most popular athletic event anywhere on the planet. The athletic prowess, the national frenzy, and an immense amount of country pride dangling with the outcome. Little else can even dream of comparing to The World Cup. But what does any of this have to do with drop shipping? I'll admit, it's a bit of a stretch, but stick with me and I'll explain. The World Cup consists of the best players drawn from different teams for each country. Thirty-two countries from around the planet compete in this worldwide event. So, how is this related? If you associate products to players and manufacturers to countries, well, you start seeing the relationship. When you have an online retail store, you want the best products on your site for customers to buy. Depending on your niche, or lack of one, you have many manufacturers represented in your store. Choosing the best products for your store is a lot like finding the best players for a team. And you may end up with competing products in your store -- or players on a team. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]> ecommerce]]> internet business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

Best Practices For Online Retailers That Drop Ship

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:18:14 -0400

Drop shipping is a great way to help the online retailer reduce costs both in time and money and more efficiently ship product. You can maximize the power of drop shipping by embracing the following three drop shipping best practices of choosing your drop shipper wisely, focusing on margins as a dollar amount, and researching products carefully. In the following sections, I explain each of these practices in greater detail. Choose the Best Drop Shipper With drop shipping you lose some control over inventory and shipping. To minimize the risk of being unable to fill a customer's order, choose a drop shipper who offers the following: - Quick shipping - Large inventory of in-stock items Focusing on Profit Margins in Dollars To cover shipping and handling costs, a wholesale supplier has to charge you more for each item it drop ships than for items you buy in bulk. You can still find drop-ship items that garner up to 100% profit margins, but high-percentage margins are in short supply on drop-ship items. The key to boosting your profits is to focus on margins as a dollar amount rather than as a percentage. **End Summary** Topics: drop ship]]> drop shipping]]> drop shippers]]> wholesale]]> retail]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a freelance marketing consultant for Doba. Part of the dropship supply chain industry, Doba offers universal access to millions of wholesale products from hundreds of suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors.

Bulk Wholesale Versus Drop Shipping: Pros and Cons

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:06:28 -0400

Selecting the products that you'll sell in your online store takes research if you truly want to obtain the lowest prices possible. It also requires much thought on your part as to which selling process is better: drop shipping or buying wholesale items in bulk. Whichever method of shipping and selling you choose, providing good customer service ensures that your customers are not forgotten in the mix. However, there are definite advantages and disadvantages to both product supply methods. Dealing with a "Middleman" Perhaps the first issue that comes to light when discussing drop shipping versus bulk wholesale purchases is the issue of the "middleman." A middleman is essentially a person that will sell you goods and products for so-called "wholesale" prices, even though this person might not be an authorized distributor and may be marking the wholesale prices up themselves before selling them to you. When attempting to find companies that drop ship, it's often difficult to distinguish between these middlemen and true authorized distributors and wholesalers of a product. On the other hand, more companies offer bulk wholesale prices than they do drop shipping services. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]> ecommerce]]> internet business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

Wholesale Drop Shipping: An Overview

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:05:19 -0400

Maybe you are a small business owner looking to expand, or a business owner in the making who is investigating online retailing. You may be very familiar with the concept of drop shipping, or this may be an exciting new discovery. Either way, it can provide that convenience and flexibility for your business that you've been seeking. So, What is Wholesale Drop Shipping? Basically, wholesale drop shipping allows Web stores to provide goods to customers without having to maintain an inventory. A situation that would lend itself to this form of product sourcing would be when you sell very few of a certain item in a month, but continue to have demand for that item. Rather than buying a large amount of the product wholesale and then slowly distributing it yourself, you simply take the orders as they come, and let the drop shipper do the work! Benefits Are the hours that you spend going through your inventory, preparing items to be sent, and shipping merchandise starting to add up? Wholesale drop shipping can save you those hours as well as the stress and hassle! **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]> ecommerce]]> internet business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a drop ship wholesaler, Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

Drop Shipping and Virtual Inventories

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:05:02 -0400

It seems as if nearly everything in the world can be done virtually. When you sit down in front of your computer you can create a whole other life for yourself complete with a house, relationships, and even pets. Well, with drop shipping, you can even manage your own virtual retail store. Luckily, this virtual warehouse isn't just a world inside a computer, but a way to let your business grow without building a warehouse in your backyard! Drop Shipping Defined For starters, a simple definition is that it is a way to send merchandise directly from wholesale suppliers to customers. This doesn't change the fact that you as the retailer continue to make money on the difference in price between retail and wholesale. The next question you may have at this point is about the pros and cons. What's in It for Me? The pros of drop shipping are essentially saving time, storage space, and allowing for expansion of your business. As you may already have encountered, running a retail business, online or otherwise, involves creating and maintaining inventory from which to take orders and sell products. Drop shipping eliminates this need for inventory. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]> ecommerce]]> internet business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

Why Bother With Drop Shippers?

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:41:14 -0400

If you have learned a little about what wholesale drop shippers are and how they work, you might be wondering what they can do for you and your business. In a nutshell, they can save you both time and money, two things we all wish we had more of! In addition, drop shippers allow you to control the expansion of your business so that it is just as big or small as you want or need it to be. Getting the Upper Hand on Time How many hours do you spend ordering, receiving, organizing, and shipping back out to customers the products you sell? How much time do you spend packaging products, driving them to the post office, and cleaning up the eternal mess of packaging tape and foam peanuts on your living room floor? Imagine having all that time to put into expanding your Web advertising, improving your customer service, or even just sitting down and relaxing for a few minutes! Drop shipping offers the potential save you hours of time each week just by taking out of your life the merchandise you keep on hand! **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]> ecommerce]]> internet business]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

Upping The Ante With Drop Shipping

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:15:37 -0500

You may have some great products in your online retail marketplace, but how can you earn even more money? By utilizing the power of wholesale drop shipping through your Web store. Drop shipping is an excellent way to add products to your Web store without incurring huge costs. And you can do it according to your tastes by adding similar products, products that are within the realm of your current products, or expand your product lines with completely new kinds of things. For instance, let's consider a scenario in which you've invented the next great, super new pillow. Naturally, everyone is going to want this comfy, allergen-free, made green, super fluffy head cushion. You put up a Web site to market and sell your nifty pillow. You've done your marketing, spread the word, had a super sale, and tweeted until your fingers were numb. At first you're only selling a few a week -- and then the sales start rushing in. Life is good and your new customers are loving the luscious sleep they're getting with your push pillow. You have just one problem. Your customers want to know when the accompanying couch pillow is coming out. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> product sourcing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers offering millions of wholesale products.

Choosing Products To Sell In Your Online Store

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:38:25 -0500

After having decided to open a drop shipping Web store, the next step is choosing products to sell from your drop shipper's list. Maybe you already have some products that you want to sell in mind, or maybe just a general idea of what kind of products you want to sell. Or you don't know what you want to sell, only that you want to sell... something. If you already have products in mind, the best thing to do is to research each product to make sure you know their selling value and their selling success rate. Sure, you want to choose products that are hot right now, but they won't always be hot. Just choosing hot products and putting them on your site doesn't mean you'll be all done. You'll need to stay diligent and continually find new hot products to sell, while making decisions on which ones to phase out when they've lost their momentum. If you've chosen a more narrow product line, staying informed will be even more important. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers , all of which combine to offer millions of wholesale products from one location.

Use Drop Shipping To Start Your Online Web Store

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:41:20 -0500

So you're ready to jump into the Web store game and start earning some big bucks. You have an idea of what you'd like to sell, but aren't sure you can handle warehousing products. You don't have to worry about a warehouse with drop shipping! Drop Shipping? What's That? Drop shipping is an easy process. The first step is to find a wholesale drop ship supplier. Next, you find the products that you want to sell from your wholesale supplier. After you've decided on your products, you can pull the product descriptions and images right off your wholesale company's pages. Once those choices are made, you just have to start marketing your online retail outlet as you normally would. When you get an order, you simply relay the order to your drop shipper, and they fulfill the order for you. It just doesn't get much simpler than that! The Advantages There are many reasons why opting to drop ship is a great way to start your business, but the following three advantages stand out: Low overhead on time and money -- You won't have to worry about a large overhead because you don't need to have an office. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> dropshipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers , all of which combine to offer millions of wholesale products from one location.

Could Drop shipping Work for Me?

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:38:14 -0500

Drop shipping is becoming more common place for small and online-only retailers. It is a way for these mom and pop type businesses to cut their costs and it can be a way for customers to save some time. Instead of three entities -- the customer, wholesaler and retailer -- having to have their hands on the product, the retailer acts as liaison between the customer and wholesaler, but the product is never in their presence. In more detail, when a customer works with a retailer that has a drop shipping process, the customer orders from the retailer, and the retailer receives the payment; however, the product is mailed to the customer directly from the wholesaler, thus saving on shipping, and time. When a customer orders a product from an online-only company, or a company that displays their inventory in a catalog, the customer already knows that they are not going to be able to get their order immediately. In situations like this, drop shipping is not a problem, as the delay is already anticipated. Even in brick and mortar stores, lots of extra inventory of a certain product isn't always available. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> retail]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba. Though often mistaken as a dropshipper , Doba's role is actually as a software platform that provides retailers easy access to hundreds of wholesale suppliers , all of which combine to offer millions of wholesale products from one location.

Marketing Tip: Finding Your Unique Selling Proposition

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:00:38 -0500

"Why should I buy from you?" That's the question you need to answer for your potential customer if you expect to be able to make the sale. If you can't answer that question satisfactorily, then you will lose the sale. The thing that will get someone to purchase from you rather than your competition is the thing that sets you apart from them. The one thing you have that nobody else does. This is the one reason why everybody should buy from you, and only you. Get the idea of what I'm talking about? It's what is unique about you. Your unique selling proposition or USP. Back in my college days, I started up a retail computer store. I knew I would have to come up with a good reason to get people to leave my competitors and buy from me. One competitor had lifetime guarantees on all computers he sold. Another had the lowest prices (the worst USP you could choose in my opinion). Yet another sold computers out of a store "cleverly disguised as a fast food restaurant." After days of pondering what my USP could be, I had it! **End Summary** Topics: marketing]]> advertising]]> internet marketing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with wholesale dropshippers . With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers , retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products.

The Biggest Myth About Drop Shipping: No Successful Company Uses Drop Shipping

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:46:05 -0500

There has been a lot of misinformation spread on the internet about drop shipping. I've been involved with drop shipping in one form or another for over a decade, and it never ceases to amaze me what people are saying, both positive and negative, about the drop ship model. I've written extensively on the caveats of drop shipping. However, now I feel like it's time to directly respond to those spreading pretty serious misinformation about drop shipping. A few things I've read: - No true wholesaler drop ships - "Middlemen" (those who aggregate multiple wholesale drop ship accounts for easier access) are scams - No successful online retailer uses drop shipping - No successful retailer uses "middlemen" as their wholesale drop ship source That's just a small snippet of falsehoods that has been getting spread around for several years. It's time to tell the truth. Myth: No True Wholesaler Drop Ships This is so ludicrous, I almost feel like it's not even worth my time to explain it. But I will. First, what is a wholesaler? Plain and simple, it's a company that sells product to a retailer. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> product sourcing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with drop ship wholesalers. With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers , retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products.

Marketing Tip: Make Me Feel Unique

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:17:23 -0500

Up until 1995, I was an avid motorcyclist. Why did I stop? Well, a little old lady pulled out in front of me and the collision that occurred resulted in disabilities that prevent me from continuing with that particular passion of mine. But we won't get into that. My motorcycle was a 1985 Honda Interceptor 500. I had the oldest, smallest, slowest motorcycle in my area. But I also regularly got the looks from the girls (and drooling mouths from the guys) that the faster, newer bikes never got. Why? First, my motorcycle had a V4 motor with a redline of 12,000 rpm. It made the sweetest sound that newer bikes, which all had inline fours, couldn't possibly hope to duplicate. I had custom pipes that brought out the sound of my V4. I also had custom fairings and a custom pearl-white paint job. In other words, my motorcycle was the most unique. Nobody knew or cared that my bike was over 10 years old. Nobody knew or cared that my bike only had a 500cc motor in it. People only cared that I was the only person that had a bike like mine. **End Summary** Topics: marketing]]> advertising]]> internet marketing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with drop ship wholesalers. With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers , retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products.

Marketing Tip: Forget About Life for Awhile

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:18:14 -0500

Ever wonder why illegal drugs fetch such a high price? It's not just because they are illegal, but also because they are designed to make people forget about the problems they suffer in the "real world," which fulfills a very strong need in many people's lives. Look at video games, movies, fictional novels, television, booze, and yes; even sex-oriented products or services. All of these are designed to make people forget about the real world for a while. People also hate to do things that are necessities of life. Shaving, cooking, bathing, commuting to work, grocery shopping, cleaning. While you can't make most of these things completely go away, you can make the tasks, or additional tasks related to doing these necessities, easier or more enjoyable. For example: a self-cleaning electric razor. It doesn't make the hair on your face or legs stop growing, but now you don't have to waste extra time cleaning the razor afterward. Now, if only I could afford one of those self-cleaning razors, I'd give up the blade forever! The high price of a self-cleaning razor is reflective of the desire for such a convenience. **End Summary** Topics: marketing]]> advertising]]> internet marketing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with drop shipping wholesalers. With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers , retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products.

Marketing: Making Your Customer's Life Easier

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:14:15 -0500

Your customers have specific needs that they are trying to fulfill. As a marketer it is not your job to fulfill these needs, but rather to show and explain how your product or service will do that for them. When a customer takes out his or her money to make a purchase, they want to know that they are spending their hard-earned money on something that is going to satisfy their wants and needs. They want the answer to the question, "What's in it for me?" As long as the answer to that question fulfills the specific need a prospect is looking for, you are well on your way to making the sale. There are about a dozen or so really strong needs that consumers are looking to fulfill when they spend money. One of these is the need to make life easier and/or more fun. If you are an internet marketer, you are already fulfilling at least part of this need. Shopping on the Internet is a major convenience, and makes life easier for people. In fact, nearly every technological advance in history was originally intended to make life easier and/or more enjoyable for us poor humans. **End Summary** Topics: marketing]]> advertising]]> internet marketing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with drop shipping wholesalers. With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers , retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products.

Tips for Getting the Best Price on Drop Ship Wholesale Products

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:55:24 -0500

There are plenty of reasons to use drop shipping, but as many in the wholesale industry have mentioned, it's not all roses. One of the most commonly alluded to negatives of drop shipping is product pricing. Since the wholesaler is warehousing the product for you as well as shipping out each individual order, they are going to charge a higher price than they would for a bulk order. But are there ways to get the price down? In fact, there are. Here are a few tips to help you bring your costs down and bring profits up. Sell More Products This, obviously, is easier said than done. You already have the goal to sell as much as you can, but how can you sell more if your drop ship supplier isn't willing to give you lower pricing? It's a fact of business that only retailers that can produce a lot of orders get the best pricing. But that doesn't mean that the guy with the lowest prices is always going to get the most sales. Wholesalers understand this, which is why they don't give their lowest prices to just anybody. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> product sourcing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with drop shipping wholesalers. With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers , retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products.

Things to Consider When Considering Drop Shipping

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:37:05 -0500

For many new entrepreneurs just breaking into the online retail business, drop shipping sounds like the perfect solution with potential to create instant millionaires. But, like all supply-chain management models, things are not all roses. Here are a few things to consider when considering drop shipping. What Is Drop Shipping? Before we get started, a quick definition of what, exactly, drop shipping is should be discussed. In essence, it's a product-supply method that involves the retailer not pre-ordering any products, but rather simply forwards customer orders to the wholesale supplier who then ships the order directly to the retail customer. Advantages The obvious advantage is that you -- the retailer -- don't spend any money until you've actually received an order and have been paid yourself. The reduction in risk is a primary advantage because you never have to worry about dealing with unsold inventory nor the cost of warehousing products. Another great advantage is that you can offer virtually any product you want, whether it's a hot seller or not. If you only sell 20 of a particular item per month, it might not be worth it to you to carry it in bulk. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> product sourcing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with drop shipping wholesalers. With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers , retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products.

Finding the Right Wholesale Supplier for Your Retail Business

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:48:04 -0500

So you've decided to strike out on your own and start an online retail business. You've got the website, eBay account, got set up with Amazon, and are ready to send product feeds through Google Products and other shopping-comparison search engines. But what about the product? It's time to find yourself a reliable wholesale supplier. Before you can start selling online, you need something to sell. From return policies to pricing, the wholesale suppliers you choose to work with can and will directly affect your business. As you shop around for that perfect wholesale supplier, here are a few things to consider. Quality of Products Lower pricing often means lower quality, and lower quality often leads to higher returns, dissatisfied customers, and lower profit margins overall that will require you to sell more just to stay afloat. Higher quality products will cost you more, but also improves your chances of higher margins and having satisfied customers. Over time, as you build your relationship with the wholesale supplier, you can negotiate lower pricing. Return Policy If you are a large-volume dealer, then you can often dictate the terms of your relationship. **End Summary** Topics: drop shipping]]> wholesale]]> product sourcing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with drop ship wholesalers. With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers , retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products.

Drop Shipping Best Practices

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:58:19 -0500

Drop shipping isn't all roses. It does have its caveats. But you can maximize the power of drop shipping by embracing the following three drop shipping best practices: - Choose your drop shipper wisely - Focus on margins as a dollar amount - Research products carefully In the following sections, I explain each of these practices in greater detail. Choose the Best Drop Shipper With drop shipping you lose some control over inventory and shipping. To minimize the risk of being unable to fill a customer's order, choose a drop shipper who offers the following: - Quick shipping - Large inventory of in-stock items Focusing on Profit Margins in Dollars To cover shipping and handling costs, a wholesale supplier has to charge you more for each item it drop ships than for items you buy in bulk. You can still find drop-ship items that garner up to 100% profit margins, but high-percentage margins are in short supply on drop-ship items. The key to boosting your profits is to focus on margins as a dollar amount rather than as a percentage. **End Summary** Topics: dropshipping]]> wholesale]]> drop shipping]]> product sourcing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Stu Wiseman is a marketing consultant at Doba which specializes in connecting retailers with wholesale dropshippers . With over 300 integrated wholesale suppliers, retailers have access to a wide range of wholesale products .