Starting a dropshipping business

**ndawson293** · 12-01-2009 07:23 PM

I have a supplier of a product that does sell and now I would like to set up a site that will wholesale these at £x and dropship these as £x + 8% which still leaves room for profit of around £6 per item. What I'm worried about is whether customers will use my site if I only offer 1 item to begin with, I'm really ambitious about this project and would like to begin as soon as possible.
Thanks.

**peteVA** · 12-02-2009 07:30 AM

You should have no problem with that, at least no more problem than with any other site - promoting it and getting traffic and sales.

I do wonder why the + 8% to dropship. Isn't someone who sells your products entitled to the full wholesale price?

**bigpund** · 12-02-2009 10:56 AM

He's going to charge the 8% as his fee/commission for the sale. Otherwise, if he offers to drop ship at the wholesale price he's paying, hes not making any money.

**ndawson293** · 12-02-2009 12:06 PM

Yes the 8% is for postage and handling, this is based on the fact that wholesale involves multiple quantities of the item whereas dropshipping is just the one.

**JBSurfs** · 12-09-2009 07:21 AM

"IF" you can get customers, it should not be a problem selling just one item. What you need to decide is if you are going to always sell one item or if you will add more. If you keep one, make the entire site around that one product.

An alternative to that 8% that some companies use is a flat fee. Depending on what solution you use, you could enter it in your admin panel to have dropships add a flat fee. In the US, $5 or $3.50 seems to be a typical flat fee from those type of dropshippers.