| One of the best and easiest ways to start your | | | | product control. Most drop shippers will charge a small |
| home business is to implement drop shipping for the | | | | fee for their services. Remember, you are using their |
| delivery of your products. When you are developing | | | | warehouse, their shipping resources and their time |
| your work from home adventure, you want to keep | | | | with every order that you place. The official term for |
| the process as simple as possible. If you can save | | | | all of these aspects is "handling" and you will need to |
| time shipping your products, you will be able to focus | | | | decide what to do about this cost. Will you absorb |
| on marketing your online home based business. The | | | | this fee so that your selling price will be more |
| more time that you spend on marketing, the greater | | | | competitive or will you pass this cost to your |
| are your opportunities for internet success. What is | | | | customer? Product control is another disadvantage |
| Drop Shipping? The short definition is that you are a | | | | that you will encounter. When your distributor is "out |
| "stockless retailer". The long explanation is that drop | | | | of stock", your internet business is "out of stock". |
| shipping entitles: a) Opening an internet store (or | | | | With drop shipping, you do not get the opportunity |
| online auction). b) Finding a source to ship the | | | | to accumulate your best selling items. You can only |
| products you want to sell. c) Setting up an account | | | | sell your product one at a time from your online |
| with the distributor. d) Receiving images and product | | | | store. It is hard to make a profit when some of your |
| information. e) Informing your distributor when you | | | | items are on back order. Consider the disadvantages |
| have made a sale (usually by E-mail). f) Telling your | | | | of drop shipping: a) You will have to pay a fee for |
| customer that their product has been shipped (usually | | | | shipping your products. b) You do not have control |
| by E-mail). f) Sitting back and counting your profits. | | | | over your items. c) You may lose customers and |
| That's it! It does not get any easier than that. You | | | | profits when your products are out of stock. d) You |
| do not have to worry about inventory.You do not | | | | do not have an inventory of your best selling items. |
| have to worry about shipping supplies. You do not | | | | e) You may not know a product is out of stock until |
| have to worry about wrapping a box. You do not | | | | after you order. f) You will have a smaller profit |
| have to worry about going to the post office. The | | | | margin. g) You are limited to selling your distributor's |
| hardest thing that you have to do is hit the keys on | | | | product line. You need to weigh the advantages |
| your keyboard to send E-mails. For someone who is | | | | against the disadvantages. If you are beginning your |
| new to making money online, this is the easiest way | | | | internet home business, drop shipping will give you |
| to start. Advantages of Drop Shipping When you are | | | | the time to grow with your online business |
| starting a home based internet business, you will be | | | | opportunity. There are drawbacks but drop shipping |
| learning new concepts and applying these ideas | | | | provides the easiest way to approach the learning |
| toward the success of your work from home | | | | curve of your internet success. As you are |
| adventure. You will be devoting a great deal of your | | | | developing your online business, consider using drop |
| time applying, adjusting and adapting these plans to | | | | shipping for your internet home venture. There will be |
| your online business. You want to budget your day | | | | new ideas and concepts that you will have to grasp |
| as effectively as possible. If you can leave the | | | | as you are creating your work from home enterprise. |
| responsibility for buying, stocking, inventorying, | | | | Consider the possibility of assigning some of the |
| packaging, shipping and re-stocking products to | | | | obligations for your home based business to |
| someone else, you will have more occasions to | | | | someone else. The best use of your time is growing |
| develop your home business opportunity. Consider | | | | your business. Drop shipping can give you that |
| the advantages of drop shipping: a) No stock to deal | | | | opportunity. "What saves a man is to take a step. |
| with. b) No shipping supplies to buy. c) No space | | | | Then another step." |
| needed to store your products. d) No concerns about | | | | John Fortner lives in Oregon and works from his |
| buying now and hoping to sell later. e) No initial outlay | | | | home through his online pursuits. He is the owner of |
| of capital to buy your products. f) No shipping | | | | Best-Income Opportunities which offers information |
| charges to pay. g) No restocking concerns. h) More | | | | and opportunities for creating work at home |
| time to grow your home based business. | | | | businesses. He also manages G Children Adventures |
| Disadvantages of Drop Shipping There are drawbacks | | | | with websites that offer children's computer |
| to the drop shipping process. The two biggest areas | | | | accessories and children's room decor. |
| that you need to consider are profit margin and | | | | |