[box type=”shadow”]Selling via a drop shipper means you don’t have the product you are selling on hand but instead use the manufacturer or a distributor to ship the product for you. Using a drop shipper in the Internet marketplace, which is often done on sites like eBay, can be a moneymaker. Some are legitimate and reliable, but others can make the selling experience a nightmare for both you and your customer.[/box]

[box type=”shadow”]1.) Search Google, using the search terms “Drop shipper,” but be prepared to sift through hundreds of scam sites that don’t really care if you make a penny off of the deal. A legitimate site will not ask you to pay a fee. They will want to become your business partner so that you will both profit by the sales that you make. These firms are out there, but finding them takes time.

2.) Examine the products that the drop shipper offers. Do they sell? Go to eBay and do a completed auctions search for the product. The information on how much the item actually sells for is vital. You will frequently find that your drop shipper wants to charge you more than the item actually sells for on eBay. This is the most basic, sensible check that you can perform. Do not believe promises made about new merchandise coming online from the drop shipper unless you can confirm them, actually see the products and test how well they sell.

3.) Search online and through business directories that you can get at your local library for small manufacturers that are not yet drop shipping. Your goal is to find a firm that will let you be the exclusive seller of their products. This way, you eliminate hundreds or thousands of other sellers online who want to compete with you. Get a contract that gives you exclusive rights.

4.) Attend trade shows. Trade shows host thousands of product manufacturers who might be willing to drop ship for you. The show only lets trade professionals in, so you will need to print up professional looking business cards and register with your state to get a tax ID number, or in some states, a permit. This is a small price to pay for access to the real thing, manufacturers who are not out to scam you. Do a Google search for “Trade shows” and of the product that interests you.

5.) Attend manufacturers’ conventions. Focus on an industry that interests you, and find out, through a Google search, where their conventions will be held. Make sure that you read and satisfy the requirements to attend. While there, you will be able to talk with the people who create the product that interests you, and who are looking for a way to sell it. As Charles Allen, a manufacturer’s booth expert, points out, manufacturers are hungry for good sellers of their products. This is the place to find them.

6.) Read trade publications. For example, if you are interested in selling toys, Toy Directory Monthly, or TD Monthly, is a good source. Most of these publications give tips to buyers and sellers alike, and are available online.
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