If you are intending to start your e-commerce business, you might be having a challenge with the accessibility of inventory and the space to store them once they are purchased. The brick-and-mortar model of doing business is the traditional street side whereby the retailers have the sole responsibility of processing orders from start to finish.
This usually entails leasing a warehouse storage facility for the products, handling business logistics and inventory management, as well as presiding over all the shipping costs. However, dropshipping is an alternative business strategy that requires customer orders placed through a virtual store to be fulfilled.
In this article, we are going to dive into the benefits of drop shipping for virtual store owners and what it takes to start your e-commerce business today.
What is Dropshipping?
This is an order fulfillment model buildops field service app whereby the business does not have the accessibility of the inventory it sells. As an alternative, when the buyer places an order, the seller promptly purchases the inventory needed from either a manufacturer or a wholesaler.
The difference between a brick-and-mortar model and a drop shipper is that the seller does not own stock or inventory, they act as go-betweens between the buyer and the seller.
A drop shipper is an individual who buys inventory and manages logistics from third-party sellers, instead of shipping inventory and stocking them in warehouses.
What are the Benefits of Dropshipping?
Some of the reasons why dropshipping is becoming a popular e-business model for both small and large businesses include the following:
1. Minimal Upfront Capital is Required
The main advantage of setting up an e-commerce business model is that it requires minimal no capital to launch it. Normally, the brick-and-mortar model requires the retailer to invest large sums of capital while purchasing inventory.
When it comes to the dropshipping model, you can only purchase a product from third-party sellers if you have already closed a sale and the payment is submitted by the customer.
With minimal upfront capital, you can start an e-commerce business and become very successful. In addition, fewer risks are involved in the business because you have not committed yourself to investing in purchasing any upfront inventory.
2. Accessibility
Managing an e-commerce business is easy to start because it does not require the owner to stock up on physical products. Some of the merits of starting a dropshipping company include the following:
- A drop shipper does not have to pay or manage a warehouse.
- The client does not have to worry about the packing and shipping of their orders.
- The drop shipper does not have to incur extra expenses for tracking their inventory for accounting purposes because that is the work of the third-party seller.
- The drop shipper handles the return consignment and inbounds shipments on behalf of the customer.
3. Flexibility
When it comes to dropshipping business, it can comfortably be run at just about any location with the presence of an internet connection. Timely communication with the suppliers is essential as it plays a major role in meeting the customer’s expectations hence boosting sales.
Conclusion
Dropshipping offers a wide range of products which enables prospective customers to enjoy their shipping experience.