In search of dropshipping suppliers

Probably, the most essential part of making your dropshipping project successful is a reliable supplier. It’s evident that different technical solutions allow almost everyone to launch their dropshipping stores. Creating a unique online shop has become easy and even enjoyable now.

However, you might spend your time and money in vain if you fail to find dependable suppliers. Obviously, you’ll get a barrage of criticism from your clients if your business partners can’t keep their end of the bargain. Later on, your sales will fall off, customers will avoid buying from your store. And finally, you’ll be compelled to quit dropshipping.

The situation looks far more complicated when it comes to finding a happy medium between the goods’ prices and the providers’ reliability. Although it seems to be easy to find cheap products, set a high markup and sell them making a great profit, often you can’t be sure of their quality and your business partners’ decency. On the other hand, buying items from a well-known reliable company implies being overcharged due to the fact that it’s already a retailer, but not a wholesaler. It turns out that you purchase goods from your competitors, which makes this option pointless.

Thus, a reasonable question may come to your mind. How and where could I find a reliable supplier? There are three main ways to implement that.

1. Searching for dropshipping suppliers on your own

If you’ve already made up your mind what products you want to sell, you might turn to suited manufactures. They could reveal you their distributors.

Also you can find wholesalers on the Internet. But, as it was mentioned, it’s not easy to find genuine wholesalers on account of their poor marketing strategy. You should search high and low to come across them.

However, even if you can find a reliable supplier, it doesn’t mean that they are willing to cooperate with you. At best, they disclose their real wholesale prices and start working with you only if you assure them that your business is legal and you can provide a considerable number of orders from the beginning. At worst, they don’t do dropshipping at all.

2. Choosing a supplier from dropshipping directories

For those who have no idea what items to sell and where to look for a provider, there are dropshipping directories. They are special databases which make wholesalers undergo verification procedure to make sure they are trustworthy. Those companies which managed to prove their reliability get listed in directories.

Directories are really convenient for entrepreneurs who are just getting into dropshipping. However, there you face some pitfalls which could make it difficult to dropship from directories:

• You have to pay for using their databases.
• And as well as in the case of searching a supplier on your own, the companies listed in directories have serious requirements to meet. It might be a minimum order quantity or providing the evidence of your ability to put a decent number of orders. They even may limit your pricing policy.

3. Cooperating with a supplier from an online retail platform

Choosing suppliers from one of the online retail platforms seems to be the most appropriate for the traditional dropshipping model. Indeed, if you manage to find a reliable provider there, you’ll avoid the problems mentioned above. Nobody will limit your trading policy, charge you a fee or require any assurance.

There are several big and famous retail websites where you can search for suppliers, such as eBay, Amazon and AliExpress. Many people tend to work with AliExpress. While other platforms put some restrictions on their clients, for example delivery limitations, AliExpress remains the most liberal of them and provides the lowest prices.

By filtering products, looking into suppliers’ statistics and customers’ reviews, picking goods with a free shipping option, you will find trustworthy providers and save your money and time.