Is Dropshipping Worth It?

Is Dropshipping Worth It?

Dropshipping is thriving like never before. Forecasts predict that the global dropshipping market will reach $301.11 billion in 2024 and soar to $372.47 billion by 2025. Is dropshipping worth it when it’s growing so fast? 

Imagine you’re running an online store. Instead of going through the hassle of buying inventory, packaging, and making trips to the post office, a supplier ships the orders directly to the customer from their warehouse.

That’s dropshipping. 

Many people have leaped into dropshipping-based entrepreneurship with inspiring success

In this article, you’ll find all the information and tools to begin your entrepreneurial journey with confidence.

What is Dropshipping?

In a few words, dropshipping is a modern, convenient, and low-risk business model that doesn’t require a brick-and-mortar store.

The idea is that a store owner sells products, but never stores the inventory themselves. The merchandise moves directly from the supplier to the end consumer without ever being handled or stored by the retailer.

In short, you sell other people’s products and take a cut for yourself.

A diagram of the dropshipping flow we described in this chapter.

The cherry on top is that it’s simple to start and costs hardly anything.

The real magic, however, happens when you combine dropshipping with Printify’s print-on-demand services. The result: personalized merchandise that you can customize to your heart’s content.

Is Dropshipping Worth It?

Is dropshipping worth it: Source-Unsplash
Is dropshipping worth it: Source-Unsplash

Absolutely! Dropshipping is a convenient, profitable, and worthwhile business method. A whopping $476.1 billion is the predicted global dropshipping market size by 2026, offering a low-cost entry into entrepreneurship for anyone interested.

Global eCommerce sales are on their way to $6 trillion by 2024. These impressive figures confirm that the future of retail is undeniably online.

If you’re still asking yourself the billion-dollar question, Is dropshipping worth it?, let’s take a look at some rock-solid facts

  • Low initial investment. Unlike traditional retail, dropshipping doesn’t require a hefty upfront investment in inventory. You only buy a product from a supplier after a customer orders from you.
  • Minimal overhead costs. There’s no need for a physical store or storage space. Dropshipping businesses mostly operate online, drastically reducing rent, utilities, and staff costs.
  • Flexible location. As long as you have an internet connection, you can manage your dropshipping business from anywhere.
  • Scalability. It’s easier to scale a dropshipping business. Since you don’t handle the products, fulfilling more orders doesn’t require significant operational changes.
  • Wide product range. Offer a vast array of products without purchasing or stocking them. You can easily switch to another without financial setbacks if one product doesn’t sell.
  • Reduced risk. With no inventory to worry about, the risks of dead stock, unsold inventory, or loss from theft or damage are virtually nonexistent.
  • Focus on marketing. Since you’re not dealing with inventory or order fulfillment, channel your resources and energy into designing, marketing, and exploring new market avenues.

However, it’s also worth noting that dropshipping success depends on a multitude of factors, including: 

  • Product selection. The profitability in dropshipping often starts with the right product. Trendy, niche, or products with a steady demand can determine how much interest your store generates.
  • Supplier relations. Building a reliable and trustworthy relationship with suppliers is essential. It ensures product quality and timely shipping and can even get you better deal rates.
  • Marketing efforts. Just setting up a dropshipping store isn’t enough. Proper marketing, including SEO and social media promotions, is crucial. 
  • Operational costs. These include advertisement costs, transaction fees, and any other overheads. Efficiently managing these costs ensures that expenditures don’t eat up your earnings.
  • Profit margins. It’s worth noting that the average profit margin for dropshipping ranges between 10-30%. However, this figure can fluctuate.

In conclusion, the answer to Is dropshipping worth it? is a definite yes. And there has never been a better time to start your own dropshipping business, discover Print on Demand, and earn passive income.

As we can see, all the lights are green – there has never been a better time to start your own dropshipping business, discover print on demand, and earn some additional income.

Benefits of Dropshipping

Benefits Of Dropshipping
Benefits Of Dropshipping

The dropshipping business model has some indisputable advantages. Whenever anyone’s resistant to take a bite out of the lucrative dropshipping pie, exploring the list of its benefits usually changes their minds.

Is dropshipping worth it? Let’s find out.

Low Investment

It is inexpensive to start. Arguably, dropshipping has one of the lowest barriers to entry in eCommerce. You purchase products only after they’ve been paid for by your customers.

Adequate Supply Chain

Usually, traditional entrepreneurs have to wear dozens of hats to run a successful business. With dropshipping, you cut out expensive tasks like warehousing, managing inventory, packaging, etc.

Wide Range of Products

As a dropshipper, you get access to a larger selection of products. Without having to keep inventory, you’re free to offer and sell a broad selection of merchandise.

Flexible Location

You have the freedom of the open road. Technology has improved to the point of empowering just about anyone to run their own business. Additionally, you can work from anywhere you like.

Ability to Scale Quickly

A dropshipper can scale their business quickly, because all the heavy lifting – inventory, packaging, and shipping – is done by a third-party supplier. You have more time to focus on sales and marketing.

Downside to Dropshipping

Downside To Dropshipping
Downside To Dropshipping

The world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is also the case with dropshipping. Identifying strengths isn’t enough. In order to succeed, it’s essential to know where the limitations are and act accordingly.

Is dropshipping worth it despite its flaws? Let’s see what hurdles there are and how to overcome them.

Little to No Quality Control

With the dropshipping model, the manufacturer sends products directly to your customers, so you can’t ensure they’re in good condition.

Without reliable suppliers, the quality of your products may not meet your customers’ expectations and put your reputation at risk.

Lack of Transparency

As a dropshipper, you are not involved in the order fulfillment and shipping process. This is a significant disadvantage if order errors or shipping delays occur.

Vetting your suppliers and their services is of paramount importance.

Low-Profit Margins

For suppliers to provide shipping and storage services, you have to pay a slight premium compared to wholesale prices. In short, you have to sell more to make the same amount of money as traditional stores.

However, if you successfully build brand value, you can sell for whatever you want.

Whenever you plan to start dropshipping, carefully weigh your options and pay attention to details.

Turn Obstacles Into Opportunities With Printify!

Frequently Asked Questions

Dropshipping is a perfectly legal order fulfillment model used by many retailers and entrepreneurs across the globe.

As is usually the case, dropshipping legal requirements may differ from country to country – always make sure to diligently evaluate your country’s requirements.

To stay safe and out of trouble, we suggest:

  • Carefully vetting your dropshipping suppliers
  • Protecting yourself with a Dropshipping Agreement Contract
  • Consulting a legal professional who specializes in dropshipping legal requirements

If you’re interested in the legal aspects of opening an eCommerce store, our handy guide shows you how to establish a business structure, deal with taxes, and provides other valuable insights, so you can start your business on the right foot.

Yes, dropshipping is profitable when done correctly. Essentially, it’s a low-risk business model that allows you to sell other people’s products and take a cut for yourself.

With dropshipping, you can easily scale your business, do it quickly, and thus earn more.

Without having to worry about warehousing, packaging, or shipping your products, you can focus on sales and building your brand.

All entrepreneurs are unique. As long as they are driven to work hard, on average dropshippers can make between $1,000 and $5,000 per month. Generally, as a dropshipper, you’d make 20% to 30% from each sale.

However, you also need to account for expenses such as website hosting, marketing, and purchasing products from dropshipping suppliers.

Like any other business, dropshipping is not easy. Be that as it may, it’s a viable, welcoming, and profitable business model that anyone can start from the comfort of their home.

To become a successful dropshipper, you need to do your research well, choose your suppliers wisely, and bring your marketing A-game.

Yes, it’s definitely worth it. With dropshipping, anyone can leap into the highly profitable eCommerce space and easily start their own business without any investment. If you’re serious about your new venture, 2022 is the best time to start.

When dropshipping is combined with print on demand, you can even personalize the products you sell, thus standing out from the competition.

Dropshipping Success Stories

As scary as new beginnings are, you should never be disheartened by the unfamiliar path. The open road can be faced by either excitement kindled by the prospect of financial independence or fear of failure. You get to make that choice.

Whatever you’d like to achieve, you are not alone – many have dreamt the same dream and turned it into reality. With the help of Printify, you can too.

A photo of April Showers and the flagship brown unicorn illustration of her brand Afro Unicorn.
A photo of April Showers and the flagship brown unicorn illustration of her brand Afro Unicorn.

April Showers created her brand – Afro Unicorn – to empower and inspire women of color to pursue business opportunities.

As a merchandise and clothing brand, Afro Unicorn has gained popularity and developed a strong community around it. Just recently, she successfully achieved a partnership with Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States.

Loretta Owens, wearing a red t-shirt and a black apron, sits at a red desk while creating her artwork.
Loretta Owens, wearing a red t-shirt and a black apron, sits at a red desk while creating her artwork.

Loretta Owens – self-proclaimed ‘tech dinosaur’ and an overnight TikTok sensation – began selling her striking artwork on Etsy with astounding success.

With the help of print on demand, she’s able to focus solely on her passion – creating artwork that explodes with color and character. With Printify, she can design and sell as many products as she likes without having to buy them upfront.

A photo of Gary Stokes wearing a black, polo-neck OceanAsia t-shirt.
A photo of Gary Stokes wearing a black, polo-neck OceanAsia t-shirt.

Gary Stokes is the co-founder of OceansAsia, a marine conservation organization that investigates wildlife crimes and brings justice to those responsible for destroying marine ecosystems.

In their online store, they offer a variety of branded items. With the help of Printify, OceansAsia creates personalized merchandise that funds their cause, spreads awareness, and gets their brand known.

Create Your Own Print on Demand Success Today!

How to Start a Dropshipping Business With No Money

Whatever your dreams are, Printify’s mission stays the same – to help you make more money with less effort.

Printify makes dropshipping for beginners easy. We are a user-friendly print-on-demand and dropshipping platform that enables people from all walks of life to start their own business without any up-front investment.

We pride ourselves in working tirelessly to make sure you’re getting the highest quality products, best prices, and shipping rates.

If you want to start a dropshipping business with no money, here’s how to do it.

1. Sign Up for a Free Account

Simply sign up for a free Printify account, explore our ever-growing catalog, pick the products you want to sell, and customize them using our user-friendly Mockup Generator.

2. Set Up Your Digital Store

You can seamlessly integrate Printify with some of the world’s most popular eCommerce platforms and online marketplaces like eBay, Shopify, Etsy, Squarespace, and many others.

$$$

3. Run Your Business!

After everything is set up, you can relax and focus on driving sales. You don’t need to worry about managing an inventory or shipping.

When a customer buys from your digital store, our thoroughly-vetted print providers will print, package, and ship directly to their doorstep.

Why Should I Partner With Printify?

Dropsihipping With Printify
Dropsihipping With Printify

As a tried and true way of making money from home, our service is trusted by more than 500 thousand merchants worldwide.

If you’re looking for a sturdy foundation for your print-on-demand and dropshipping needs, you’re in the right company.

An Ever-Growing Product Catalog

We offer over 500 customizable, high-quality products – t-shirts, hoodies, backpacks, yoga mats, phone cases, shoes, posters, and much more.

A Network of Reliable Print Providers

With Printify, you can deliver to your customers quickly, wherever they are. We have partnered with over 90 printing facilities all across the world.

User-Friendly Design Tools

With our powerful Mockup Generator, you can design and create new products easily.

No Risk, No Inventory

Our service is completely free, easy to use, and accessible to everyone. With Printify, you can start dropshipping without any inventory or heavy lifting.

Closing Thoughts

As the world continues to embrace the convenience of online shopping, dropshipping and print on demand provide an ever-welcoming opportunity to anyone willing to seize it.

Is dropshipping worth it in 2022? Yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

Whether you’re planning to run a business on the side or devote yourself to entrepreneurship wholeheartedly, the fruit of dropshipping is ripe for the picking.

Start Your Entrepreneurial Journey Today!

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2 comments

  1. Kashifa
    August 11

    Thank you so much for such a great platform.
    My question is that how much any body can earn in beginning if they starts business of drop shipping with print on demand?

    1. Martha Simmons
      August 12

      Hi there,
      Thank you for your feedback!
      You can adjust the retail price to your liking. We advise on having at least 30% profit margin to make your store grow successfully with Printify. You can also look into different marketing tactics to help you sell your products.

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