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7 Key Questions to Ask Before Trying Clothing Dropshipping Model
Posted: May 30, 2016
Dropshipping has become very popular among the online clothing businesses. And why not, really? When dropshippers are offering smooth inventory management system and are directly shipping to the final customers, hence reducing the stress of doing-business- they are bound to be the favorites. But just because things are simpler doesn’t necessarily mean they are easier.
Before anyone decides on to capitalize on this clothing dropshipping model, there are host of things that needs to be addressed and plenty of questions that needs to be answered. Here are 7 questions that online startups must ask themselves, for optimum benefit, before going for clothing dropshipping model-
1. How to select good clothing companies that dropship?
Unlike in the case of manufacturer, picking a good clothing dropship wholesale company is twice as difficult. Because, in a way, your whole business depends on it; be it buying your wholesale (provided your dropshipper also manufactures) or shipping to your customers. So, one must really have the keen eyes to pick the right dropshipper.
2. Can you trust the dropshipper?
Like mentioned, on dropshippers, your whole online clothing business depends. In fact, they are, in a way, you business partners. So having that trust factor in your relation is very important. Can you trust them when they say they will handle your inventories efficiently? Can you trust them when they say they are going to ship to your customers exactly on time?
3. Are you getting to manage your inventory real-time?
Yes, the dropshippers do the hard part by managing your tangible inventory in their warehouse. But you are also supposed to get stock management interface on which you can handle your products accordingly in real-time. So must know how many products are left in your warehouse right after you made sales; you must know when to restock your products. This is important particularly when you’re selling on multi-channels that often open the gates for over-sale and heaps of confusion.
4. Are you looking to expand your business outside your city or country?
One of the biggest advantages of dropshipping your products is you get an opportunity to expand your business beyond the local boundaries. Since the dropshippers handle your shipping, and they usually have wide distribution channels, you can now take order from international customers as well without caring about delivery. So if ‘go international’ is already in your agenda, good!
5. What type of clothing items to dropship?
It is important, particularly if you’re just starting in the online clothing industry, to refrain yourself from buying every type and variety of clothes to target every consumer base. To keep the confusion, ambiguity and stress down, it is best to go with only the selected few types of wears and target only a specific consumer base. Like if you’re just going to stick with fitness wears, buying, real-time inventory management, and selling- all becomes very easy and convenient.
6. Should you retail or wholesale?
Although the retail model is very popular with the dropshipping setup, selling in wholesale is just as lucrative option that requires nearly the same amount of hard work. So if that appeals you, suit your budget and financial standing, you can go for wholesale model. There are many clothes wholesale dropship companies who offer their products and services according to this model.
7. On which online platform should you sell your products?
There are many platforms on which you can sell your products. And this largely depends if you’re wholesaling or retailing and what you’re actually selling. If you’re retailing products, top online marketplaces are better options, while if you’re selling in bulk, having your own e-commerce platform would be more convenient.
These are the seven key questions that one must ask before actually going for clothing dropshipping model. They answer should one really go with the dropshippers and also maximizes the benefits for businesses who does decide to follow this model.
The author has recently started selling fitness wears on eBay. He is dropshipping his products; he is making big; and his life is pretty easy and fun. And he wants that for his readers too. To know more visit http://www.clothingdropshipping.com/