How My Business Runs Off Drop Shipping
This blog may include affiliate links.
When I had the dream of starting my small shop I really had no idea where to start. So I got to work doing loads and loads of research to find what my options were and how I was going to carry out my dream. Hopefully what I gathered will help you and save you some time!
WHAT IS DROPSHIPPING?
Dropshipping is when a company fully prints/ creates a product and delivers the product directly to your customer's hands and under your brand. I decided this is exactly what I needed and started to look for drop shippers and review their procedures. I found that many had minimum orders per month, monthly fees, long shipping times, or complicating processes or procedures. But then I found Printful and Printify.
WHAT IS PRINTFUL and Printify AND WHY SHOULD YOU USE them?
Printful and Printify are dropshipping companies that sell by the item at a wholesale price and ship directly to your consumer under your branding. They charge by the item and have no monthly requirements or hoops to jump through to get your product in the hands of your consumer.
THINGS I LIKED ABOUT Dropshippers
-No minimum orders required.
-No monthly fees.
-Easy store set-up.
-The price of the item includes ink and printing.
-Product inventory is more than just shirts like hats, towels, backpacks, beanies, leggings, etc.
-Multiple shipping options to choose from for each order.
-The best mockup generator you will ever encounter.
-The ability to have multiple shop profiles or 'stores' all in one account.
-The ability to sync your ETSY, Shopify, etc store to turn on automatic fulfillment.
-Easy order fulfillment in manual mode.
-Site loads and works well on mobile devices for filling an order on the go.
-All print files can be stored in your account.
-Easy to use templates if you choose to use them.
-Product reviews to know about your product before using it.
-Discounts for sample orders of four items, three times a month.
-Custom branding like logos and packing slips included in your packaging.
THIS SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, RIGHT?
Well, that's exactly what I thought in the beginning, but I was very wrong. It's because of these companies that I am able to have a successful company. I was so afraid of ordering items in bulk and not being able to sell it all. That could have easily taken my company under. But now I can make a new product and post it on my site with no concern of it not selling and me getting stuck with unwanted leftover inventory. I will say the ONLY thing they are lacking is the customization you normally get from ordering from a small shop. I am not able to put handwritten notes or special goodies in the packages sent out by my company unless I pay heavy fees for it. This is a downfall as many small shops use cute boxes and decor in their shipping options. They do have the ability to store and include pack-ins for your shipments at an additional cost. However, the white mailer bags with my logo printed on them and my customized packing slip have worked just fine for me so far!
BUT WHAT IF SOMETHING WRONG HAPPENS?
When someone orders something from me it takes the drop shipper 1-7 days (varies by item) to fulfill that order and ship it out. I normally have a few hours from placing that order to change, edit or cancel that order for any reason, you have even longer to change shipping times. If a customer receives a wrong item or something is missing or damaged I quickly get in contact with Customer Service and they fix the problem and fix it ON THEIR DOLLAR. This is very important! Say your customer orders three mugs and they arrive broken, Print on demands will replace that item QUICKLY and you won't pay any more! Furthermore, customer service typically replies within 24 hours and the entire issue is handled within 48 hours or faster.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Printful and Printify have revolutionized the way small shops can print at a mass scale. I would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone starting out or already established. Simply log on HERE for Printful or HERE for Printify, make an account, and set up your store in under thirty minutes. Both companies have comparable products and I use whoever is most affordable for each product. Good luck!
