How to Start a Dropshipping Business with Zero Investment?

 by Lisa W. - February 24th, 2021 | Last Updated on May 10th, 2021

Yes, it is possible to start a dropshipping business with zero investment on your part. In reality, you can pretty much start your business today and don’t have to spend a penny. In the long run, if you want your business to do well and be stable for a long time, you might have to doll out some cash. However, as you can invest from the profit you have earned by dropshipping, it all cancels out, as long as you are smart.

That can be dealt with later, though. For now, let’s talk about how to start a dropshipping business without spending anything.

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Table of Contents

1 . Your Time

It’s wrong to say that you don’t have to do anything while starting a dropshipping business. You might not have to dig into your funds, but you do have to give your time. You can’t just open an online store one day and expect it to go splendidly from the start. You have to be prepared with all the knowledge that will prevent your business from becoming a failure.

To do that, you have to first identify the kind of products you want to sell. You should then know whether you are only selling trending products or niche products. If you sell niche products, you will have to choose profitable niches. If you choose trending products, you will have to compete with a large number of people. If you choose to do both, well, you need to do a massive amount of research.

2. Open A Store

This is somewhat obvious. How will people find you if you don’t have a store? Only in case of dropshipping, the store has to be an online one instead of a physical one. How do you open an online store, though?

Well, there are plenty of platforms available, like Shopify, eBay, etc., that will give you an online platform. The only catch is that none of these are completely free. Getting started on them is for free, though, and that’s all you need to do initially.

For example, on Shopify, the initial website is available to you for free. If you want extra features, though, you will have to choose from the number of subscription plans available on the site. These plans have to be availed on a monthly basis.

You can sign up on Shopify for free for 15 days. And you don’t have to provide your card information. So, even if you forget to cancel the subscription plan, they won’t charge you anything. They will only ask for your card information if you try to use the site for over 15 days.

3. The Supplier Search

Now, after you have started your online store, it’s time to find a supplier. There are plenty of online dropshipping suppliers, some of them in accordance with the host websites. You will have to find the ones that won’t charge you initially. These suppliers should charge you only after you have made a sale from the products you would be hosting.

4. Research

In case you have started a business on a Shopify online store, the initial 15 days are all you get to make your decisions. During that time, research thoroughly on product trends. See how your products are doing, how your customers react to the product they receive during that time period. If the reception is good, it is safe to make an investment, and you can pay once the 15 days have passed. If the reception isn’t satisfactory, it is time to back off and let go of this website.

It’s not like you can’t create more than one account. Let the first account go, double down on your research and create a new online store that will vibe with your potential customers. In the meantime, you would already have an email list of customers to whom you can inform as you move websites.

5. Marketing

A successful business is dependent on successful marketing tactics. Fortunately, in today’s social media world, marketing doesn’t have to be something you spent a massive amount of money on. It is completely possible to market your website for free on various social media platforms.

However, the only one you have to rely on in this case is your own marketing abilities. Try to create posts that will go viral. Hit up as many people as you can and inform them of your new shop. Let them know about your products and why it is a good idea to purchase these products from you. Once you start marking successful sales, you will be able to move on from free social media marketing to paid marketing.

Of course, you can always stick to free social media marketing if you don’t think it is the right time yet. As long as you can create engaging posts and write trending blog posts, your products will have good exposure.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, nothing is truly ever free of investment. Even if you don’t have to spend your money initially, you will have to spend it after some time. However, getting started on a dropshipping business itself free of cost. The investment is the time, effort, and money you spend afterward after your dropshipping business has already taken off for a few days.

Opening a dropshipping business is easy, sustaining it is the hard part. As you are starting without any investment initially, you will have to work extra hard at first. You will have to be on top of your game and make your business profitable. When the time comes for you to use your funds, you won’t feel that it has left a big hole in your pocket.

Don’t worry much, though. If you get the product catalog and marketing part right, everything else will come easily. Your service can be worked on over time, but first, you need to make sure you have sales.