Disallusioned DropShipper2

I wrote a post a few months ago about our experience dropshipping www.digitalmediastream.net/disallusioned-dropshipper. We did have moderate success with it and have since moved on. But this evening I came across an article http://www.income.com/blog/2007/07/17/what-the-heck-do-i-sell/ that is promoting the same "dropshipping is the answer" mentality that I find irritating.

We found that we had to put in much more time to make the business run smoothly than we anticipated and sold the business on to someone who hired a whole staff to make his portfolio of dropship sites run well.

Yes, dropshipping does work. Yes, it is easy to set up and get running. But, it is not entirely hands off. If you want to provide even mediocre customer service, then you will have to be available during business hours to answer peoples questions, track down orders, and coordinate returns. This is all manageable, but it isn't really the part time gig that most people are looking for. Just my ongoing opinion

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Sun, 02/17/2008 - 12:17 — kwood07

Another Example

Once again I have come across an author that is touting dropshipping as an answer to every entrepreneur's dream. This time it is in a Wall Street Journal best seller, the "Four Hour Workweek". I don't really have a problem with the book, and it provides good resources for establishing an online business and automating it, but again it downplays the amount of overall effort that goes into building a worthwhile website.

I love the ability to set up shop on the web. I just wish author's would stop saying how easy it is. Usually, what it means is that it's easy if you follow their advice, and , oh by the way, their advice costs x.

Find unique niches, build good sites, sell great products and be prepared to work at it.

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