Getting Started With a Wholesale Dropship Supplier
Step one in getting your new online business started is establishing an account with your chosen wholesale dropship supplier. When you create a free account with InventorySource.com, you gain access to our Inventory Browser Tool: a list of trusted and verified dropship suppliers complete with their product catalogs, pricing, key program policies, and contact information, including the reseller application process.
Save Time With Your Free Inventory Source Access:
Every supplier is different, but many of the distributor programs save the display of key product details, like their categories, brands, descriptions, images, and more for only those resellers who get approved. This means, even if you found several suppliers that might be a good fit for you, you still need to complete the application for each program and wait for the potential approval before you can really assess if this supplier will be a match for your product sourcing needs.
However, with the Inventory Browser Tool in your free account access, you can review the full program summary of every wholesale distributor. With some suppliers you can assess in seconds, looking at their product count, UPC coverage, brands, or top level categories to see if they might be a match. With others, you can spend a few minutes browsing their product details to get a feel for the default level of product information and data quality that you would begin with for your sales listings. Once you narrow your list down to a few targeted programs, you can easily follow the reseller application links to that distributor directly and submit the reseller application for the programs you know you want to work with instead of needing to complete every application, just to find the right fit.
When you are a dropship reseller, it is easy to think of yourself selling just the products, the boxes of items that get shipped to your customers, but really what you are primarily selling is the product data and details from your product source. This is why it is so important for your to be able to access and review these details before you decide which company you should partner with for your business.
But with so many different suppliers, how do you choose the right one?
Do Your Supplier Research:
Each supplier has their own policies regarding signing up, placing orders, shipping, etc. It’s important to understand exactly what each supplier is offering so you can comply with their policies and prove yourself to be a reliable reseller. Most of this information is available on the supplier’s website, and if you are unable to find the answers to your questions, you can contact the supplier directly prior to signing up with them. You can find contact information for every supplier in the Inventory Source network from inside the Inventory Browser Tool.
Do they ship internationally or can you have them use your own shipping rates? Do they only approve resellers from specific countries? If they are a US based program, and your business is located outside of the US do they require additional documents or payment details since you will not have a US based tax ID? If they are based in the UK or Europe, do you need any specific payment terms or bank account details? What is their process for returns? How can you qualify for additional discounts based on payment terms, sales volume, or trade references?
You might have your own rules and preferences for the types of supplier programs that you want to partner with, and they might have their own rules and policies for the types of reseller applications that they approve, but with over 90 wholesale dropship sources in the Inventory Source Supplier Network, and more added every month, you are sure to find a great partner and product source for your business.
Be Prepared:
Once you’ve decided on a wholesale supplier, it’s time to apply. In order to make sure you’re approved and to expedite the process, you’ll want to make sure you have all the required information. One requirement of most dropship suppliers that many people often overlook is a Business Tax ID or Reseller Certificate. You must remember that despite not having a “brick and mortar store,” you are becoming a small business owner when you embark on the dropship reseller journey.
You are not just selling a few lamps from your attic or some baseball cards from your basement on eBay. You are about to become a true ecommerce business. If that idea seems intimidating, then you might not be ready to take the leap into running your online enterprise, but for most of you, the feeling you will have is one of excitement. If that sounds like you, then you are ready.
So get excited. The quickest and easiest aspect of selling products online is going to be getting this ID. It really only takes a few minutes, and then you are all set and ready to work with any true wholesale supplier. If you or your supplier are based outside the US, then you might use a different business ID or you might only need some specific credit terms or payment agreement, but just reach out to your supplier through their contact details listing in your Inventory Source account.
Just let your supplier know your specifics and any questions you still have after reviewing their program details or reseller application. (Note: Make a good first impression with your potential supplier partner, so just take a few minutes to review their website, policy details, FAQ’s, and application to make sure the answer to your question is not already addressed.) Sure, these wholesale distributors approve large retail accounts and resellers with years of experience. They might have sections of their application where they ask for trade references, sales history, or terms you might not be familiar with regarding your business entity.
However, they also approve first time sellers, work from home folks, and everyone in between. Just fill in the sections of the application that seem applicable to you, and that you know how to address. If you don’t hear back on your application after 2-3 days, just contact them to see if they need any additional details are needed. You can always submit a more complete application again, if it seems like more fields or reference details are needed.
In order to start off on the right foot with your supplier, show them you are serious and have gone through the process of starting your business before getting started.
Apply:
So, you’ve got everything together and organized and you’re ready to apply to become a wholesale dropship reseller. Congratulations. Now, there’s only one thing left to do; apply! You can view supplier information details such as contact info and where/how to apply by using our supplier info page or through the program links in the Inventory Browser Tool in your Inventory Source free account access.
One quick tip if you are completing applications for a few supplier programs. Most of the suppliers ask the same basic questions on their forms. So, when filling out your first application, just keep a copy of it for your records, or save a simple Word document or note pad with the responses you used, like your bank account number, Tax ID, payment details, etc. It will make completing any additional applications that much quicker when you can easily reference these details all in one place.
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