Using a drop shipper to manage your stock supply as well as shipment logistics is one of the best ways to start a home business. Large companies can afford to delegate these non core activities to their employees but a home run business often needs the business owner to do all these jobs. Trying to manage too many administrative activities takes away time that a seller can use to attract more clients, research better products as well establish better two-way communication with prospects. This article talks about 5 of the most important things that a home run business should focus on when using drop shipping.

Pricing

Drop shippers are essentially suppliers that offer a reliable and consistent stock of relevant merchandise at wholesale rates. However, many of the people who claim to be drop shippers have no real link with the company whose products they `drop ship’ and occasionally offer inflated rates. Needless to add, these rates add to your cost structure and minimize your profit making ability. As a precaution, do ask around and compare rates to suggested retail pricing before signing on a drop shipper.

Authenticity

The biggest risk with a drop shipping model is that the goods do not pass through you. So a dishonest supplier would not only pass on substandard material to your clients under your name, he can also usurp customer information and use it for his own ends. They can send pricing information that can upset the customer into switching over to another drop shipper or send their own collateral to promote themselves and they can even mismanage deliveries in hundreds of ways. You should also ensure that the drop shipper shares his stock lists with you so that you are able to manage sales and customer expectations accordingly. Only a genuine drop shipper will be able to do that.

Time Of Delivery

While many promises are made as regards speed and efficiency of delivery, many drop shippers do not hold up to this commitment. Delay in delivery is one of the main reasons for customer dissatisfaction and ensuring timely delivery is therefore the cornerstone of any successful home business. Here again drop shippers that do not actually hold stock or do not carry sufficient stock, can cause a lot of delay in customer delivery. Be sure to agree on minimum set timelines for customer deliveries to avoid complaints later.

International Shipping

Drop shippers that have the capacity to ship to countries outside your own, give you a huge competitive advantage. There may be an extra cost or fee involved due to the higher rates of delivery but you should be prepared to pay that provided you are still making a profit.

Return And Refund Policy

Most reliable businesses today offer a return and refund policy to their customers. At the very least, it inspires a sense of trust. But in order to offer this policy to your customers, your drop shipper needs to offer it to you. Be sure to discuss this well in advance before starting work. A good drop shipper will happily take responsibility for the quality of his or her shipment and will be willing to absorb costs on the few occasions that a customer is dissatisfied. This policy and its scope are best committed to paper or included in the contract to avoid any confusion or ill will later.

Apart from the above, it is also a good idea to exercise general precautions related to avoiding financial fraud and performing due diligence on your prospective list of drop shippers. Most of the people pretending to be drop shippers are not reliable. They seldom have any real affiliation with the company and are out to make a fast buck by riding the drop shipping trend. Ask for references or place a sample order before you start work to avoid a costly mistake later on.