DropShipping can increase profits with minimal time & money investment required. Here’s why we love it, & how Avasam can help sellers succeed. DropShipping is a retail fulfillment method where a retailer/seller, whether online, offline or both, ideally does not hold stock.

1. eBusiness Guru
What is DropShipping?
The DropShipping revolution continues to gain pace – if you’ve not heard about it, or jumped in,
where have you been? Here’s a quick recap of the
basics for the beginners:
DropShipping is a retail fulfillment method where
a retailer/seller, whether online, offline or both,
ideally does not hold stock.
When a customer buys a product, the seller
immediately buys it from a supplier, who dispatches
directly to the customer. The seller never sees or
handles the product.
Sellers typically use the DropShipping model for four reasons:
 Their business is 100% DropShipping, and they don’t hold inventory at all
 They want to expand the number of products in their existing inventory
 They want to test the market for new products before investing, or without needing to
invest in stock
 They want to make better use of a portion of their capital by keeping it liquid, rather than
tying it up in stock.
Suppliers tend to use the DropShipping model:
 To clear dead stock from their warehouse
 Increase sales (and therefore profits)
 No need to manage their own multi-channel eCommerce brand
Retailers sell DropShipped products wherever you can sell online – Some might even offer the
products for next day delivery from their brick and mortar retail locations.
Sellers might have their own eCommerce website, or they might sell through online
marketplaces. Amazon, eBay, Wish, Groupon – they might sell through just one of them, or they
might sell on all of them.

2. eBusiness Guru
Why DropShipping?
The DropShipping model supported over $85.2
billion of sales in 2017 – Imagine if you could take
just 1% of that! We’re expecting at least half of
online retailers (at least partially) to adopt the model
in 2019. That might be to eliminate their warehouse
overheads, to try risky products without investment,
or just to make life easier. With clever choices of
suppliers, there’s also the opportunity to expand
worldwide. UK sellers can sell in New Zealand (for
example) and avoid prohibitive shipping costs by
using a supplier located nearby. This helps maintain
and increase the reach of their brand.
With DropShipping as part of, or all of your business, the opportunities to increase sales and
profits – both domestic and worldwide – are endless.
Are There Downsides to DropShipping?
Let’s get straight to it: DropShipped items generally return smaller profits on an item-for-item
basis. That might put some sellers off, but the benefits do outweigh the costs. Adding
DropShipped items to their inventory means increased customer interest with no long-term
investment in stock. The customer can’t see the difference, they just know who is offering the
product they are looking for. And of course, if their preferred seller has the item, they are more
likely to place an order with them than bothering to shop around. There are many reasons a
customer might choose to shop with a competitor, but DropShipping can help reduce those
reasons.
Suppliers have told us they have struggled with sellers not paying their bills. However, when it
works well, suppliers benefit from increased sales volume, allowing them to reduce production
and shipping costs by increased volume discounts. This is, of course, without needing to invest
more of their own money in their own eCommerce brand. They do admit, however, that there are
challenges that can come with that increase as well.
Both sellers and suppliers have told us they found DropShipping tricky, or have been put off by
horror stories. Finding reliable partners, getting paid, creating, learning and supporting bespoke
tools and procedures have all caused problems in the past. There’s a lot of room for human error
and delays that impact on customer satisfaction and can attract negative reviews.
Solutions seem to be popping up everywhere: Shopify is promoting Oberlo, Bigcommerce have
apps in their app store, and many, many more. But they are all bespoke tools, and getting
connections between marketplaces, suppliers, shipping providers and payments right can be
tricky.

3. eBusiness Guru
Common Mistakes First-Time DropShippers
Should Avoid
Choosing products based on
your own likes and dislikes
Make sure you do your research,
even if you are part of your target
market! Knowing the demand in the
market will ensure you’re more
likely to be successful with the
products you’ve chosen.
Selling counterfeits or copies
Customers who are looking for fast
fashion copies and lookalike
products in the UK are more likely
to head for known retailers.
Counterfeit products aren’t just
unethical, they’re illegal in many
countries. It’s not worth the risk, so
we’d advise finding another product.
Picking what everyone else is selling
While trending products can indicate what
might sell well, they might not be the right fit
for you. If you want to go that route, make
sure you’re doing your homework and use
tools to make informed decisions.
Neglecting your marketing
Marketing will bring your customers to your
store, or marketplace listings, although great
marketing alone isn’t enough. Well-worded
listings, a great customer journey through your website and easy payment methods are essential
to get customers to buy. Make sure you’re focusing your attention enough in the right places –
put your marketing first, and your profits will follow.

4. eBusiness Guru
Forgetting your customers after their purchase
It’s important to pay attention to Customer Service AFTER the sale as well. Follow up with your
customers, and if there’s an issue, be prepared to deal with it, and your DropShipper. You need
to continue a great customer experience and ensure loyalty from the customer moving forwards.
Use your social media, and apps to continue to ensure the reviews from your customers are
excellent. Building trust will build repeat custom, and good word of mouth and reviews are
crucial.
DropShipping Simplified with Avasam
We knew there had to be a better way for DropShippers. So we put our heads together and
designed Avasam – an automated platform providing extensive functionality and streamlining
direct-to-consumer order fulfillment. Multi-channel order, inventory and warehouse management
systems can be directly integrated, with numerous integrations for marketplaces and shipping
providers. We built secure payments in using PayPal and Stripe, with the facility for suppliers to
provide pre-approved credit. By automating the processes between the supplier and seller, there’s
less need for human interaction and admin so less errors. That might sound like a lot of technical
jargon, so:
To put it simply – Avasam handles everything you need for
DropShipping, whether you’re a seller or a supplier.
We’re offering Avasam to our existing clients, but new clients, and eCommerce start-ups are
joining daily. With so many benefits of DropShipping for both sellers and suppliers, Avasam is a
low-cost solution to start DropShipping quickly.
Primary Features of Avasam:
 Connection to existing systems for order management, inventory management, or
warehouse management is simple without complicated file exchanges
 Direct connections to marketplaces including Amazon and eBay; update customers
automatically

5. eBusiness Guru
 Secure payment methods using PayPal, Stripe or pre-approved account credit
 Direct integrations with shipping providers including Royal Mail, Whistl and DHL
 Rating & feedback system rewarding responsible, reliable DropShipping partners
Benefits for DropShippers Benefits for DropSeekers Benefits for Customers
 Low risk, low cost
 Easy to start – fully
compatible with
existing platforms and
simple integration
 Setup & implementation
handled by a dedicated
team
 Unlimited increased
potential sales income
 Highly automated with
very little admin
 Unlimited numbers of
DropSeekers allowed
 Unlimited numbers of
Stock Keeping Units
(SKUs) allowed
 Ability to offer mixed
order options
 Suppliers can sell their
entire inventory without
needing to create &
manage their own
eCommerce presence
 Low risk, low cost – no
need to invest in stock
creates a dramatic
improvement in working
capital
 Easy to start and scale
up quickly
 Implementation takes
just a few hours
 Unlimited increased
potential sales income
 Near-limitless inventory
opportunities to
maintain customer
interest
 Can engage with
unlimited numbers of
DropShippers
 Potential to expand to
new markets with
strategically located
DropShippers
 Automation of admin
procedures
 Increased
competition gives
customers access to
lower prices,
particularly on
marketplaces
 Increased choice of
products
 Out of Stock is
minimised (such as
where DropSeekers
use multiple
DropShippers)
 Increased
information is
available about
products
 Improved customer
service – order
updates & tracking
information can be
sent automatically
 Faster delivery times
 Overseas customers
can order from
international
suppliers

6. eBusiness Guru
How do I know Avasam is Any Good?
Clearly, we think Avasam is a great solution, but how do you know we’re not just blowing our
own trumpet? We carried out an extended beta test, so we’re confident in just how well Avasam
works, but also:
 Clients who adopted Avasam during
our closed beta period reported high
levels of satisfaction
 Many clients reported increases in
sales of up to 400% over the 18-
month testing period
 Clients also reported up to 65%
reduction in human errors compared
with their previous DropShipping
arrangements
 You can check our Trustpilot
reviews – an independent review
website – to see what our clients
have to say about Avasam
Our beta period concluded in the summer of 2018, when we quietly opened Avasam to our
clients. Since then, we’ve had a steady stream of DropShippers and DropSeekers signing up.
Further to the commercial success of our clients, the eCommerce industry recognised Avasam,
shortlisting as finalists in awards competitions:
Best eCommerce Technology Innovation
Best Innovation in eCommerce
Delivery/Logistics
UK eCommerce Innovation Award
UK eCommerce Software or Extension of
the Year

7. eBusiness Guru
How Do I Get Started?
It’s easy – just get in touch. For
DropShippers, we provide a complete
implementation process and training.
Suppliers are typically live within three
days – we integrate and configure
existing systems, with no interruption to
business as usual. All that is required is
the ability to fulfil orders from your
location.
For sellers, the process is even quicker.
Following Avasam registration, you
simply apply for approval from the
DropShipper(s) you want to work with.
When the supplier has approved you, you can start listing products immediately, so you can be
making profits within hours.
The Avasam dashboard is simple, and very few users need us once they’re up and running.
However, as with all our services, our experienced, accredited support team are available, should
you need assistance.
Take the stress out of DropShipping. Find partners, streamline processes and maximise your
profits – start today. Still want more information before you take the plunge? Get in touch – no
question is too daft, no query too small.