How To Start a Dropshipping Business with No Money? 8 Best Ways to Get Started in 2024

How To Start a Dropshipping Business with No Money? Don’t look any further. It is possible to start learning how to drop ship without money, but it is also a realistic path.

We’ll show you the eight most important steps and strategies to get your dropshipping business off the ground without spending much money. Read on if you want to make your business dreams come true without having to spend a lot of money at first.

How To Start a Dropshipping Business with No Money: 4 steps 

How To Start a Dropshipping Business with No Money? 8 Best Ways to Get Started

Commitment of Time 

Like any other business, dropshipping needs hard work and time to be successful. Oberlo’s study found that the average drop shipper works on their business for 30 hours a week.

Shopify also did a survey that shows 44% of drop shippers run their businesses full-time. To make a dropshipping business successful, you have to work hard and be patient repeatedly. 

Free E-commerce Platforms 

Start by using the power of free online shopping platforms. Free plans on sites like Shopify let you set up your online store and add up to 25 products.

Free plans have some limits but still give you the tools to get started. WooCommerce is a popular e-commerce platform with a free WordPress plugin that you could use instead. 

TikTok Shop is the new kid on the block. A new player in this field is making much noise in e-commerce. It gives people who want to start dropshipping but need more money a unique and promising way.

The best thing? You don’t have to pay anything to set up your online store and start selling things. This makes it an excellent option for people who are just beginning and want to start a business with low costs. 

Free Product Sourcing 

Free websites like AliExpress and DHGate can help you find products to sell in your online store. You can get many products from other suppliers through these platforms without buying any inventory upfront. 

Being resourceful and creative 

Since you won’t have a big budget, your resourcefulness and creativity will help you the most. Use marketing methods, like social media and search engine optimization (SEO) that won’t break the bank.

Oberlo says that social media (67%), paid advertising (35%), and SEO (33%) are the top three ways for drop shippers to market their goods.

You should also contact affiliate partners or influencers who can help you promote your products in exchange for a cut of the sales. Your ability to develop new ideas will help your business grow without spending much money. 

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How to dropshipping with no money in 8 Steps 

Pick a profitable dropshipping business idea. 

First, you must research the market to learn how to start a dropshipping business. It would help if you looked into different niches, competitors, and trends, like when opening a physical store. Your niche should be based on what you’re interested in and how much money it could make you. 

Here are some actions to help you brainstorm profitable product ideas: 

  • Trend data: Platforms like Shopify put lists of popular items based on the categories that sell the most. You can stand out and get more customers if you focus on niche and popular products.
  • Niche Products: People who buy niche products tend to be loyal, making reaching specific groups easier. You can start dropshipping without money if you sell fitness, fashion, beauty products, electronics, phone accessories, or yoga-related items.
  • Use Tools: You can look at product trends, search volume, and the chances of your business succeeding with tools like TikTok Keyword Insight, Google Trends, Keywords Everywhere, and DSers order volume.
  • Researching your competitors: Look at their websites, prices, marketing plans, etc. Keep your results in order so you can find them again.

Use TikTok: TikTok’s algorithm ensures that your videos reach people interested in your products, so it can be a handy tool for advertising and marketing your goods. Many drop shippers have successfully used TikTok to make exciting videos showing their products. 

Do research on the competition 

Find your competitors and learn how they run their businesses. You should only look into about five main competitors, such as big names on e-commerce sites like Amazon, Walmart, eBay, or TikTok Shop. 

When you choose competitors to study, look into the platform where you want to start your business. This research will give you helpful information about how your competitors work and help you with keyword and SEO optimization, putting your business in a better position to compete. 

Please pay attention to how your niche’s top brands and drop shippers interact with their customers as you look for them. To stand out, watch their videos and learn how to fit in with TikTok’s culture. 

Pick a reliable dropshipping supplier. 

It is essential to choose a dropshipping supplier you can trust. Your supplier makes sure that your company has goods to give to customers. If you don’t have any money to start with, here are some easy steps you can take to find a reliable dropshipping supplier: 

  • Do Your Research: Check out the supplier’s website and social media to understand how well-known they are among drop shippers.
  • Look for demos or plans that cost little: Choose providers that offer free trials or plans that won’t break the bank. This way, you can try out their service before signing up for a paid subscription.
  • Different Products: Pick suppliers with many products in your chosen niche. This gives you more products to choose from for your customers.
  • Shipping Times and Costs: Ask the supplier how long and how much it costs to ship. Working with a supplier that can get products to your customers quickly and cheaply is essential.
  • Customer Service: Find out how the supplier handles customer service. Choose a supplier that has a reputation for excellent customer service. This can save you a lot of trouble if something needs to be fixed with your order or the product you received. 

Build Your E-commerce Store

To begin a dropshipping business, you will need a shopping cart such as TikTok Shop, Shopify, Ali Express, or another. This platform is the online home of your business.

It helps with traffic, sales, and processing payments. Shopify’s features and themes are accessible for people who aren’t designers or developers to use. 

What’s our best suggestion? This is TikTok. It’s a unique choice to use TikTok. You can watch fun videos on it, but it’s also becoming a place to buy things online.

TikTok lets you use interesting videos to promote and sell your goods, and the best part is that it’s free. Sellers can reach many young, high-spending customers by creating exciting content and building a solid brand presence on the platform. 

Regardless of your decision, TikTok can still be a great way to market your business. You can change your content strategy to fit how your business works and connect with people who might buy from you. 

Market Your Dropshipping Store 

Marketing is essential for the success of your store. Use various methods, such as paid ads, community involvement, mobile marketing, email marketing, TikTok marketing, and influencer marketing.

TikTok is a popular app for short videos that can be used to show off your products through exciting videos. How to do it: 

  • Run TikTok Ads: These ads let you promote your products to a broader audience by charging them. You can find your ideal customers and monitor how well your campaign is doing.
  • Take part in TikTok Challenges: Take part in or make your viral challenges related to your niche. Taking part in challenges can help you connect with potential customers and spread the word about your brand.
  • Join forces with TikTok Influencers: A cheap way to reach more people is to work with TikTok influencers or UGC creators. They can use your products in accurate content they share with their followers.
  • Educate and entertain: Don’t just promote your products in your content; ensure it teaches and engages people. Exciting things are more likely to go viral. 

Remember to keep an eye on the performance of your marketing channels using their key metrics to get the most out of your costs and profits. 

Look at your offering and make it better. 

Watch how well your drop-shipping business is doing by paying attention to sales, customer behavior, and profit margins. Ask things like “Sales Analysis: 

  • Which channels bring in the most money for my business? 
  • Where should I put more money into advertising to make the most money? 
  • What are my best-selling items? 
  • Who do I value the most as a customer? 

Insights into how shoppers act: 

  • Do more people buy things on their computers or their phones? 
  • What is the rate of conversion for each kind of device? 

Checking the profit margin: 

  • Which products and variant SKUs can the best profit margins be found? 
  • What is the long-term trend for my monthly sales and gross profits? 

Also, stay data-driven and use clear KPIs to measure how well your store is doing. 

How Mega Digital Can Help You Start Dropshipping Without Any Money on TikTok 

Make your brand strong. 

Many people who sell things through dropshipping get their goods from AliExpress and then sell them on sites like eBay and Amazon. A lot of other people may be selling the same stuff.

To stand out from your competitors, you need to be different. TikTok is a fun platform with lots of content ideas that you could use. Mega Digital has come up with these 11 great ideas for TikTok videos: 

  • Put together easy guides 
  • Check out the viral content 
  • Do a lip sync 
  • Take part in a TikTok challenge 
  • Make things go faster
  • Put the goods to use
  • Could you give me a life tip?
  • Take a look behind the scenes 
  • Communicate with clients 
  • Show how to pack an order and talk about your best-selling items

Build relationships with your customers. 

It only takes your time to give excellent customer service, not money. You can stay in business even if you’re not the most significant player by providing excellent customer service.

Customers will return to your online store even if you sell the same things. They will do this if they feel respected and valued. 

Dropshippers can interact with fans on social media sites like TikTok by live streaming, commenting, reposting, or giving away mini-games.

Adding a personal touch can help you connect with your audience and keep them returning for more. 

Make your TikTok channel SEO-friendly.

Your channels will appear in search results when people look for something, so always get them to click and learn more. This method is called search engine optimization (SEO) for content marketing. Let’s spell it out better: 

  • Bio: The bio on TikTok is like an introduction to your channel. Make it short and full of relevant keywords. Your bio could say something like, “Creating tasty and healthy meals #HealthyEats” if your channel is about healthy recipes.
  • Hashtags: Use popular and trending hashtags that are relevant to your post. If you’re a travel blogger, use tags like #Wanderlust or #Explore[Destination] to discuss specific places. You could use #ExploreParis or #TravelFrance if you are in Paris.
  • Names of the Products: If you’re showing off certain items, ensure your videos mention them. If you’re reviewing a smartphone, put the product’s name in the title of your video, like “Watch the new iPhone 13 in action! #TechReview.”
  • Description: Write detailed descriptions of videos that give background information and use relevant keywords. For example, if you’re a cat lover giving cat care tips, you could say, “Learn how to groom your furry friend and keep them purring with happiness!” “Cat Care and Pet Grooming.” 

You can improve the search engine optimization of your TikTok channel and make it easier for people to find your videos by using these strategies with clear examples. 

Get the most out of TikTok Holidays. 

Timing can be critical to starting a drop-shipping business without needing more money. The holidays are one of the best times to start your business. 

People are in a shopping frenzy around the holidays, looking for gifts and deals. Also, products with holiday themes became very popular.

Whether it’s Christmas, the New Year, or Thanksgiving, ensuring your products fit the season’s trends can significantly help your business. 

Starting your dropshipping business during the holidays gives you an edge over others doing the same thing.

Significant sales events often happen around holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If your business participates in these events, it could make much more money. 

Making the most of your TikTok advertising campaigns 

Here’s an essential tip for marketers who want to get the most out of TikTok for their ads: With a business account, you can use TikTok Ads. 

With a TikTok agency account, you can get extra tools to help your advertising on TikTok. For advertisers, this account gives you a lot of benefits, such as a global reach, budget flexibility, and help from experts. Some things could be improved, but the pros make it a good choice for serious advertisers. 

Every edge is essential in the world of digital marketing today. TikTok is a great place for advertisers because it has a lot of users and exciting content. We made the ebook “Maximizing CRV: Strategies to Optimize Your TikTok Ads” to help you do well.

It tells you how to get the most out of your TikTok ad. This ebook is full of best practices, tips, and strategies to help you improve your ads, get a better return on your investment (ROI), and make the most of TikTok’s ad features.

If you’re new to TikTok or have been advertising for a while, this ebook will help you do well. Don’t wait—get the ebook right now and start making your TikTok ads better immediately! 

Last word 

You now know how to dropship without spending any money. You can focus on a single niche and make good use of your time with most free tools and software.

But remember that if you launch with little money, you’ll have to work harder and spend more time getting the desired results. 

Now that you know how to start a dropshipping business with no money down, why not take it to the next level? It contains helpful information, tips, and strategies to help you do well. Take advantage of this chance to take your business to the next level! 

FAQ: Starting Dropshipping With No Money

1. Can you really start dropshipping with no money?

Yes, it’s technically possible to start a dropshipping business with little to no upfront investment. However, while you may not need to purchase inventory, there are still potential costs involved, such as website hosting, marketing, and platform fees. Success with a zero-startup-cost approach may take longer and require more effort in free marketing strategies or utilizing free platforms.

2. How can a beginner start dropshipping?

Beginners can start dropshipping by choosing a niche, finding reliable suppliers, building an online store using platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce, marketing the store through social media and content marketing, and efficiently managing orders to ensure good communication with suppliers and customers.

3. How to start a dropshipping business for free?

Start a free dropshipping business by using free trials from eCommerce platforms, choosing a free website theme, using social media for marketing, choosing dropshipping suppliers without upfront fees, and focusing on free traffic sources.

4. Can I make $1000 a month with dropshipping?

Yes, it is possible to make $1000 a month with dropshipping, but it varies based on numerous factors like your niche, marketing efforts, product selection, and customer service. Success in dropshipping requires dedication, strategic planning, and continuous learning. It may take time to reach consistent monthly earnings, especially if starting with a minimal budget.

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Reference: How To Dropship With No Money