I'm thinking of creating a shop

[Mos]

I'm in on the type of source

Its a doable thing, but I'm not convinced it would work well for an airsoft drop ship direct to customer

With a quantity of stock, yes

But not so easy with the timeframe etc 

If those delivery times were down to 10 days or so, we'd be in business. And I'd be rolling. Holding stock I would say is too risky because I have no credibility and am not associated with any website and am not advertised - basically I probably wouldn't make enough sales.

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

wuhay.

thanks for the constant stream of intelligent replies you seem to never stop giving!

Getting mad at 15 year olds seems to be a bit of a hobby at the moment...

Oooh sarcasm!

Let me break it down simply you don't have clue what you are doing you have no idea what it takes to start a business.

This whole thread is stupid and I am not annoyed just slightly irritated.  Being 15 doesn't give you an excuse to just waffle crap and expect everyone just to buy in. You obviously read about drop shipping somewhere and jumped on it without seriously considering any of it.

As I said this whole thread is just you trying to get attention and wasting peoples time.

 

[Mos]

Oooh sarcasm!

Let me break it down simply you don't have clue what you are doing you have no idea what it takes to start a business.

This whole thread is stupid and I am not annoyed just slightly irritated.  Being 15 doesn't give you an excuse to just waffle crap and expect everyone just to buy in. You obviously read about drop shipping somewhere and jumped on it without seriously considering any of it.

As I said this whole thread is just you trying to get attention and wasting peoples time.

Being 15 doesn't give me an excuse for anything, correct. So why do you use it in your arguements?

And I'm hardly wasting people's time... People can reply to my thread if they want to, and if they do I thank them for taking the effort. And I might actually create a shop, as it won't really cost me anything... So it's not like I won't bother because it's risky. Responding to a thread in a forum isn't a gruelling, sweating and breath taking task is it. If anything you've wasted your own time..

The thread was actually going fine, and then you realized that 'Mos' has made activity on the online forum and saw this as a chance to funnel all your anger and rage into it. Consequently de-railing the thread.

I know pretty much exactly how Drop Shipping works, it's actually quite a simple process. Infact, incredibly simple process which I have managed to pick up quite easily. But that's beside the point, you make another invalid claim in order to make me seem silly.

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

Just because you know how to use drop shipping doesn't mean you will be able to set up a business using it.

In this day and age turn around time is king which why so many people pay for express delivery. If you ran a real shop with stock and had some loyal customers who were willing to wait because they like using you or if you were supplying hard to get items then drop shipping could work as part of your service. The only other way is if its goods of high value where the shop mark up percentage adds a significant amount to the cost so you can save people a real amount of money. What you're saying is you're offering to save people a couple of pounds on easy to get items in exchange for slow delivery. Have you even thought about how you will handle returns because you would be liable for any returns costs on faulty items and good luck getting that back from a chinese supplier. Also what about turn around time on returns does your 20 to 40 days for delivery turn into 40 to 80 days on replacing faulty items? I mean if you have no stock and no capital to dip into to pay for replacements you would need to send it back to the supplier and wait for them to replace it. So you are talking 20 to 40 days each way so that works out to between 60 to 120 days, yeah best of luck. So very quickly you will realise you need some capital of your own for a business that very few people will want to use so in reality there is very little chance of you succeeding in an already saturated market.

As I said you have gone off half cocked and started another useless thread like this one to grab some attention. 



The crap site layout we have now just makes pointless threads like this more annoying. 

 

[Mos]

It's crazy how a Chinese item can be put up for so much more for simply just being branded.

Nurprol for example, £14 for a lower mesh guard. And all they did was stick their brand on it.

which got me thinking, to add value on to something, you can paint/brand something.

all things to consider. I could just stock the items, or find a different place to buy from.

Easily enough.

 

[Hangtight]

The reason that Nuprol can brand a cheap item and up its value is because they have spent a lot of time, effort and money creating that brand. You see 'Nuprol' and you think 'airsoft'. They go direct to manufacturers and spend a lot of money buying a significant proportion of their production at a cost that means they can make a decent profit on items that have their name on. Simply stickering an item with your 'brand' is absolutely worthless without the infrastructure to back the brand up.

 

[callumbagshaw]

Wow this has escalated quickly.

@Mos: I agree with most of the points that have been made regarding the issues you'll face (and I stand by that returns WILL be your biggest problem).

HOWEVER,

to call this a pipe dream is simply unfair - at the end of the day mate if you want to have a go at something, you have a go at it. And don't let anybody tell you that you're wrong for asking a question on a forum, it's not "wasting people's time", that is EXACTLY what a forum is for.

I work with businesses like this quite frequently, and it might give you hope to know that I've personally seen far worse ideas from far less informed people succeed, and make a lot of money.

Good luck.

 

[Hangtight]

Whatever you decide to do, go into it with your eyes wide open. Always make sure you can afford to bail out without leaving people chasing you for money (because that crap can haunt you for years). Remember that making any money at all is hard work, and at the end of the day if you can't meet promises you're the one who is liable. It might be the fault of a supplier but the buck stops with you. Don't forget you'd be running a business, so you have to comply with any appropriate licensing, legal and financial requirements.

It could work, but before you launch into anything you have to be completely aware of any and all pitfalls. And you have to be sharp. You could be the most honest, straight up guy out there, but there will be someone waiting to rip you off.

 

[Samurai]

had a quick search, and saw on Amazon the lowest price for one of those lower face mask made from wire mesh and material (the half and half ones) was £11.98. I can pick the exact same one up for £8. 

You mean this? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tactical-Half-Face-Protective-Guard-Metal-Mesh-Mask-Cover-for-Airsoft-Paintball-/222448085109?var=&hash=item33caf06875:m:mw6xWgj_NMkmZC9WXWYM-zg

I can order it myself from ebay for £5.38. You can't compete with that. The only thing you do is that you collect the links to airsoft related cheap stuff into your website. But everyone can search ebay or google stuff. People won't pay you for that.

Nuprol invested huge money in advertising and rebranding sh*t. They make money on that.

I run a tiny business myself, it's not at all easy.

 

[warlord]

Do you know how many £8 masks you have to sell to pay your wages?

Without either a unique selling point or a captive market you're going to find it a hard up hill struggle with nothing at the end.

Selling Chinese stuff online you'll always be beaten by China. They'll sell thousands of items direct to ebay etc. for a penny just to cover the cost of a shipping container. If you're selling what they sell, you lose.

Now if you turned up at an airsoft game selling £8 masks I bet a few noobs like me would have bought one rather than use the hard plastic supplied. But you're not going to be a millionaire that way.

Somehow you have to create an interest and attract customers. Cheap isn't going to cut it whilst anyone can Google the cheapest and beat your prices, because you're effectively supplying what we can already buy. You have to add value. Can you deliver it faster? Probably not seeing as your drop shipper is probably supplying many others. So what do you bring to the party that makes me want to buy from you?

 

[Mos]

Do you know how many £8 masks you have to sell to pay your wages?

Without either a unique selling point or a captive market you're going to find it a hard up hill struggle with nothing at the end.

Selling Chinese stuff online you'll always be beaten by China. They'll sell thousands of items direct to ebay etc. for a penny just to cover the cost of a shipping container. If you're selling what they sell, you lose.

Now if you turned up at an airsoft game selling £8 masks I bet a few noobs like me would have bought one rather than use the hard plastic supplied. But you're not going to be a millionaire that way.

Somehow you have to create an interest and attract customers. Cheap isn't going to cut it whilst anyone can Google the cheapest and beat your prices, because you're effectively supplying what we can already buy. You have to add value. Can you deliver it faster? Probably not seeing as your drop shipper is probably supplying many others. So what do you bring to the party that makes me want to buy from you?

you've missed one of the major points.

this is not going to pay my wage, I don't even have a wage. It's not designed to pay my wage, I don't even need a wage! It was just something that would be slightly cool and could maybe make a few pounds.

but as for the rest, you're completely right.

 

[warlord]

you've missed one of the major points.

this is not going to pay my wage, I don't even have a wage. It's not designed to pay my wage, I don't even need a wage! It was just something that would be slightly cool and could maybe make a few pounds.

but as for the rest, you're completely right.

If your time is worth nothing. Then you have nothing to lose. But profit by any measure, financial, experience or pleasure is going to be required. Doing something for fun quickly gets old when all you get is a lack of appreciation for doing it. Trust me I know - I do what I enjoy as a job, but I still hate my job

 

[Mos]

If your time is worth nothing. Then you have nothing to lose. But profit by any measure, financial, experience or pleasure is going to be required. Doing something for fun quickly gets old when all you get is a lack of appreciation for doing it. Trust me I know - I do what I enjoy as a job, but I still hate my job

Yes,

looks like you haven't been on here for too long, but I'm 15 years of age.

A shop will most likely happen, just got to rethink drop shipping and what I've got to bring to the table.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will my shop be built in a day.

 

[jcheeseright]

Dropshipping was made a lot of days ago and basically no one has ever made a profit from it. Definitely not a profit worth the bother. 

 

[warlord]

One important thing to consider, and will put off any prospective supplier and potential customer, is that being under 18 means you can't enter into a legal contract with anyone. In the eyes of the law you are a minor and have huge amounts of protection that means anyone you enter into any signed agreement with will always lose out because you cannot be held accountable.

 

[Tommikka]

One important thing to consider, and will put off any prospective supplier and potential customer, is that being under 18 means you can't enter into a legal contract with anyone. In the eyes of the law you are a minor and have huge amounts of protection that means anyone you enter into any signed agreement with will always lose out because you cannot be held accountable.

Only if they know.  That's the ability to have a full legally enforced contract, it doesn't prevent a transaction 

Tommorow I'm setting off for a long weekend on a number of stalls, and am picking up a selection of stock from a 14 year old business man because he can't be there with his own stall

He began selling sweets & pocket money toys at school fetes, upgraded along the way, got into 'teenage market' and became one of their poster boys.  His brother got onto the bandwagon of money making but preferred to stay in bed and was bought out by his younger brother

 

[warlord]

Only if they know.  That's the ability to have a full legally enforced contract, it doesn't prevent a transaction 

Tommorow I'm setting off for a long weekend on a number of stalls, and am picking up a selection of stock from a 14 year old business man because he can't be there with his own stall

He began selling sweets & pocket money toys at school fetes, upgraded along the way, got into 'teenage market' and became one of their poster boys.  His brother got onto the bandwagon of money making but preferred to stay in bed and was bought out by his younger brother

I get that, but if you're looking at distance selling you'd have to have some form of credit. You can easily purchase and sell, things at any age. But it will make life more difficult to pay a supplier along the way.

The negatives shouldn't stop you coming up with ideas and being enterprising in any way. But you need to consider how you're going to react to some of these challenges.

 

[Mos]

Reason why I don't want to dive into holding multiple items in stock is because I don't want to invest heavily in a shop when it's meant for something that is just a small side thing.

so drop shipping is my only way that would be economically safe.

Otherwise, it's just selling different things.

 

[Albiscuit]

As someone who works with teenagers I would say go for it. You clearly have the drive and ambition to attempt something and are not too bothered about it potentially being a waste of time or not making a worthwhile profit. Its great to see a 15 year old be bothered to try to do something!

However, yes as pointed out by many there are lots of pitfalls and by starting a business there are things which will need to be in place which will cost more than the £20 start up price you quoted and it will be hard work and potentially time consuming but do not let that put you off, nothing ventured nothing gained!!

Its doubtful you have thought enough through to build your own brand as it were but every great businessman started somewhere, Who knows maybe a store or brand will end up buying you out.

I doubt you would make good money from it, well enough that it is worthwhile keeping on top of everything but I would be more than happy to have been proven wrong!!

 

[Sacarathe]

Find something you like, that no one has buy a load and sell them.

I did this with http://www.evike.com/products/53002/

When I bought 2 pairs for myself in an order with other things, I also bought others to sell to pay for those. IIRC I profited around £25 - still got 5 pairs if anyone's interested (£15 posted @cost) - on the ones I previously sold, made about £2 on each.

It doesn't seem like much money but it means I got the two I used for free.