Resources for Buying a Dropshipping Business

Introduction to Buying Dropshipping Businesses

Dropshipping has become a popular business model in the e-commerce world. It allows a small business to sell thousands of products without the overhead of procuring and stocking those products in a facility. Since drop shippers do not pay for inventory, there is less risk of losing money from products simply sitting in the warehouse.

Are you thinking of starting your own dropshipping shop? If so, consider this. As discouraging as it may sound, the fact is that the majority of new businesses will fail within their first few years. That's a harsh reality that must be considered before beginning a new venture. But, there is an alternative that may prove to be less risky, both in terms of time and money.

Instead of starting your business from scratch, you can buy a dropshipping business that has already worked out many of the kinks that will often trip up a startup site. There is often a dropshipping business for sale for various reasons and buying the business could save you a lot of time and money.

These businesses will typically come with their own customer base and established relationships, which will save the time and expense of building those from the bottom up. Of course, just because a business is established doesn't necessarily mean it's successful and profitable. In fact, many businesses are for sale simply because they are not successful and profitable. That's why, as a buyer, it is strongly recommended that you go through a rigorous due diligence effort to ensure that you are purchasing a viable business from a credible seller before proceeding.

Best Platforms for Buying Dropshipping Businesses

Let's examine some of the best websites available to guide your search if you're in the market for good dropshipping sites for sale. They are listed here in no particular order.

Flippa

Flippa.com is one of the largest platforms for online and ecommerce businesses for sale. In the dropship category alone, there are over 4,000 listings of dropship businesses for sale as of this writing. Prices of these sites range from $1 to $999,999, with every price point in between. This makes it an excellent resource for all buyers, regardless of their available startup capital.

Flippa partners with the SEO platform SemRush, which will give you traffic analytic statistics you won't find on any other sites. There's also a Google Ads integration showing the amount of revenue the site is getting from ads. While some businesses remain anonymous, many will display their names, which allows you to view the site for yourself before taking any action. It helps to see what they sell, how they market, and how the site performs. The majority of businesses use Shopify, but you can find those using alternatives via the extensive filtering capabilities that Flippa provides.

Empire Flippers

Empire Flippers operates a bit differently than the other marketplace sites in that it provides dedicated account managers to assist with both sides of the transaction. This gives the interaction a more personalized touch, which may be attractive to some buyers who'd rather not go it all on their own.

The businesses on Empire Flippers undergo much more scrutiny and are certified to be profitable, which offers a higher level of comfort for the buyer that the business is indeed worth what they deem it to be worth. But, this comfort level comes at a cost, because the businesses listed on Empire Flippers start at a higher price point than those on other sites. In fact, there are some businesses for sale on Empire Flippers in the neighborhood of several million dollars, which will undoubtedly be out of reach for many prospective buyers. But, for those buyers who have available capital, this is an excellent place to look for good dropshipping sites. And of course, not all of the businesses are this pricey, and one can find cheaper alternatives.

SideProjectors

SideProjectors name says it all. This site specializes in the sale of businesses that are typically a side hustle for the seller. This means that it's typically something that they might do in their spare time, but it's probably not their primary business or income generator. And because they usually involve smaller time investments, they're also likely to be smaller dollar investments as well.

This means you can find good dropshipping sites at a very reasonable price, many for just a few hundred dollars. Of course, the downside to this is that side hustles will usually not offer the earnings you might expect from other dropshipping sites for sale. But if you're simply looking for an income supplement, this might be an attractive alternative for you.

Also, the good news is that most of the SideProjectors sellers will list their website names on the site, which allows you to see what you're getting into before initiating the process. Another benefit to using SideProjectors is that they have a section of businesses that are not for sale, but instead are seeking a co-founder. This may be an attractive alternative for those who are looking to dip their toe into the dropshipping milieu but don't want to assume all of the risks. The co-founder running the ad may potentially come to the table with the skills and knowledge of this business that you lack, minimizing your risk even further.

InvestorsClub

InvestorsClub is likely the least well-known of the dropshipping sites for sale, but it's worth mentioning because it leans towards serious buyers only by forcing each buyer to register on the site (although registration for buyers is free.) This typically keeps those who are just browsing from wasting their time here.

Investors Club listings are also exclusive, meaning that you won't find these listings on any other site listing e-commerce businesses for sale. On average, the businesses for sale here are priced at 32 times their average monthly revenue. InvestorsClub offers buyer-friendly features such as profiles of the website's traffic and profitability. It also helps in the transfer of ownership documents and escrow, which simplifies the process for both parties.

Acquire

Acquire differs from the other sites mentioned in that all of the business names are hidden until an interest in the sale is initiated. However, there are good descriptors of the drop shipping business for sale, with revenue, profits, and age of the business included in the listing. One advantage of this site is that Acquire has partnered with Clearco, a lender with whom you can finance your deal if their lending criteria are met. In addition to dropshipping, prospective buyers can also find SaaS, mobile applications, e-commerce agencies, and crypto on Acquire.

Conclusion

Purchasing an established dropshipping business means that much of the upfront work of starting a business will already be done, which will save you both time and money. While the sites suggested here are certainly not the only resources available to those who may be looking to purchase an existing business, they will provide an excellent place to start the search.

Each recommended site has slightly different options that will appeal to buyers of all types, from those who are just starting out in the dropshipping business to others who may be highly experienced and looking to expand their online footprint.

When searching and asking yourself what's the other dropshipping site that's for sale, it's very likely that one of the sites mentioned above will find it for you. Take advantage of all the perks these sites have to offer because it's not necessary to handle the transaction alone and without assistance. Depending on your budget, you can save yourself a significant amount of stress and heartburn by using the tools available to you from the site in question.