Start a Dropshipping Business with Zero Investment: A Step by Step Guide
Are you looking to start a business with no upfront costs? Want to know how to build a store, advertise it, and bring in sales—all for free? You’re in the right place! In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to launch a successful dropshipping business from scratch. No complex strategies or hidden fees—just practical tips you can implement today. Plus, I’ll share a secret strategy that will help you land your first sales quickly. Let’s dive in!
Let's first start from the product
1. Product Research
The product is the foundation of your business, so it’s crucial to find something unique and trending. Start with product research—check which posts and reels are going viral, and which ones are getting the most views or engagement. If a product is performing well on social media, it's a good sign that it could work for you too.
Look for products that are already trending in the international market. Pay attention to the ones with high engagement and views—you can sell those as well. Stay updated on what’s selling, and make sure your product is both unique and in demand.
2. Create an Online Store
Once the product is finalized, the next step is to create a store. I will share two methods with you:
- Instagram to Buy
If you do not want to create a website, you can simply create a branded Instagram store. Your customers can place orders through direct messages (DM). This method works well in the Indian market. If someone wants to purchase a product from your feed, they can DM you their request, and you can collect their address and payment directly.
If you plan to offer cash on delivery (COD) as an option, ensure that your supplier supports this feature. For example, Meesho provides COD services. However, keep in mind that there may be occasional issues with Meesho, so you can consider using it on a temporary basis.
I started my first store using the DM to Buy method and Meesho. You can definitely try this out.
- Free Website:
You can also create a completely free website using platforms like ecwid. Ecwid allows you to easily create a website by uploading high-quality images of your products, adding well-written descriptions, and setting up your online store.
Ensure that your product images are of good quality and that the descriptions clearly explain how your product works.
Another platform you can use to create a free website is BigCartel. If you are operating in India and doing dropshipping, make sure to offer COD as a payment option. If you are selling internationally, you can adjust your payment methods accordingly.
3. Promotion & Advertisement
3 methods for Advertisement:
1. Instagram reels: For instance, if your niche is sports and fitness, you can include relevant information about the products and post fitness-related memes or trending reels that are going viral on other pages. This will help drive traffic to your store.
Maintaining consistency in posting is crucial. You should aim to post two to three reels daily. If you don't have enough original content, you can repost others' reels with proper credit. This is a common practice and shouldn't be a problem.
2. TikTok organic: You can use international dropshipping with this method:
- Create videos showcasing your products and upload them to TikTok daily.
- Note: If you don’t have 1,000 followers on TikTok, you won’t be able to include a clickable link in your TikTok bio.
- Solution: Link your Instagram account to your TikTok profile and write in your TikTok bio, "Link in Instagram bio."
This way, when people watch your product videos on TikTok, they’ll visit your profile and then head over to your Instagram for the purchase link.
3. YouTube shorts: You can promote your product through YouTube Shorts. Here also in, you should upload content daily. The best approach is to combine the three strategies mentioned above.
4. Be Patient
Sales won’t start coming in just two days. You need to post daily, and gradually your page will start gaining traction. It will take time to build momentum, and over time, your growth will increase. If you want fast results, you’ll need to use tools. Otherwise, you’ll need to have patience.
If you’re getting traffic and views but no sales, it’s a sign that you may need to change your product. Start focusing on a different product. If you're using all these free methods, you’ll also need to create a general store.
5. Create a General Store
You can see how other people's stores look. They will have a logo, some highlights of the store's name, and a strong bio. A general store means you can sell any product on your store. For example, if you find five trending products, you can sell those five products on your store.
However, if you are creating a store, it's important to focus on a particular type of product. For instance, if you're selling fitness-related products, then your store should only sell fitness items, and the theme should also reflect fitness.
In a general store, you can sell anything. You can even search for branded Instagram store names on GPT. Choose a name from the options, then use Canva to create your logo.
6. Secret Strategy for Early Sales
Now, here’s the secret strategy: start by testing your product without a website! You can directly chat with customers, take their address, confirm over the phone, and finalize the sale. You can also flip products—find something locally that’s in demand, mark it up, and sell it online. This method works for high-ticket items as well, and you can even run ads if you want to scale.
So, give this method a try. It’s completely free and can lead to your first sales.
________________________________________________________Thank you !
