The entire dropshipping model is based on the supplier doing their job well and fulfilling orders punctually and efficiently. It goes without saying that choosing the right supplier is one of the most important steps towards your dropshipping business’s taking off.

Selecting suppliers is an essential step that every dropshipping business needs to take.

Even if you already know which products you want to sell, and are sure that the product you land your eyes on will be successful for your business, you still need to find dropshipping suppliers who can provide the high-quality product and service that your business deserves.

How to define a good supplier

1. Professional Support Representatives

Good suppliers have knowledgeable sales representatives who really know the industry and the product lines. Plus the supplier should also assign you an individual sales representative who is responsible for taking care of you and any issues you have timely.

2. Invested in Technology

Technology has many benefits and good suppliers recognize it and invest in it heavily to ease the business. Features such as real-time inventory, a comprehensive online catalog, customized data feeds, and searchable order history can make your operations much easier. So make sure the supplier you choose has the capabilities to keep up with the times.

Otherwise, if you need to scale your business, it would be a shame if you had to break the partnership with your long-term supplier just because they wouldn’t be able to keep up with your growth.

3. Punctual & Efficient Fulfillment

Good suppliers have competent staff and great systems that result in efficient and mostly error-free fulfillment. However, without actually using it, it’s difficult to know how competent a supplier is. So it’s advised to place test orders with the supplier to see how the process works and get a better idea before you make the decision.

For test orders, there are certain aspects you need to pay attention to:

• The process that they handle the order
• The speed that the items ship out
• The speed they follow up with tracking information
• The quality of the pack job when the item arrives

How To Find Dropshipping Suppliers

1. Contact the Manufacturer

Contacting the manufacturer is an easy way to find legitimate wholesale suppliers. You can call the leading manufacturer of the products that you want to sell and ask for a list of its wholesale distributors. Then you can contact these wholesalers to see if they dropship and inquire about setting up an account.

2. Use Google Search

It is obvious that you can use google to find good suppliers. However, you’d better search extensively for the reason that they may be bad at marketing and promotion. And you should use various keywords to search, such as “distributor”, “reseller”, “bulk”, “warehouse”, and “supplier”. Furthermore, don’t simply judge the website according to its design. Some websites with poor design are possible good suppliers as well.

3. Attend a Trade Show

It’s an efficient way to get to know and connect with the manufacturers and suppliers in the market. If conditions permits, you can attend a trade show and make contacts as well as research your products and suppliers all in one place. There may be new and upcoming products that you could add to your dropshipping store.

4. Join Industry Networks and Groups

Joining Industry networks and groups is also an effective way to find suppliers. Normally people who join industry networks and groups prefer to share, learn, and grow. You can gain valuable insight from them after you become part of the dropshipping community. In these communities, you can also get suggestions about better suppliers or suppliers to avoid.

5. Search Directories

A supplier directory is a charged database of suppliers that’s organized by market, niche, or product. It is a convenient way to search for a large number of suppliers in one place quickly and is great for brainstorming ideas for products to sell or niches to enter.

6. Place Orders From Your Competitor

You can find a competitor and place a small order from their store. Google the return address to find out who the original shipper is when you receive the package. In some cases, it will be a supplier you can contact.

Suppliers Recommendation

1. CJdropshipping

CJdropshipping is a one-step dropshipping solution provider, our goal is to help you dropship from worldwide to worldwide.

2. AliExpress

AliExpress is the most famous dropshipping platform, it offers tons of products for you to choose from if you wanna know more about how to use it, check the previous video on our YouTube tutorial channel: CJ Dropshipping Training

3. JungleScout

JungleScout is more focused on Amazon stores, so it’s gonna be a good choice for you if you want to do your dropshipping on Amazon exclusively.

4. Printify & 5. Printful

These two are both Print-on-demand suppliers, if you are an artist or have creative ideas for your unique product, they’ll be the platforms you’d wanna choose.

6. SaleHoo & 7. Wholesale Central

SaleHoo and Wholesale Central are more like the product-research platform, you can find many excellent directories and good suppliers on these two platforms.

Conclusion

As a dropshipper, you can’t grow your business without high-quality suppliers. Since you won’t be stocking the products, it’s really crucial to have dropshipping suppliers who are reliable and can make shipments on time. Hopefully, the tips and platforms mentioned above could help you find suppliers who make it easy for you to run an eCommerce business.