Dropshipping is a great way to get into the ecommerce game and start making some money.
If you've been doing it for a longer time, then you will probably know that private dropshipping agents can offer quite some benefits compared to dropshipping suppliers.
But to make use of those benefits, you will need to find a dropshipping agent first.
In this article, I will show you five tips for finding quality private dropshipping agents with whom you can create a successful business.
What is a dropshipping agent?
Before diving into the tips for finding a dropshipping agent, let's take a quick look at what a dropshipping agent does.
If you think that you already know what a dropshipping agent is, then feel free to scroll a bit further!
A dropshipping agent is an alternative to a dropshipping supplier. It’s a person that will source, store, pack, and ship products for your dropshipping store.
On a first look, a dropshipping agent's tasks look identical to those of a dropshipping supplier.
But, there are some key differences.
One of those is that a dropshipping agent is a middleman.
When working with a dropshipping agent:
- You contact him or her with a product that you are looking for.
- Then, your dropshipping agent will search for suppliers for that product and negotiates the best prices.
- After that, he or she proceeds to sell those products back to you and ships them to your customers.
For reference, this is how a dropshipping supplier works:
Do you see now why a dropshipping agent is a middleman? He or she is the connection between you and the supplier!
When working with a dropshipping agent, you aren't limited to one supplier's product catalog. Your dropshipping agent can contact many different suppliers to find the exact product you're looking for.
A dropshipping agent can be self-employed or work for a fulfillment warehouse company.
Having access to a fulfillment warehouse is crucial for a dropshipping agent. To offer their dropship clients fast shipping, quality control services, and customized packaging, dropshipping agents can’t afford to let the supplier or factory ship the products to your customers directly.
If you're interested in all other ways in which a dropshipping agent can help your business, then check out this article!
Plus, you can check out this article here, which will go over six reasons to use an agent for your store.
5 Tips to find the best dropshipping agents
Now that you know the basics of what a dropshipping agent does, let's get into our list of five tips to find the best dropshipping agents.
Remember to stick around to the end of this article. There, I will you something about how you can pick the best dropshipping agent from the ones you have found. Finally, you will find a free template that you can use for your first message to a dropshipping agent.
Without further ado, let's move on to the tips!
1. Join a Facebook dropshipping group
My first tip for finding a dropshipping agent is to join a Facebook dropshipping group.
In fact, this is how I found my own dropshipping agent as well!
You can find these dropshipping groups by searching for any dropshipping related terms on the Facebook group search feature:
If you're struggling to find enough Facebook dropshipping groups, then try to find dropshipping groups by searching for terms related to popular dropshipping services, Youtubers, or blogs.
Note: Did you know that Do Dropshipping also has its own Facebook dropshipping group? If not, you can find it here!
Once you're in a Facebook dropshipping group, you have two methods of finding a dropshipping agent.
First of all, you can create a post yourself and ask if the other members can recommend a good private agent.
Here's an example of how such a message could look:
Hello,
I'm a dropshipper with an average of 10 orders per day in the pet niche. Most of my orders are from the US, but I get orders from Canada as well.
I'm looking to scale my online store. Therefore, I need a dropshipping agent.
I would appreciate it if anyone would be willing to recommend a dropshipping agent to me. If so, send me a message!
By doing this, you will not only get approached by other dropshippers who have had great experiences with their dropshipping agents but by dropshipping agents themselves as well.
That's because dropshipping agents like to join these Facebook groups too to find new clients.
All of this sounds great, but remember to keep your guard up if you're looking for a dropshipping agent.
In theory, everyone can call themselves a dropshipping agent in these Facebook groups, so watch out for people that are looking to scam you.
2. Find dropshipping agents on Upwork
My next tip is to search for dropshipping agents on the Upwork platform!
Many dropshipping agents love listing themselves on Upwork. By doing that, they make it easier for clients to find them.
You will be able to find many dropshipping agents on Upwork simply by typing “dropshipping agent” in the search bar:
One big advantage of this method compared to finding dropshipping agents on Facebook groups is that you will be able to see some social proof on Upwork.
For each agent, you will be able to see:
- Their hourly rate
- How much they've earned from all their jobs on Upwork
- Their job success rate
- And how many jobs they have completed
Furthermore, you will see a list of the description of each job they are working on and have completed in the past.
Finally, most dropshipping agents will provide a detailed description of their services:
Another amazing feature of Upwork is that you can filter on location.
So, if you're looking for a Chinese dropshipping agent, you can simply filter on China. But if you're looking for someone from a different country, then you will be able to search for it as well.
Another option is to post a job on Upwork. By doing that, you can describe who you're looking for and what your needs are.
In that case, any dropshipping agents who think they are the right fit for the task can apply to your job!
3. Find companies that offer dropshipping agent services
If you would rather work with a company than with an individual dropshipping, you could look into websites that offer dropshipping agent services.
These can easily be found by doing some research on Google.
Here are some of the nice-looking options that I have found:
A company like HyperSKU can provide you with basically the same services as your dropshipping agent does. In other words, they will:
- Source your desired product from factories
- Perform quality control
- Customize your packages
- Store your products in their fulfillment warehouse
- Ship your orders using relatively fast shipping methods
- And finally, provide refund services
If you're interested in seeing all the best dropshipping agents, check out our list here with the 11 best dropshipping agents!
4. Make a post on Reddit
This tip will be pretty similar to the first one. But, instead of looking for dropshipping agents on Facebook groups, you will look for them on Reddit!
Essentially, Reddit is a huge collection of various communities that are based on people's interests. In those communities, people can share news, ask questions, and more.
Just like on Facebook, you will find a few communities on Reddit (also known as subreddits) about dropshipping.
The biggest one is the subreddit “dropship”. If you're looking for a dropshipping agent, you can make a post there and ask others if someone can recommend you a good agent.
Alternatively, you can try to find other posts that have already asked the same question. Sometimes, you will find great suggestions for dropshipping agents in those posts as well!
5. Use a dropshipping supplier that offers sourcing and fulfillment services
This last tip will be slightly different than finding and working with a dropshipping agent directly. However, it will still allow you to enjoy most of the benefits of working with a dropshipping agent.
Traditionally, dropshipping suppliers will only:
- Manufacture the product
- Store the product
- Ship the product
However, some dropshipping suppliers offer additional services like help in sourcing your products.
An example of a dropshipping supplier that offers such a service is CJdropshipping:
Besides offering products in pretty much all niches and having access to warehouses in various regions of the world, CJdropshipping also offers “dropshipping agent services” like:
As you can see, these are already most of the things that a dropshipping agent does. The only thing that you might miss out on is the use of “special” shipping methods that a dropshipping agent may use like YunExpress or 4PX.
What should you consider before working with a dropshipping agent?
Well, those were all my tips for helping you to find amazing dropshipping agents.
So, suppose that you've followed my first tip and posted about you needing a dropshipping agent in a Facebook group.
As a result, you've gotten over 20 different recommendations for dropshipping agents!
But now what? How do you select the best one?
Contrary to what one might think, choosing the best dropshipping agent isn't that simple.
If you want to take it seriously, you will have to consider quite a few factors that will affect your final decision. To help you decide, I will give you a list of things to think about below.
Keep in mind that the process of choosing a dropshipping agent shouldn't be rushed. Your dropshipping agent will become a crucial part of your business, so it's essential to take your time for this.
Here's a list of things to consider:
- Location. Is your agent located in an area where they will be able to get new stock delivered quickly and from where they will be able to ship fast to other countries?
- Shipping costs & time. What does it cost to ship to your target country? How long does it take? Can they take advantage of the most cost-efficient shipping methods?
- Processing time. After receiving the order list, how long does it take to pack the products and ship them out?
- Communication. Do they respond quickly? Is their English good and understandable?
- Stock procedure. Will they pay for a certain amount of products from the factory themselves, or do you have to pay for the stock?
- Flexibility. Do they require a minimum amount of orders per day? Is it okay if you would like to pause advertising your store for a few weeks?
- Their network. Make sure your dropshipping agent actually has relationships with factories. Some dropshipping agents use Alibaba to source products, but ideally, you would want them to work directly with factories.
Fun fact: Did you know that you can do dropshipping with Alibaba? You can check out this article here to learn more.
- Package customization. Can your agent customize your product's packaging and add extra labels if needed?
- Aftersale services. Make sure your agent can resolve any issues after shipping. Will he or she send a new item free of charge if it goes missing or arrives broken?
- Fulfillment process. Does their fulfillment process match your needs? Common fulfillment processes are AliExpress VIP pages, CSV fulfillment, or app integration.
If you're interested in learning more about this, then I suggest checking this article, where we cover 11 things to consider before picking a dropshipping agent in more detail.
How do you contact a dropshipping agent?
To make the process of finding a dropshipping agent even easier, I have created a template that you can use for your first outreach to a dropshipping agent.
This template will be based on some of the most important things to consider from the list above. All in all, it will hopefully help you to get a good first impression of that dropshipping agent.
Here you go:
Hello,
This is [NAME] from [STORE NAME]. We, as [STORE NAME], sell products in the [NICHE] niche and are getting around [NUMBER] orders per day.
We are interested in working with a dropshipping agent like you and have a few questions:
Do you have connections with factories that produce products in the [NICHE] niche?
What is the total shipping time from your fulfillment location to [TARGET COUNTRY]?
Do you require a minimum order quantity per day?
How do you handle order fulfillment?
What is your policy for missing or damaged goods?
We are looking forward to your answer.
Kind regards,
[NAME] from [STORE NAME]
When using this template, be aware that some of the answers you will get might not be true. So, be prepared to ask further questions, and don't be shy to ask for proof such as a list of past tracking numbers.
Conclusion
That's it!
Hopefully, this article provided you with a helpful guideline on where to start looking for a dropshipping agent.
Looking for the best dropshipping agents? Check out this article with the 11 best dropshipping agents to grow your store!
If you're still not sure whether or not it's something for you to work with a dropshipping agent, then check out a dropshipping agent's benefits and drawbacks here.
All in all, I think it's best to start searching for dropshipping agents through Facebook groups or Upwork. Once you search at the right places on those platforms, I'm pretty sure that you won't have any problems with finding dropshipping agents.
But, be aware that essentially everyone can call themselves a “dropshipping agent”. That's why it's important to consider that list of factors you've read about above.
Last but not least, don't forget you can contact us if you have any doubts about choosing a dropshipping agent or if you have any remaining questions.
Have a great rest of your day!
