You’ve researched the benefits of dropshipping and you’re sold on the concept. Now, how do you get started building the right relationships with dropshippers? Be wary of dropshipper lists that require payment; with a bit of good old-fashioned research, you’ll be able to develop the relationships you need to get your dropshipping strategy moving.

If you’re just starting your business, you should have a solid idea of what you want to sell prior to researching dropshippers. Use the web to research and answer a few crucial questions:

• What brands do I want to represent? Depending on your business model, you may want to sell the most popular brand in your market—or perhaps you’re hoping to fill a market gap. Either way, contact the brands you’d like to represent to find out if they support dropshipping.

• Which distributors represent my market? If you’re having trouble finding manufacturers that support dropshipping, ask them to put you in touch with their distributors. Distributors usually represent multiple manufacturers, so one dropship relationship with a distributor may open a whole world of brands and manufacturers.

• Where can I browse a list of manufacturers that dropship? If you’re looking to keep an eye on the most up-to-date dropshippers, visit Worldwide Brands (www.worldwidebrands.com) and subscribe to their newsletter.

• How do I know connect my shopping cart software with the dropshipper? The right ecommerce suite will offer you plenty of options for distributors and dropshippers. At Shift4Shop, we’ve built tight integrations with dozens of suppliers, so take a look before you get started.

The technological integration between your shopping cart software and your dropshipper is an important part in your choice. Make sure you can connect those two disparate systems, and if you can’t, contact your ecommerce software provider to request the integration.