10 Dropshipping Business Success Stories [2024]
Dropshipping is a business model where you sell products to customers without holding inventory.
Instead, when a customer makes a purchase, you buy the product from a third-party supplier, who then ships it directly to the customer.
To start a dropshipping business on a budget, choose a niche or category of products you want to sell.
Next, set up an online store using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Then, find reliable suppliers from platforms like AliExpress, list their products on your store, and focus on marketing and customer service to grow your business.
Remember to carefully manage your expenses and monitor your profit margins to ensure profitability.
In this list, you'll find real-world dropshipping business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a dropshipping business that makes money.
1. Blindster ($36M/year)
Kyle Cox, Founder and CEO of Blindster, came up with the idea for his business after purchasing blinds for his new home and realizing that the existing online shopping experience was lacking. He saw an opportunity to create a true eCommerce experience for custom window treatments and provide exceptional customer service. With $50k in initial start-up costs, Blindster launched in 2010 and has since achieved tremendous growth, with record sales of $39MM in 2020.
How much money it makes: $36M/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
How many people on the team: 30
Blindster, a leading custom window treatment eCommerce retailer, achieved record sales of $39MM in 2020, experiencing a 60% increase over 2019, by focusing on over-the-top customer service with a six-week training program for customer service reps and a Fit-or-Free guarantee, among other marketing tactics.
2. JetPrint ($8.4M/year)
Inspired by a childhood fascination with CMYK printing, Mark ventured into the print-on-demand industry in China after discovering Printful in 2015. Leveraging his software development background, he launched JetPrint, now generating $700,000 monthly and prominently featured on Shopify.
How much money it makes: $8.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $750K
How many people on the team: 169
JetPrint is a Chinese print-on-demand company that offers customizable products to global e-commerce sellers, with watches and balls being their featured products. In a short amount of time, they went from starting with a few thousand US dollars in monthly income to making $700,000, and their app was approved by Shopify and recommended in the Shopify App Store. They attribute their success to service quality, innovation, and accurate audience targeting.
3. The Kewl Shop ($1.8M/year)
After Charles came up with the idea for The Kewl Shop, he and his wife Sasithon focused on building their expertise and consistency within the dress market. They narrowed down their product offering to designer bandage and bodycon dresses and utilized Charles' analytical skills in SEO and PPC to drive traffic to their website. Through their dedication to quality and creating a strong brand, they have attracted and retained customers worldwide. In just three and a half years, they sold 10,000 dresses and reached their first $1 million in revenue. With their continued efforts in SEO and paid advertising, they are on track to sell 10,000 dresses by September 2019.
How much money it makes: $1.8M/year
How many people on the team: 6
How an online dress shop sold 10,000 dresses in 3.5 years to reach their first $1 million in revenue, and now generates an average net gain of 22% with consistent SEO and paid advertising strategies.
4. Ecom King Vault ($1.2M/year)
Kamil Sattar, an entrepreneur with a passion for high-quality fashion, started his drop shipping business after realizing he needed a way to accumulate funds to afford the clothes he loved. He discovered Shopify and drop shipping in 2017 and used his knowledge and techniques to create successful six and seven-figure stores. Now, he specializes in helping others create their own drop ship companies.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 6
Entrepreneur Kamil Sattar has developed multiple six-figure drop shipping businesses, and his company, e-commerce mentoring, specializes in helping others create their own successful companies, with favorite platforms including using Shopify and apps such as Loox reviews and SMSBump.
5. Importify ($900K/year)
Moshe Lugasi, founder of Importify, came up with the idea for his business while running his own online store on Shopify. Frustrated with the time-consuming process of adding products and fulfilling orders manually, he outsourced a developer to create an app that would automate the process. After launching the app, Importify quickly gained traction and became one of the first companies to offer this level of functionality, generating $128,000 in its first year and now grossing $60,000 a month.
How much money it makes: $900K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 7
How a video game industry sales manager turned his frustration with dropshipping into a $720k/year business, helping thousands of online storefronts automate their product import and dropshipping with app Importify.
6. ByteStand ($780K/year)
Todd, a serial entrepreneur, came up with the idea for ByteStand after experiencing the limitations of selling on Amazon and wanting to diversify his business. He saw a gap in the market for a tool to automate the process of moving inventory from Amazon to Shopify and decided to create one himself, despite having no software development experience. With the help of a team of independent developers, he built the app and launched it on Shopify, quickly attracting paying customers and generating revenue.
How much money it makes: $780K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
How many people on the team: 1
ByteStand, a software development company run by ecommerce experts, created Shopify apps, including FreshCredit and FBA Shipping, which generate approximately $17,000 per month in revenue, with over 2,000 shops using their software.
7. Hustle Got Real ($300K/year)
Miguel Pieras, the founder of Hustle Got Real, came up with the idea for his business after taking a course on Udemy about dropshipping on eBay. He quickly set up his own eBay store and sold his first item within a week. However, he faced the challenge of ensuring that the products he sold were always available and at the right price. This inspired him to create an automated system, which became the foundation for Hustle Got Real, allowing individuals and businesses to sell online without owning any stock.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 6
Founder of Hustle Got Real shares how he turned a side hustle into a business generating $18,000/month with over 15,000 customers in 25+ countries, and offers insight into the process of designing, prototyping, and launching a successful e-commerce software tool.
8. Yes To Brand ($132K/year)
Veronica Baljak, the co-owner of Yes to Brand, started her online business journey by building dropshipping stores for herself, family, and friends. Through networking, sharing her knowledge in blogs and on social media, and becoming a motivational dropshipping influencer, Veronica gained a dedicated following and decided to create Yes to Brand, an agency that helps people start and improve their online businesses. With sales averaging $11,000 per month, Veronica's positive mindset and passion for manifesting success have led to rapid growth and opportunities for collaboration.
How much money it makes: $132K/year
How much did it cost to start: $7K
How many people on the team: 3
Dropshipping entrepreneur Veronica Baljak shares how her agency, Yes to Brand, helps people start and grow their online businesses, averaging $11,000 in monthly sales just three months after launching by focusing on positive mindset, collaboration, and transparency with customers.
9. Dropshipping.com ($120K/year)
Martin, co-founder of Dropshipping.com, came up with the idea while working on a simple directory for dropshipping products. With a million-dollar offer to sell the website even before it was fully developed, Martin realized the potential and decided to build something bigger. With a focus on providing value to online sellers and creating unique content, Dropshipping.com has seen impressive growth, attracting 40,000 organic traffic in just one year and generating $10k from brand and affiliate deals.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $30K
How many people on the team: 7
Dropshipping.com is an all-in-one resource center for dropshippers, offering 2000+ vetted suppliers, 300K+ product ideas, hand-picked winning product ideas, 140+ downloadable premium guides, and more, with the website currently generating $10k on average from brand and affiliate deals and $7-8K monthly expenses.
10. Temples and Markets ($72K/year)
Judith Treanor came up with the idea for her business, Temples and Markets, after traveling extensively throughout Southeast Asia and being inspired by the creativity and resilience of the artisans she met. She wanted to expose their unique creations to a broader market and help others overcome "Buyers' Regret" by offering products that could usually only be found on one's travels. Since launching, Judith has used PR, SEO, and email marketing to attract and retain customers, with 85% of her traffic coming from SEO.
How much money it makes: $72K/year
How many people on the team: 0
Temples and Markets founder Judith Treanor sources handmade, unique and sustainable artisan products from Southeast Asia for her online store, curating accessories, bags, jewelry and home decor to appeal to conscious consumers aged 30-55 who love to travel, with a 24% returning customer rate and an online conversion rate of .33%.
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