Sourcing Agent Dropshipping | How to Find Great Dropshipping Agent

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Sourcing agent dropshipping - Today we are going to talk about sourcing agent in dropshipping.

The simplest definition of a sourcing agent in dropshipping is a third-party that helps you find the right supplies in a particular country that can make your dropshipping process much easier and cost-efficient.

Thus, if you don't have a sourcing agent in dropshipping yet, do read through this article today, especially if you are looking forward to scaling up your business.

You can also read this article on Dropshipping Agent | 6 Reasons Why You Should Use Dropshipping Agent

The content for today is:

1. Why do you need a sourcing agent?
2. Types of sourcing agent
3. How to find the best agent
4. Sourcing agent recommendation

Why Do You Need A Sourcing Agent for dropshipping?

There are many benefits that a sourcing agent dropshipping can bring to you, but the most essential one is definitely time-saving. Time is money; a sourcing agent will help you with the overall product preparation from finding the reliable suppliers to managing the shipping and logistics covering service like price-negotiation, quality control, and so much more.

Some of them even provide repackaging or print-on-demand service, which is very helpful if you want to improve the customer experience with this kind of start-to-end assistance. The potential inconvenience maybe caused by language barrier, lack of experience, and many other objective reasons due to the fact that the sourcing place is too far away from you can be avoided.

Types of Sourcing Agent Dropshipping

There are 3 types of sourcing agent in the dropshipping market and they all have their pros and cons

#1 Independent agent

This type of sourcing agents work completely on their own, which means; it's hard for you to tell how reliable they could be since the history of their performance is hard to track. Although, independent sourcing agents are generally cheaper than big sourcing companies. The chance of them disappear in the mid of the process or practice scams on you is also bigger.

#2 Sourcing Agencies

These agencies hire several sourcing agents with different expertise at different niches and they will assign the agent to you, depending on your specific demand. However, they also charge more for this professional service.

#3 Full Service Sourcing and Logistics companies

This is the most expensive yet versatile type of agents.This is the most expensive yet versatile type of agents. Their sourcing services network is large. They get their suppliers from various firms. In addition they are also responsible for quality inspections, logistics shipping, and so on.

How To Find The Best Agent

There are 6 steps you can take to find the most suitable sourcing agent for your business:

Step 1 - Find out what you need

The first and most important thing is to find out what you need. You can't just dive into the market without any knowledge or strategy about the product you want to sell. Elements like target market, target customer, and marketing strategy are all necessary to be defined before you can actually start looking for sourcing agents.

Step 2 - Set your budget

Every business needs to be built upon a budget setting. The budget down to details is also a good way to run the overall business plan again. During the process you can inspect the feasibility of your project. The more accurate your budget is, the easier to locate the suitable sourcing agent for your business.

Step 3 - Research & Compare

Once you are certain about what you want to source and how much you are willing to pay for it, you can use a "filter" to find a sourcing agent. Do some company research online, narrow down the options you have and compare the service terms they offer and the price they charge.

Through comparison, you can have a general understanding about the market which can help you distinguishing scams.

Recommended reading: Time to Dropship | The Most Effective Method to Dropship

Step 4 - Check credentials properly

Besides the comparison as aforementioned, you should also check the following for further credential verification:

#1 - The location of the agent's office - it's to your benefit, go have an agent who's close to the local factories

#2 - The duration of the agent's company has been in operation

#3 - The references from businesses the agent has worked with before

#4 - The quality-related policies

Step 5 - Try getting prior samples

Before you place the official order, make sure to ask for the sample of your ideal product. First, It's the agent's responsibility to provide you with a sample of the product and collaborate with the manufacturer to adjust it till it fits your expectations.

Step 6 - Negotiate the payment

When you've compiled up a list of the most suitable candidates as sourcing agents in dropshipping, its' time you negotiate the money. Find out what kind of payment method will the sourcing agent agrees to. Assess the overall payment strategy; keep the overall budget you've set in mind. Also, try to bargain the commission in respect of high or low when you place an order again.

Sourcing Agent Recommendation

Here’s the list of selected sourcing agents in dropshipping. However, do your research before doing business with them, the author of this article will not be held responsible for any loss incurred.

1. CJdropshipping Sourcing Service - CJ offers free services for products sourcing, order processing, and shipping. Thousands of products can be posted to your stores with just a few simple clicks. They offer: Print on Demand Service Quality control before dispatching, and Professional product images & video shooting.
2. Jing Sourcing - A Small business friendly offering free product inspection to reduce defect rate to near 0. A customize packaging service is available as long as you are able to invest over $500 minimum on one product.
3. Leeline Sourcing - Leeline Sourcing was registered in Hong Kong 2009 and in 2015 they created the current company in mainland with a specialization in product sourcing. They provide a variety of logistics solutions in addition to conventional shipping methods.
4. Meeno Group - This company is based in Yiwu, expanded offices across Asia, Africa, Europe, and America. It’s great for start-up companies. A small business with minimum order as low as $500 is also supported.
5. LINC Sourcing - LINC Sourcing is based in Europe with branch offices in China and some other countries. This one is recommended for small and medium scale European companies who want to source products from China.
6. Dragon Sourcing - Dragon Sourcing is a procurement service provider based in both China and Vietnam focused on delivering sustainable value for clients globally. A complete sourcing service for small and medium size companies.

I hope you enjoy this reading this article on sourcing agent dropshipping. Share the article to your friends and family and in your social media and drop your comment in the comment section below. Thanks for reading.