I Tried Dropshipping With $100 (Realistic Results)

Introduction

In recent years, I’ve managed to build a seven-figure dropshipping business. However, this led me to wonder: what if I lost it all? All my money, knowledge, and connections—what if I had to start from scratch with only $ 100 to my name?

To explore this intriguing thought, I decided to embark on a new challenge where I would take the initial steps of a dropshipping business with a mere $ 100. Fortunately for you, I documented the process, and in this article, I will share exactly how I went about it and what the potential results were at the end.

The Challenge Rules

I set up some ground rules to make this challenge more interesting and demanding. Here are the rules I imposed on myself:

No Past Connections: I couldn’t tap into any previous contacts, influencers, or suppliers that helped me in the past. This was to ensure that I was starting from complete scratch.
New Shopify Store: I had to create a completely new Shopify store, which meant selecting a product that I had never sold or tested before.
No Personal Branding: I couldn’t leverage my personal brand to gain any advantage in this challenge, such as promoting the store through my Instagram.
$ 100 Budget: I strictly adhered to a budget of $ 100, making sure to manage my funds wisely throughout the journey.

Now that the rules are clear, let’s dive into the process.

Finding a Winning Product

The first step in my dropshipping journey was to find a winning product. Given my limited budget, I decided to pursue an organic TikTok marketing strategy by creating and sharing content about my product. This option allows for potential sales without incurring advertising costs; if a TikTok video gained traction, it could drive significant traffic to my website without any upfront investment.

I began scrolling through my TikTok feed—since I frequently engage with dropshipping-related content, my feed was optimized for finding trending products. Soon enough, I found a gadget that piqued my interest—a portable speaker that connects to your phone via Bluetooth to amplify sound when placed on any metal or glass surface.

Upon investigating further, I found a Shopify store selling this speaker for $ 40. Reviews and product images were impressive, suggesting it could be a viable option for dropshipping.

I sourced the product on Amazon for $ 38, while AliExpress offered it for around $ 21. This left me with a profit margin of $ 19. After purchasing the product and taking note of my remaining budget, I had $ 62 left to operate and grow the business.

Setting Up the Store

With my initial product purchased, I turned my attention to creating the Shopify store. I branded it as “Porta Speaker,” a memorable name reflecting the product's portable nature. Using a 30-day free trial from Shopify ensured that my initial costs remained minimal.

As I built out the website, I focused on making it visually appealing and user-friendly. I added product images, a catchy description, and a section for customer reviews, even borrowing a couple from the original supplier.

Meanwhile, I prepared for product arrival, ready to film custom content for TikTok once the Porta Speaker reached me.

Unboxing and Creating Content

When my product finally arrived, I unboxed it on camera, showcasing its functionality and ease of use. This created engaging content for my TikTok account, which I then utilized to promote the Porta Speaker.

The next step involved consistently creating and uploading content on TikTok. Initially, this was a challenge; however, I developed a strategy where I placed the speaker on different items and asked followers which one sounded best, boosting engagement and retention rates.

After several attempts with various TikTok accounts, I managed to get one video to go viral, accumulating over 16,000 views and 3,257 likes. My content focused on engaging storytelling combined with product demonstrations.

The Results

After all that hard work, it was time to assess our earnings. In total, I managed to generate $ 119.90 in sales from three purchases of the Porta Speaker, which was somewhat underwhelming considering my efforts.

Netting $ 53 in profit after accounting for product costs was a modest success. Although not life-changing, this challenge proved that it is indeed possible to start a dropshipping business with a minimal budget.

Conclusion

This endeavor showcased that while challenges exist, with persistence and creativity, one can potentially find success in dropshipping even with limited resources. Hopefully, this motivates others on similar journeys to explore their own potential and test products that resonate with them.

Keyword

Dropshipping
TikTok
Shopify
Winning Product
Organic Marketing
Porta Speaker
Budget
Profit Margin
E-commerce
Content Creation

FAQ

What is dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a retail fulfillment method where a store doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when you sell a product, you purchase the item from a third-party supplier who then ships it directly to the customer.

Can you start a dropshipping business with $ 100?
Yes, it is possible to start a dropshipping business with $ 100, but it requires careful planning, creativity, and efficient use of social media to drive traffic to your store.

How did you find a product to sell?
I found a product by scrolling through TikTok and observing trends, focusing on items that received consistent engagement through likes and comments.

Do I need a lot of money for advertising?
Starting with organic methods, such as TikTok content creation, can be a cost-effective way to drive traffic before investing in paid advertising.

What were the earnings from this challenge?
From this challenge, I generated a revenue of $ 119.90 from three sales, resulting in a net profit of $ 53 after product costs.