Hello,
I am considering entering an E-Commerce project focused on baby clothing. I will code the system myself, and the staff to operate it are ready. However, I am having trouble finding suppliers. I do not want to deal with official procedures like establishing a company or opening a firm at the initial stage; instead, I plan to spend the capital on advertising and infrastructure. Shipping and invoicing will be handled by the supplier. Is there anyone here operating this way? Is there any law we might not know about that works against us? And do you know of any reliable baby product suppliers, which is what I need most?
However, it is legally prohibited for you to do so without registering with the Tax Office. Because when you sell a product from your E-Commerce site, how will you issue an invoice, and how will you present it with the cargo? Let’s say you sold it and sent it via cargo. The buyer didn’t like the product, it was defective, or a different technical issue arose. For example, they got annoyed with you and went to the tax office to file a complaint. Then they will come to cause trouble and issue fines to your ID number; actually, they won’t come, but they will send the receipt to your address. In my opinion, do not do this business without making it official.
I have also thought about this subject. In fact, we consulted with my father, who has 30 years of experience in the public sector. We are considering operating as follows: the supplier issues the invoice, and the shipment is sent via the supplier through Firm A or Firm B with an invoice. My plan is to take a commission on these sales. I know there are many companies operating this way. However, I am having trouble finding suppliers in the industry I want to enter. We are thinking of utilizing the domain name I purchased for sales in this manner, but with our limited budget, while we can formalize this by obtaining a tax license under our own company, we do not have the budget to hold stock. We are considering this kind of business model, but I am doubtful about how successful we can be. I await your suggestions and ideas; I would appreciate it if you could share any alternative business models you might suggest..
This service is called Drop Shipping. It is very common worldwide, and its numbers are starting to increase in Turkey as well. Not just baby products, but you can also add very different products whenever you want. The drop shipping company takes the dealership from the manufacturers, so you don’t have to deal with dealership formalities yourself.
Of course, this system lowers the profit margin considerably. However, you can start without dealing with these hassles, and if sales increase in the future, you can continue by obtaining a dealership directly from the manufacturer. It is a method where those who are ambitious in marketing can test themselves risk-free.
I don’t have a specific company recommendation, as I haven’t worked with them myself. You can research online to find a low-cost company to start with.