Can a drop ship company help your business during the holidays? Some gift businesses say, “yes”. For those who may not be familiar with the term, a drop ship company allows a gift business to advertise and promote a line of merchandise that the gift business does not have to keep in stock on their premises. Orders are taken for the merchandise from the gift company’s customers, and the items are shipped directly from the drop shipper’s warehouse. The gift company earns a commission from the sale.

How can a drop ship company help? In addition to allowing the gift company to offer a wider variety of merchandise without investing in the inventory, a drop ship company sometimes helps with other areas of business. Some companies may help with search engine optimization, pre-printed catalogs (for a fee), shopping carts, better payment options, and overall web image.

There are pro’s as well as con’s to signing on with a drop ship company. For one, monthly fees may be associated with the drop ship company. Lost or delayed shipping and delivery are the most common problems, along with disputes over quality of the merchandise.

Find a drop shipper with a sterling reputation and your business could reap a harvest of commissions. Maybe.