Dropshipping is the side hustle you see YouTubers and TikTok creators flaunting, but is it really a great side hustle? The honest answer is no, unless you’ve been doing dropshipping for a long time already or can find an experienced mentor then dropshipping should be avoided as a side hustle.
I’m not saying dropshipping isn’t a “good” side hustle, but it’s a much harder side hustle than many other things, like reselling on eBay. Even writing on Medium or Textbroker will provide you with much better returns for lower risk than dropshipping.
Still think about dropshipping? Keep reading and I’ll explain why and maybe talk you out of it.
Dropshipping has become saturated
Regardless of what your favorite content creator says, dropshipping is much more saturated now than it was a few years ago. Dropshipping has been around for decades, but it’s really boomed in popularity over the last few years. More people than ever are trying to make their fortune from dropshipping.
This leads to saturated products and selling markets. I’m not saying dropshipping is too saturated to be profitable, but there is a slim margin for success if you’re new at it.
I’m certain that experienced dropshippers are still making good money, finding profitable products and earning their living. But if you’re not an experienced dropshipper then it’s not for you.
There are better side hustles you can do without a degree to earn money.
Your time and money could be better spent
Dropshipping is a popular side hustle that’s a waste of time for many people. The majority of new people trying dropshipping fail. I don’t have statistics to back that up but it’s something that seems generally obvious. If it wasn’t then you wouldn’t be searching for answers to ‘is dropshipping a good side hustle?’
The money you invest in joining dropshipping Discords, paying for mentors and even paying for Shopify could be used as a downpayment on a low-risk side hustle like reselling sneakers.
The time you spend learning how to dropship and researching products could be better spent doing literally anything else.
There are better side hustles than dropshipping
In my opinion, reselling is a better side hustle than most others. Low risk and high reward are associated with reselling.
However, if you wanted to shoot for an even lower risk side hustle then try taking surveys online or even writing for a content mill. These side hustles can lead you to getting paid daily for your work and you don’t have to invest a cent to get started.
If you invest the same amount of time and money in the side hustles I just mentioned, you’re much more likely to start earning consistent income, even as a new side hustler.
Is dropshipping completely dead?
The short answer is no, dropshipping isn’t completely dead. Many experienced dropshippers are still making money from dropshipping. The long answer is yes, if you’re just trying to get into dropshipping and don’t have much experience then dropshipping is likely not going to work.
Instead, try an easier side hustle with lower risk before you invest a ton of your time into dropshipping. Your favorite YouTuber might be able to make six figures dropshipping but they can likely afford to lose six figures if they fail.
Unless you have that luxury of extra income, dropshipping is not for you.
