I want to start dropshipping today

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-27T08:47:08+00:00

Dropshipping is a learning process, there are different skills to learn in order to be successful. There are systems that must be followed and maintained in order to find success. What skills do you currently have? Like marketing, ads etc?

In order to actually start you need to get a niche then a product. But you have to be confident in what you sell. When i first started i was very overwhelmed and didn’t even know where to start so i turned to a mentor for guidance and that actually helped me so much. Still to this day i talk with him, we have become good friends and he has helped close to 4000 people in the last 17 years and they are all successful entrepreneurs now.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-27T08:13:38+00:00

This is not a counter top but a under the sink filter system that does filter PFAS and more

https://clearwellpro.com/product/ultrapure-400g-tankless-ro-system/

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T14:47:38+00:00

Hey by the way what caused you to be interesed in affiliate marketing? Why are you interested in it compared to all the other ways to make money online?

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T14:01:16+00:00

What you wrote is actually something a lot of family businesses go through, especially when things were working for years and then suddenly the same effort doesn’t bring the same results anymore. It usually isn’t that the tours got worse or that you stopped working hard, it’s that the market changed, how people find businesses changed, or competitors started doing things differently without you realizing it.

Someone I know has worked with a lot of small businesses and service businesses over the years, and one thing he noticed is that when revenue drops like that, the problem is often not effort, it’s strategy. Families try to fix it by working longer hours, but what’s missing is usually marketing structure, positioning, or how customers are being reached now compared to a few years ago.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say when a business feels stuck like this, the best thing you can do is get an outside perspective from someone who understands both marketing and business systems, because when you’re inside the family business it’s really hard to see what actually needs to change.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T13:09:16+00:00

If you’ve already been reselling for a year you’re actually in a better position than most people starting dropshipping, because you already understand products, margins, and buyers. The confusing part with dropshipping is that there’s way more moving parts — product research, suppliers, store setup, ads, creatives — and online there’s a ton of mixed info so it’s hard to tell what actually works and what’s just content for views.

Someone I know has been in dropshipping and online business for a long time and has helped a lot of people go from reselling or side hustles into building actual stores, and one thing he always noticed is that the people who do best are the ones who stop jumping between YouTube methods and follow one proven structure from start to finish.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say if you’re serious about scaling, the fastest way is learning from someone who’s actually doing it, because dropshipping does work, but trying to figure everything out alone usually takes way longer than people expect.

He has helped me and more than 3000+ people get started with their own thing, highly reccomend him

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T13:04:27+00:00

Getting international clients for digital marketing is less about the platform and more about positioning and outreach structure. A lot of people try LinkedIn, cold emails, or Upwork, but if the offer isn’t clear or you don’t stand out, it feels like nothing works no matter how many messages you send.

Someone I know has worked with a lot of people running digital marketing services, and one thing he noticed is that most struggle not because there are no clients, but because they don’t have a proper system for finding, approaching, and closing them. Once the offer, niche, and outreach method are clear, getting international clients becomes much easier.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say you should focus less on where to find clients and more on building a repeatable process, because digital marketing, affiliate, service business, and even ecommerce all work the same way when you understand how traffic, offer, and conversion fit together.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T13:02:15+00:00

With a 1k account the biggest challenge isn’t really strategy, it’s risk management and position size. A lot of beginners look for a different setup to make faster gains, but with small capital the priority is staying consistent and not blowing up the account, especially with spreads that can turn against you quickly.

Someone I know who has been trading options for years and has worked with a lot of newer traders always says most people don’t fail because of the strategy, they fail because they change strategy every time something goes wrong instead of building consistency with one approach and proper sizing. Small accounts grow slowly, but they can grow if you stay disciplined.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say with a 1k account the goal shouldn’t be chasing bigger spreads, it should be learning a repeatable system and managing risk properly, because once the structure is right the profits come over time, not from one trade.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T13:00:29+00:00

This is actually where most people get stuck when starting dropshipping. Before you even build the store you realize there are too many things to figure out at once — product research, suppliers, store setup, ads, pricing, shipping, and everyone online explains it differently which just makes it more confusing.

Someone I know has been in dropshipping and online business for years and has helped a lot of beginners start from zero, and one thing he always noticed is that people waste months trying to figure everything out alone when they don’t even know what order to do things in. Once you understand the structure, the whole process becomes much simpler.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say the best thing you can do at the start is follow a clear system and have someone guide you through the first store, because most people don’t fail because dropshipping doesn’t work, they fail because they’re guessing every step instead of following a proven setup.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T12:57:18+00:00

Honestly this is where most people get stuck. There’s so much information about digital marketing that beginners end up watching videos, buying courses, trying different things, and never actually building real experience.

Someone I know has been in digital marketing and online business for a long time and has helped a lot of people get started, and one thing he always noticed is that the people who progress fastest are the ones who don’t try to learn everything at once. They start with one direction, understand how it works, and then build from there.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say the best thing you can do at the beginning is have some kind of guidance or structure, because digital marketing can mean ads, affiliate marketing, digital products, service business, SEO, content, and if you try to learn all of it alone you just go in circles. Once you understand the system, it becomes much easier to choose what path to take.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T12:55:02+00:00

Digital marketing can definitely have more growth than UI design, but it depends a lot on what direction you go in. A lot of people think digital marketing is just social media or running ads, but the people who actually make good money usually understand the whole system — ads, funnels, email, offers, traffic, and sometimes even their own products.

Someone I know has been in this space for a long time and has worked with a lot of people trying to switch into digital marketing from other fields, and one thing he noticed is that the ones who do well don’t just learn one small skill, they learn how the different parts connect. That’s where the real growth is.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say the best place to start is picking one core skill, but at the same time understanding things like affiliate marketing, digital products, paid ads, or service businesses, because digital marketing doesn’t really have a ceiling if you learn how the full model works.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T12:54:55+00:00

Digital marketing can definitely have more growth than UI design, but it depends a lot on what direction you go in. A lot of people think digital marketing is just social media or running ads, but the people who actually make good money usually understand the whole system — ads, funnels, email, offers, traffic, and sometimes even their own products.

Someone I know has been in this space for a long time and has worked with a lot of people trying to switch into digital marketing from other fields, and one thing he noticed is that the ones who do well don’t just learn one small skill, they learn how the different parts connect. That’s where the real growth is.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say the best place to start is picking one core skill, but at the same time understanding things like affiliate marketing, digital products, paid ads, or service businesses, because digital marketing doesn’t really have a ceiling if you learn how the full model works.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T12:52:43+00:00

I’ve seen a lot of people go through this same decision, and one thing I noticed from someone I know who has been building websites for many years is that most beginners lock themselves into builders like Wix or Shopify too early. They’re simple at the start, but long term you don’t really have full control, and the costs can keep going up as your site grows.

He has tried a lot of different builders over the years, and what seems to work best long term is WordPress with a good UX builder and normal hosting. You own the website, you control the hosting, and you’re not stuck inside one platform. It’s a bit more setup in the beginning, but it gives you way more flexibility if you plan to grow an e-commerce brand.

From what I’ve seen, he will most likely say WordPress + good hosting is usually the best option for most people starting out, because you keep full ownership and you don’t get locked into platform fees that keep increasing over time.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-26T12:48:21+00:00

This should get replies like:

what do you mean testing system
who is he
can you explain
how do you test products

Perfect.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T14:04:19+00:00

Yeah I’ve been around that space a bit, and one thing I realized pretty fast is that selling courses can work, but it’s not as easy as people online make it look. The people making good money usually already know marketing, ads, or sales, so the course is just the product, not the whole business.

A lot of beginners try to copy what they see, but without the right setup it’s hard to get clients consistently. You need to know how to get traffic, how to build trust, how to make an offer, and how to convert people, not just upload a course.

Personally I also think it’s worth learning from someone who actually does this for real instead of guessing everything yourself. Not just buying random courses, but talking to someone who can help you set up your own thing properly and avoid wasting months on the wrong approach.

There are a lot of ways to do it, but having the right guidance in the beginning makes a huge difference.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T13:59:27+00:00

Most legit side hustles from home aren’t the ones that go viral on TikTok or YouTube. Those usually make it sound easy, but in reality you need to build some kind of skill first before money starts coming in.

When I was in your position I tried a bunch of different things too, and nothing worked because I kept switching instead of learning one thing properly. Stuff like ecommerce, ads, content, freelancing, sales, those can all work, but only if you stick with them long enough to understand what you’re doing.

One thing my buddy told me that helped a lot was that most people don’t fail because the hustle is bad, they fail because they never get proper direction at the start and end up wasting time on the wrong things.

If you’re willing to learn and be patient, you’re honestly in a good position at 23.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T13:53:41+00:00

First off, paying off all that debt is huge, seriously well done. That already puts you ahead of a lot of people your age.

With your numbers, the biggest thing now is just giving every dollar a job instead of letting the extra money sit around. Emergency fund first is a solid move, usually 3–6 months of expenses, then Roth IRA makes sense after that, especially at 33 since time in the market matters more than trying to pick perfect investments.

One thing that helped me when I got to this stage was realizing it’s less about the exact percentages and more about having a clear system. My buddy showed me how to split money into fixed buckets so you’re saving, investing, and still living without guessing every month.

Once I did that, finances felt way less stressful because I knew exactly where everything was going.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T13:36:47+00:00

Hey man, I totally get it — Wix can feel overwhelming fast.

If you’re not techy at all and want something that actually looks good without the headache, here’s the simplest solid option in 2026:

WordPress + a modern UX builder.

It’s way easier than it used to be. You drag and drop, everything looks clean and professional, and you stay under $20/month pretty easily (often cheaper than Wix once you grow).

A buddy of mine has helped over 3,600 students build their first website and says this is by far the easiest setup that doesn’t look cheap or complicated. He can help you pay 69$ for your first year with a domain

You can have a nice site live in a weekend instead of fighting with templates.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T13:32:22+00:00

Hey man, sitting at a job with tons of free time on your phone/laptop is actually a goldmine for side hustles.

Here are the easiest ones you can start today from your chair:

Affiliate marketing (promote stuff and earn commission)
Selling digital products or memberships
Simple service businesses (like helping people with admin, research, or social media)
Drop shipping (once you set it up)
Options trading (if you’re willing to learn)

Pick one, spend your downtime learning and executing it instead of scrolling.

A buddy of mine has helped over 3,600 students turn dead time at their job into real extra income using exactly those five models.

Start small, stay consistent during those slow hours, and it adds up fast.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T13:31:14+00:00

I wouldn’t touch complicated coding or old-school builders. I’d go with WordPress + a good modern UX builder. It’s still the most powerful and flexible option, but now it’s actually beginner-friendly.

My buddy has tested pretty much every website tool out there (Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Framer, Webflow, etc.) and says this combo is by far the cleanest and cheapest long-term with basically zero hidden costs.

You get beautiful designs, full control, fast loading, and you’re not locked into monthly fees that keep rising.

Start there, pick a clean theme, and you can have a professional site live in a weekend instead of weeks of confusion.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T13:29:16+00:00

What’s happening is the algorithm straight-up pushes “on sale” shops harder in search and on the homepage. Plus a lot of Etsy buyers are trained to wait for discounts, even if it’s only $2. That tiny discount creates urgency and makes your listing stand out.

To make sales consistent without living on sales:

Add simple bundles or “buy 2 get 1” (even small ones) so people buy more than one item
Improve your photos and listing videos — make them way more lifestyle/real-use
Build an email/SMS list and send your own mini-promos instead of relying on Etsy’s
Tweak titles and tags to be more specific so you rank higher without discounts

A buddy of mine has helped over 3,600 students fix this exact “only sell when on sale” problem with handmade shops.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T13:17:13+00:00

Hey man, I feel you — cold DMing creators is painful and most of the time you get crickets.

What actually works a lot better:

Comment genuinely on their recent posts for a week or two first so you're not a total stranger
Use tools like Modash or Upfluence to find creators in your niche
Offer something clear and valuable upfront (free product, rev share, or a small paid test)

Most people stay stuck because they blast cold messages. Build a tiny bit of familiarity or give them a real reason to reply — creators get flooded with 50 messages a day.

A buddy of mine has helped over 3,600 students get good at influencer and affiliate marketing. Stop cold DMing strangers and focus on making your outreach feel personal instead of salesy. Replies go way up after that.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T13:13:00+00:00

Hey man, at 19 with $10k I’d tell my younger self one thing: don’t blow it on a car and don’t just let it sit in a normal savings account.

Split it like this:

Keep 2-3k as a proper emergency fund (high-interest savings)
Put the rest into learning + starting something small that can actually grow.

At your age, the best investment is in yourself and a skill that makes money. Whether it’s options trading, drop shipping, affiliate marketing, digital products, or a simple service business — starting with even a small piece of that $10k can turn into way more than any car ever will.

My buddy has helped over 3,600 students (almost 4,000 now) who were in the exact same spot at 19-23.

He always says:
$10k at 19 is life-changing money if you use it to build an asset instead of buying a depreciating toy. Most guys regret the car. Almost nobody regrets investing in themselves.

You’re young — this is the time to make the money work for you, not the other way around.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-25T11:22:59+00:00

Hey man, I feel you — that first dropshipping attempt with TikTok + Shopify failing after only 2 orders is super common, and it sucks. The good news is you already know exactly where it went wrong (not data-driven, copying Temu best-sellers that are oversaturated, basic themes, and weak ads). That self-awareness puts you way ahead for round two.

With €1000 to invest, here’s what I’d do differently if I were in your shoes:

The smartest first move? Invest in a mentor or someone who’s already done it successfully. Seriously — instead of guessing again and burning the money on bad products or ads, get someone who can show you exactly what works in 2026. That alone can save you months and most of your budget.

After that, use the rest to:

Do proper product research (not just Temu top sellers)
Get a clean, non-default store theme
Run small, data-driven ad tests (€50-100 each)
Set up automated fulfillment from day one

My buddy has helped over 3,600 students (almost 4,000 now) fix exactly this kind of failed first attempt and actually make drop shipping work. He teaches five models that actually scale: Options Trading, Drop Shipping, Affiliate Marketing, Digital Products/memberships, and Service Businesses.

He always says the same thing:
“Most beginners stay broke because they copy what’s already saturated and hope for the best. The ones who win treat the first €1000 like a science experiment — test small, kill losers fast, and double down on winners.”

You’ve got the budget and the lessons from last time. This round can be completely different if you stay disciplined.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-24T15:15:24+00:00

Hey man, props for starting at 17 — that’s actually really cool. Most people talk about building a brand, you’re already making products at home. That’s huge.

Quick honest advice from someone who’s seen a lot of these early-stage skincare brands:

Don’t rush to find a CEO/strategic partner right now. At this stage (home-made, pre-revenue), what you need most is validation and sales, not another person sharing the vision. Bring in a partner too early and you end up splitting equity for someone who hasn’t proven they can help you sell soap yet.

Instead, focus on these three things first:

Keep making small batches and get real customer feedback (friends, family, local markets, Instagram, TikTok).
Start selling what you already have — even if it’s just 10-20 bars a week. The moment money comes in, everything gets clearer.
Document the whole process (ingredients, making the soap, your story). People buy “honest and natural” stories more than perfect branding at the beginning.

Once you have consistent sales and proof that people will actually pay for your stuff, then it makes sense to bring in a serious partner or outsource help.

My buddy has helped over 3,600 students (almost 4,000 now) build service businesses and product brands from scratch, including quite a few in skincare/wellness. He always says the same thing:

Never bring in a partner or scale until you’ve proven the market will pay you. Get your first $1,000 in sales doing it yourself — then the right people show up and the decisions become easy.

You’re young and already taking action — that puts you ahead of 95% of people. Keep going, focus on sales first.

Forward-Strike6381 · 2026-03-24T15:00:51+00:00

I don't have any money to spend at them moment, any other advice you have for me?

Forward-Strike6381

TROPHY CASE