How I Started Dropshipping from Scratch in



How I Started Dropshipping from Scratch in Under 1 Hour (Using Just $1!)

Introduction
Dropshipping has taken the e-commerce world by storm, offering a low-barrier way to start selling products online with minimal investment. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up a dropshipping store in under 60 minutes using free tools and just $1 — even if you're starting from absolute zero. This step-by-step breakdown is based on Mark Tilbury’s proven strategy.

🎯 1. Why Dropshipping? (And Is It Legit?)
Dropshipping lets you sell products without holding inventory. When a customer buys, the supplier ships directly — enabling scalable, low-risk profits. As Mark says: “People make thousands per month in passive income through dropshipping…” But can you really start with almost nothing? Yes — you just need the right strategy.

🛠 2. Setup
Step-by-step

2.1 Define Your Budget and Goals

  • Keep total costs under $1 (excluding Shopify free trial)

  • Build everything from your laptop

  • Complete setup in under 1 hour

2.2 Use Free AI Tools to Build the Store Brand
Use BuildYourStore.ai to create a ready-to-go Shopify store for free. Sign up, pick a niche (e.g., Sports & Fitness), and let AI:

  • Create homepage and logos

  • Install product listings

  • Set up legal pages and footer info

2.3 Connect Your Shopify Account

  • Start a free trial with Shopify

  • Choose a plan (starts at $1/month after trial)

  • Install the AI store builder app and launch your store in minutes

🔍 3. Find Winning Products
Mark uses AutoDS to identify bestsellers with high margins. Examples of added products:

  • Breathing trainer

  • Golf bag clips

  • Resistance band

  • Warm running hat

These items are selected based on demand, pro images, AI-written descriptions (with emojis!), and upsell suggestions.

🌐 4. Polish Your Store
4.1 Review Product Pages

  • Ensure image quality

  • Calculate margins (e.g., golf clips cost $6.84 — sell at ~$13.68+)

  • Review descriptions, animations (like PayPal button), and related products

4.2 Final Store Tweaks

  • Add legal/sales footer pages

  • Set up a custom domain (a .store domain can boost SEO and traffic by 87%)

  • Connect social media, adjust layout, and finalize design manually

📣 5. Launch and Promote
5.1 Choose Micro-Influencers
Mark skips expensive celebrities, preferring micro-influencers (~145K followers) for better engagement.

5.2 Create Engaging Content
He makes a fun Instagram reel featuring the breathing trainer in action.

💰 6. Results and Profit Breakdown
Within 24 hours: 12 breathing trainers sold (10 test orders + 2 from Mark)

  • Revenue: £1,342 (~$1,785 USD)

  • Costs: $39.50 (product/shipping) + $50 (influencer) + $1 (Shopify)

  • Profit: ~$1,694 USD — from just $1

🚀 7. Key Takeaways for SEO Success

  • Low-Cost Setup: Use free AI + $1 investment

  • High-Quality Niche Products: Focus on demand, great visuals, compelling descriptions

  • Custom Domain + SEO Boost: A .store domain increases visibility

  • Micro-Influencer Marketing: Better ROI than major influencers

  • Lean & Fast Launch: 1-hour store setup + 24-hour sales test

  • Review descriptions, animations (like PayPal button), and related products

4.2 Final Store Tweaks

  • Add legal/sales footer pages

  • Set up a custom domain (a .store domain can boost SEO and traffic by 87%)

  • Connect social media, adjust layout, and finalize design manually

📣 5. Launch and Promote
5.1 Choose Micro-Influencers
Mark skips pricey celebrities, opting for micro-influencers (~145K followers) to boost engagement.

5.2 Create Engaging Content
He makes a fun Instagram reel showcasing the breathing trainer in action:

 

💰 6. Results and Profit Breakdown
Within 24 hours: 12 breathing trainers sold (10 test orders + 2 from Mark)

  • Revenue: £1,342 (~$1,785 USD)

  • Costs: $39.50 (product/shipping) + $50 (influencer) + $1 Shopify

  • Profit: ~$1,694 USD — from just $1

🚀 7. Key Takeaways for SEO Success

  • Low-Cost Setup: Leverage free AI + $1 investment

  • High-Quality Niche Products: Focus on demand, great visuals, compelling descriptions

  • Custom Domain + SEO Boost: A .store domain can increase visibility

  • Micro-Influencer Marketing: Better ROI than big-name influencers

  • Lean & Fast Launch: 1-hour store setup + 24-hour sales test


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