Use an independent artist as a dropshipper

Shopify Discussion
1

I currently use printful to sell prints I have created, but want to use my Shopify website to sell art from independents, who will ship directly from their location(s).
Any best practices?

2

Hey @Hick84 ,

Thanks for reaching out in the Shopify Community!

Integrating independent artists into your Shopify website can be a great way to diversify your product offerings and support the creative community.

Depending on the scale of your business, you might want to consider integrating additional apps into your store. Apps like Spocket can help manage dropshipping arrangements, while others like ArtCloud specialize in managing art inventories.

With regard to best practices, here are a few to consider:

  • Artist Agreement: Develop a comprehensive agreement for artists that outlines the terms and conditions of selling their art through your platform. This agreement should cover issues such as pricing, shipping, returns, copyrights, and other important aspects. It’s also important to state how and when the artists will be paid for their sold works.

  • Create a streamlined process for artists to submit their work and information. This could involve a form on your website where artists can provide their details, upload images of their art, and give descriptions and prices. It’s also a good idea to request a short artist biography and a statement about their work to provide context for potential buyers.

Remember, the key to success in this venture is creating a win-win situation for all parties involved. The artists get a platform to sell their work, customers get access to unique art pieces, and you generate sales.

Let me know if you have any other questions,

3

All good feedback, and will finish structuring the artist questionnaire using notes as suggested.

In terms of the mechanics of selling the art from the artists home(s), i.e., notification to ship, shipping label generation, payment processing, etc., any apps you know that streamline that process? Although I am starting small scale, I would like to streamline those third party steps as much as possible.