Dropshipping Reality Check & Setup

Give me an honest assessment of dropshipping as a side hustle and help me set it up properly if it's right for me.

Budget: [AMOUNT]
Technical skill: [LOW / MODERATE / HIGH]

Marketing skill: [LOW / MODERATE / HIGH]
Expectation: [£500/MO / £1000/MO / £5000/MO]

Provide:
1. **Honest Assessment**: The reality of dropshipping in 2025/2026 — is it still viable?
2. **Business Model**: How dropshipping actually works (and common misconceptions)
3. **Niche Selection**: How to find a profitable niche that isn't oversaturated
4. **Supplier Vetting**: How to find reliable suppliers (and red flags to avoid)
5. **Store Setup**: Building a Shopify store that converts (or alternatives)
6. **Product Listing**: How to create product pages that sell
7. **Marketing Strategy**: Paid ads vs organic — where to start with limited budget
8. **Customer Service**: Managing customer expectations with longer shipping times
9. **Profit Margins**: Realistic margins after ads, returns, and platform fees
10. **Exit Criteria**: When to keep going vs when to cut losses

Give me an honest assessment of dropshipping as a side hustle and help me set it up properly if it's right for me.

Budget: [AMOUNT]
Technical skill: [LOW / MODERATE / HIGH]
Marketing skill: [LOW / MODERATE / HIGH]
Expectation: [£500/MO / £1000/MO / £5000/MO]

Provide:
1. **Honest Assessment**: The reality of dropshipping in 2025/2026 — is it still viable?
2. **Business Model**: How dropshipping actually works (and common misconceptions)
3. **Niche Selection**: How to find a profitable niche that isn't oversaturated
4. **Supplier Vetting**: How to find reliable suppliers (and red flags to avoid)
5. **Store Setup**: Building a Shopify store that converts (or alternatives)
6. **Product Listing**: How to create product pages that sell
7. **Marketing Strategy**: Paid ads vs organic — where to start with limited budget
8. **Customer Service**: Managing customer expectations with longer shipping times
9. **Profit Margins**: Realistic margins after ads, returns, and platform fees
10. **Exit Criteria**: When to keep going vs when to cut losses