In Part 2 of our tax series, we’re diving into the most powerful part of tax season: deductions. Megan walks through what dropshipping-related expenses you can write off (spoiler: it’s a lot), and how to do it in a way that won’t get you flagged by the IRS. You’ll learn how to categorize write-offs, track receipts like a pro, and turn business expenses into serious tax savings.

We’ll also hit quarterly taxes, when to hire a CPA (or when to let software do the job), and how to stress less with a smart filing system. This episode is equal parts practical and empowering—so you can stop dreading tax season and start seeing it as a legit strategy for growth.

Chapters:
[Start] Deduct Like a Boss: From Shopify fees to that Canva subscription—you’re leaving money on the table if you’re not tracking these.
00:48 Don’t Wing Your Write-Offs: How to document properly and why even small receipts matter.
4:00 Quarterly Taxes Without Tears: What they are, when they’re due, and how to avoid penalties.
04:28 Should You DIY or Call a CPA?: Software tools vs. pros—and why peace of mind is a valid business expense.

Links and Resources:

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan
• QuickBooks
• Wave
• Keeper Tax 
• TurboTax Self-Employed
• TaxSlayer

Inquiries about partnerships? Want to join Megan on the podcast? Email [email protected] and connect!

Tax season doesn’t have to suck. Follow along as Megan walks you through how to get your dropshipping business registered, compliant, and actually prepared to file without crying into your receipts. From sole proprietorships and LLCs to EINs, business bank accounts, and sales tax basics, you’ll learn how to keep your setup clean and scalable.

We’ll also talk about why good recordkeeping is your secret weapon, how tools like TaxJar or Avalara can save you from sales tax meltdowns, and what to expect when it’s time to report income. 

Chapters:
[Start] Business Setup Without the Jargon: Sole proprietorship vs. LLC, EINs, and how to avoid paying $100 for something that’s free.
01:46 Banking Like a Pro: Why mixing business and personal accounts is a one-way ticket to stress—and what to do instead.
02:25 Sales Tax Made Slightly Less Awful: Understanding physical vs. economic nexus and how to automate the worst parts.
03:35 Reporting Your Income Without Panic: The tools, forms, and tracking habits that make tax time manageable, not monstrous.

Links and Resources:

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan

Inquiries about partnerships? Want to join Megan on the podcast?
Email [email protected] and connect!

You get it—speed matters. Now let’s make it real. In Part 2, we go beyond theory with real case studies from Doba sellers who’ve scaled to $60K, $100K+ months by making fast shipping their superpower. From high-ticket Temu stores to high-volume Amazon pivots, these sellers found a repeatable way to win: ship fast, earn trust, grow big.

We also walk through the exact tools inside Doba that make all this possible—smart filtering, U.S.-based inventory, and automation that lets you skip the manual chaos. Plus, Megan breaks down the four big wins you unlock when you prioritize speed: revenue, retention, brand trust, and fewer customer fires. If you’re ready to sell like a pro, this is where it starts.

Chapters:
[Start] From Friction to Fulfillment: Doba sellers who ditched delays and saw their revenue spike.
01:11 Inside the $100K Month: How Hui Du and team scaled 12 stores by focusing on one thing: fast delivery.
02:38 Doba Tools That Make It Happen: Filter by shipping speed, automate fulfillment, and simplify tracking.
03:22 Why Speed Wins—Long-Term: Retention, reviews, and the branding boost that comes from fast fulfillment. 

 Links and Resources:

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan
• Shopify App Store Doba Integration – One-Click Product Import
• TikTok – Marketing + product testing
• Temu – Marketplace referenced in seller case study

Inquiries about partnerships? Want to join Megan on the podcast?
Email [email protected] and connect!

What’s the one thing that can tank your sales before your product page even loads? Shipping time. Today we dig into the psychology behind fast shipping and why your customers don’t care that you’re not Amazon, they just want their stuff now. From cart abandonment to credibility, host Megan Hansel walks through why long delivery windows kill conversions and what today’s buyers actually expect.

We also look at the ripple effect: how fast shipping builds trust, earns repeat purchases, and even boosts your visibility in search and marketplaces. Whether you’re brand new or already making sales, this episode makes the case for speed as a growth strategy, not just a logistics upgrade. And yes, we’ll show you how Doba helps you compete (without needing 100 warehouses and an army of robots).

Chapters
[Start] Prime Expectations, Small Business Pressure: How Amazon set the bar—and what that means for your Shopify store.
01:05 What Customers Really See: A peek inside the mind of a shopper when your delivery time says "10–14 days."
02:40 Cart Abandonment Math: Why nearly 70% of carts get ditched—and what faster fulfillment has to do with it.
03:08 Trust, Visibility, and Why Speed Scales: How delivery time impacts customer loyalty and your search performance.

Links and Resources:

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan
• Shopify App Store Doba Integration – One-Click Product Import
• TikTok – Marketing + product testing
• Temu – Marketplace 

Inquiries about partnerships? Want to join Megan on the podcast?
Email [email protected] and connect!

In Part 2 of our dropshipping platform showdown, we dive into what really matters when the orders start rolling in: ease of use, automation, and pricing reality. You'll discover why "free" platforms often cost you more in the long run, how AI tools can replace a $300/month virtual assistant, and the truth about when branding features actually matter for your bottom line.

We break down the real-world differences in order management, integration capabilities, and scaling potential. From Doba's AI Store Builder that helped a mom of three launch her clean beauty store in a weekend to Zendrop's custom packaging dreams and Spocket's boutique simplicity, you'll learn exactly which platform fits your business model and budget. If you've been drowning in manual work or wondering when to prioritize pretty packaging over profit, this episode gives you the honest breakdown you need to choose smart and scale without chaos.

Chapters
[Start] Ease of Use & Integration Reality: How Doba's AI Store Builder creates full storefronts in minutes, plus the clean beauty store weekend success story.
01:50 Order Management Without Chaos: Why centralized dashboards beat juggling six Chrome tabs and how AI tools replace expensive virtual assistants.
02:46 Branding vs. Utility: When boutique vibes matter, when custom packaging pays off, and why you should nail fulfillment before fonts.
03:24 Pricing Truth Bomb: Why "start for free" is e-commerce's biggest lie, and how to calculate what your time and customer experience are actually worth.

Links and Resources

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan 
• Shopify – E-commerce platform integration
• WooCommerce – WordPress store integration
• BigCommerce – E-commerce platform integration
• Spocket – Curated dropshipping platform
• Zendrop – Automation-forward platform with custom branding

Inquiries about partnerships? Want to join Megan on the podcast? 
Email [email protected] and connect!

Your first dropshipping platform can make or break your entire setup. It controls your product variety, fulfillment speed, profit margins, and even your day-to-day stress level. In Part 1 of this platform showdown, we put Doba, Spocket, and Zendrop head-to-head so you can pick the platform that actually sets you up to win, not just gives you another thing to manage.

We break down the real differences between these three platforms, from product catalogs to shipping speeds. You'll learn why Doba's "mega mall" approach beats juggling 50 supplier passwords, how Spocket's boutique curation works for aesthetic brands, and why Zendrop's hybrid model appeals to hustlers who want to test fast and pivot faster. 

Chapters
[Start] Platform Quick Map: Meet the three contenders: Doba's mega mall approach, Spocket's curated boutique, and Zendrop's automation-forward hybrid model.
01:05 Product Variety Breakdown: Why Doba's aggregated catalog beats managing multiple supplier accounts and how AI product finding cuts through the noise.
02:00 The Boutique vs. Big Box Decision: When Spocket's curated approach works (and when it doesn't), plus how Zendrop wins on speed testing.
03:08 Shipping Speed Reality Check: The brutal truth about how bad shipping ruins everything, and why US-first fulfillment matters more than cute branding.
04:08 Facebook Ads & Fulfillment: How shipping delays kill conversions and crush your return on ad spend, plus the warehouse zone filtering advantage.

Links and Resources

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan
• Spocket – Curated dropshipping platform
• Zendrop – Automation-forward platform with print on demand
• TikTok Shop – Where sellers validate products before upgrading to US fulfillment

Inquiries about partnerships? Want to join Megan on the podcast?
Email [email protected] and connect!

In Part 2 of Sarah’s story, we shift from setup to sales. Now that her store is live, Sarah flips the time ratio—spending 90% of her effort on marketing and only 10% on backend busywork. This episode shows exactly how automation gave her the headspace to build momentum, test her products, and land her first sale, without a warehouse, a VA, or a degree in hustle culture.

We explore what it means to work on your business instead of just in it, why fast execution always beats waiting for perfect branding, and how to turn a single sale into a repeatable system. If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to launch or stuck tweaking fonts while your competitors are cashing in, it’s time to flip the script—and your schedule.


Chapters
[Start] Flip Your Time Ratio: Sarah shifts from setup to sales and spends her time on what actually drives revenue.
02:22 The First Sale & The Dopamine Hit: Why Sarah’s first cha-ching wasn’t the win, it was the green light to build smarter.
03:29 Automation = Compounding Momentum: How syncing, importing, and automating gave Sarah time to scale without burnout.
05:37 48 Hours to Launch Challenge: The no-excuses push to stop tweaking and start selling, even if it’s not perfect.

Links and Resources

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan
• Shopify – Ecommerce platform
• TikTok – Where Sarah started marketing
• Klaviyo – Email flows & automation

Inquiries about partnerships? Want to join Megan on the podcast? Email [email protected] and connect!

Starting your Shopify store can feel like a creative high, until you hit the wall of manual setup. In Part 1 of this two-part story, we follow Sarah, a full-time working mom who wanted to launch a business but got stuck in the boring, burnout-inducing weeds of product uploads, image resizing, and inventory chaos. This episode unpacks why so many first-time sellers stall out and what to do instead.

You’ll learn how friction is the silent killer of most e-commerce dreams and why fast execution beats perfect planning every time. We dig into the psychology behind burnout, the danger of doing too much admin before you’ve made a sale, and how tools like Doba’s One-Click Product Import can radically simplify your startup process. If you're sitting on a half-built store or drowning in product descriptions, this is your wake-up call.

Chapters
[Start] Where Most Stores Go to Die: Manual product uploads and the hidden burnout trap that stops most sellers before they even start.
04:51 The Momentum Killer: Why weeks of setup work with no payoff is the real danger and how to fix it.
07:10 The Real Win Is Speed: Why Sarah’s breakthrough came from shortening the path between idea and action.
08:09 Friction vs. Momentum: Meet Doba’s One-Click Product Import tool and how it helped Sarah go from stuck to scaling.

Links and Resources

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan
• Shopify – Ecommerce platform
• TikTok – Where Sarah started marketing
• Klaviyo – Email flows & automation

Inquiries about partnerships? Want to join Megan on the podcast?
Email [email protected] and connect!

Let’s settle it. In this episode of Drop That Ship, we put dropshipping and wholesale head-to-head and answer the question every e-commerce entrepreneur eventually asks: “Which one should I choose?” From startup costs to control over packaging, we break down exactly what each model looks like, who it’s for, and how to avoid getting buried under returns, shipping labels, or a garage full of boxes you’ll never move.

Plus, we cover what most e-comm advice skips, how to build an ethical, sustainable brand your customers can actually trust. From branding strategies and fulfillment realities to the game-changing power of local sourcing, you’ll learn how to align your business with your values without sacrificing profit or speed.

Chapters
[Start] Who’s Holding the Inventory?: The core difference between dropshipping and wholesale.
05:12 Fulfillment, Control, & Chaos Management: Are you the brand builder or the warehouse manager? We lay out what fulfillment looks like in real life.
10:24 Branding, Packaging, & the Unboxing Moment: How each model affects your brand perception, customer experience, and whether your box gets posted on Instagram.
14:51 Local Sourcing = Ethical Dropshipping: Speed, sustainability, and trust. Why local suppliers are the smartest way to build a future-proof e-comm brand.

Links and Resources

• Doba.com – Official site
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan
• Sticker Mule – Branded packaging and stickers
• Packlane – Custom shipping boxes
• Shopify – Ecommerce platform
• WooCommerce – Free WordPress store plugin

Think you need deep pockets to start a dropshipping business? Think again. In this episode of Drop That Ship, we destroy the myth that only trust-fund kids or TikTok “gurus” can make it in e-commerce. We’ll walk you through a launch strategy built for real people, with real budgets, and prove that scrappy can still be smart. You’ll learn how to build a legit store, find high-margin products, and drive traffic without spending a cent on ads.

From Canva logos to $5 Shopify plans, reusable content to tactical traffic hacks, this episode hands you the full playbook for starting lean, testing fast, and scaling without blowing your budget. You’ll also learn how to make your first $100 work, whether that means upgrading your tech stack, reinvesting in content, or unlocking automation tools that do the heavy lifting for you.

Chapters
[Start] Launch Lean, Brand Clean: How to start your store, design your branding, and get online with less than $25.
03:40 High-Margin Products for First-Time Sellers: What to avoid (looking at you, earbuds), what to sell instead, and how to use Doba filters to skip the guesswork.
08:18 Organic Traffic That Doesn’t Suck: Free traffic playbook: TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, email, and how to use them.
13:49 Test Fast, Fail Smart, Scale Right: How to analyze your first launch, decide what to tweak or kill, and use data to build something that actually lasts.

Links and Resources

• Doba.com – Your inventory HQ
• Discount code: podcast-doba – 10% off your first month of the Pro or Business plan
• Canva – Free logos, product visuals, and pin templates
• Mailchimp – Free email marketing
• Klaviyo – Email flows & automation
• Ubersuggest – Find blog topics and keywords
• Meta Business Suite – Schedule your social posts
• Namecheap – Grab your custom domain