Dropshipping requires consistent daily attention — not a set-it-and-forget-it model.
Weekly breakdown:
- Product research: 3-5 hrs — constantly finding and testing new products
- Ad management: 5-10 hrs — creating, monitoring, scaling, and killing campaigns
- Customer service: 2-5 hrs — questions, refunds, complaints
- Store management: 2-3 hrs — updating listings, optimizing pages
- Order fulfillment: 1-3 hrs — placing orders with suppliers, tracking
Total: 15-28 hours/week
Unlike FBA, dropshipping never really goes on autopilot. Winning products have a lifespan, ad creatives need refreshing, and customer issues need same-day responses. You can hire a VA ($3-$5/hr) for customer service, but ads and product research need your attention.