THE VIFLY GUIDE · CHOOSE AN ACTIVITY
Sell a physical product online by costing the entire chain.
Selling a physical product online involves a complete chain: purchasing, presentation, payment, delivery and after-sales service. Revenue can look high while the available margin remains low.
A clear offer.
An identified client.
A margin and cash flow calculation for each order
Suppliers, orders, logistics, customer service and cost tracking.
BEFORE YOU START
Is this the right model
for you?
Verified demand and an acquisition channel compatible with the margin.
An option to explore if.
You know a product and its audience, can check its compliance and are willing to handle logistics. You have enough cash to cover purchases, returns and payment delays.
- A margin and cash flow calculation for each order
- Checking the product and supplier
- Organising delivery and customer service
Hold off for now if…
Avoid running ads if you do not know the delivered cost, returns or supplier quality. Dropshipping does not remove the seller's obligations towards the customer.
- Costs to plan for
- Purchases, shop, packaging, delivery, returns and acquisition; working capital is needed.
- Stock and delivery
- Stock or supplier dependence; compliance and availability need checking.
A CLIENT, A NEED, A DELIVERABLE
What exactly can you sell?
Example offers to adapt to your skills. None of these formats guarantees demand or a sale.
A specialised selection
An audience unfamiliar with the options for a specific use.
Coherent products, reliable information and real logistics, rather than a catalogue without a specialism.
An original or personalised product
Someone looking for an item suited to a need or a particular style.
A product with clearly described materials, dimensions, lead times and personalisation options.
A practical bundle
A buyer wanting to bring together several compatible elements.
A useful set, a precise description of its contents and clear delivery and return terms.
FIND BUYERS BEFORE PRODUCING EVERYTHING
Where can you find your
first clients?
An audience is just one possible channel. A useful conversation with the right person often teaches you more than an untargeted post.
Observe real purchases
Talk to people who already buy this type of product. Find out their criteria, objections and current solutions; a social media trend does not prove profitable demand.
Test the product and supplier
Order a sample, check documents and compliance, then test packaging and delivery. If you use a marketplace, include its terms and fees in your calculation.
Choose measurable acquisition
Compare content, search visibility, partnerships and advertising according to your product. Set a limited test budget and track the cost of orders actually retained after cancellations or returns.
Approach prospects with a relevant message and an easy opt-out. The rules differ by audience and channel: CNIL guidance ↗.
- 01
Calculate the full cost of an order
Add up the product cost, transport, packaging, payment, acquisition and an allowance for returns or defects. Keep this calculation separate from VAT and check the obligations under your own regime.
- 02
Validate the chain before promotion
Check the supplier's identity, compliance, availability and delivery times. Define who prepares, dispatches and handles complaints; your supplier's commitments do not replace your own.
- 03
Build a compliant sale
Present the features, total price, delivery times, return conditions and legal information. There are exceptions to the right of withdrawal: check which applies to your product before imposing any restriction.
- 04
Manage margins and cash flow
Start with a manageable volume and track actual costs. Keep enough cash for refunds and restocking; advertising that increases orders can also increase a loss.
GUIDANCE, NOT PROMISES
What the figures tell us.
And what they do not tell you.
Market data, a statistical income measure and your sales scenario measure different things. Always keep the period and population beside the figure. The suggested actions alongside them are our editorial analysis.
2025 report · FEVAD
€196.4 bnin French ecommerce revenue in 2025
The market includes products and services, including travel and major websites.
The size of a sector does not measure what a small shop earns. Purchases, returns and fees reduce the margin.
Read the source and its scope ↗2026 Barometer · France Num
17 %of very small businesses and SMEs earn more than half their revenue online
Digital tools can support a business, but not all models depend on them to the same extent.
This proportion indicates neither a beginner's income, profit nor chances of success.
Read the source and its scope ↗We have not identified representative official national statistics that allow reliable comparisons of beginners' earnings from UGC, affiliate marketing, templates or subscription content. The simulator's amounts are therefore adjustable assumptions, rather than average earnings for these activities.
MAKE THE PROJECT'S ECONOMICS WORK
A sale does not become
your entire income.
Use the same period for every field: a pilot, a month or a launch. Start with sales actually received, after refunds and excluding VAT.
- Price × salesRevenue excluding VAT
- - purchases, tools, fees, advertising.Full costs
- − a reserve you chooseScenario balance
TEACHING EXAMPLE · NO GUARANTEED INCOME
- Revenue excluding VAT
- 1 350 €
- Balance after costs and reserve
- 122,50 €
- Balance per hour spent
- 3,40 €
Understand the starting example
Purely hypothetical example: 30 orders at 45 € generate 1 350 € in revenue. The chosen costs of 890 € include 600 € for products, 150 € for shipping and packaging, 40 € in fees and 100 € for customer acquisition. A fictional reserve of 25 % of revenue, or 337,50 €, leaves an illustrative balance of 122,50 € for 36 hours over the chosen period. Returns or additional costs can reduce it further.
This balance is not net income for tax purposes. The calculation determines neither social contributions due, income tax nor VAT. It does not replace a complete budget or a check of your applicable regime.
Check the framework for my activity ↗This example shows high turnover with a small balance. The chosen reserve is not a tax or social contribution rate; VAT, any customs duties, actual charges and tax need to be handled according to your circumstances.
THE POINTS THAT CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING
What is best avoided.
The seller remains responsible for their commitments even if a supplier ships the product directly.
Non-compliant, counterfeit or poorly documented products can create risks for customers and your creator business.
Fake promotions, fake reviews and false urgency may constitute misleading commercial practices.
Do not spend all your revenue on advertising: refunds, restocking and taxes may fall due before profit is available.
FROM THE MODEL TO AN UNDERSTANDABLE OFFER
VIFLY tools
that support this project.
Content attracts attention. The offer provides clarity. The journey guides people towards an action. Choose only the tools useful to your current stage.
Connect your content to your external shop
Provide a clear entry point to your physical-product shop and its useful information.
See how it works ↗Organise your presence and enquiries
Explore presentation tools and Forms to collect questions; physical logistics require a suitable solution.
See how it works ↗Assess acquisition costs
Continue with the guide to advertising budgets and calculations before funding campaigns.
See how it works ↗BEFORE THE FIRST SALE
A professional framework
suited to your activity.
French guidance checked on the guide's verification date. The applicable regime depends on your profession, customers and circumstances; consult the sources and get help where needed.
Register and invoice
Choose the appropriate framework, check the formalities and organise quotes, invoices and payment tracking. Receiving payment online does not make the activity invisible.
Official procedures ↗Inform and respect the customer
Clarify the seller's identity, offer, price, deadlines and applicable rights. A digital product does not automatically exclude the right of withdrawal.
Online selling rules ↗Check the rules of the profession
Coaching does not remove the qualification requirements of a regulated activity. Vocational training has its own formalities; a platform does not create eligibility for funding.
Training requirements ↗ · Regulated professions ↗For data, prospecting and creative work: CNIL ↗, commercial influence ↗ and VIFLY AI guide.
QUESTIONS BEFORE CHOOSING
Straight answers.
Does dropshipping make selling risk-free?
No. The supplier may handle shipping, but you remain responsible to your buyer and must control information, quality and delivery times. Also check the responsibilities relating to imports and compliance.
How can I tell whether a product could be profitable?
Calculate an order including every cost, then model more returns, higher acquisition costs and fewer sales. Test those assumptions in a limited trial; the calculation alone does not demonstrate demand.
Can I sell without buying a large stock?
Several arrangements are possible, but each has cost, timing and responsibility constraints. A small batch or made-to-order production does not remove the need to check compliance and sales terms.
METHOD & SOURCES
Help with choosing,
with visible limitations.
Guide written by VIFLY and checked on 24 October 2026. Recommendations reflect editorial judgement. Calculations are hypothetical, and statistics retain their original period and scope. We do not give occupations profitability scores or present turnover as disposable income.
The links to studies and public authorities below contain no referral parameters added by VIFLY. VIFLY pages help you put the guidance into practice. To report an error or information that has changed, contact us.
View the guide's sources
- INSEE · self-employed income 2024 ↗30 June 2026
Economically active micro-entrepreneurs on 31 December 2024, France excluding Mayotte and agriculture. Online and offline activities, both main and supplementary.
- France Num · survey 2026 ↗Updated on 12 October 2026
A survey of 9 655 French micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Business practices, rather than service providers' earnings.
- FEVAD · ecommerce review 2025 ↗11 February 2026
The French market for products and services, including major players. Sector revenue, not an individual's margin.
- Eurostat · online learning 2025 ↗19 March 2026
European Union internet users, with usage during the three months before the survey. Free and paid resources combined.
- Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr · task scam ↗7 October 2026
Warning signs and procedures for victims of fake online jobs.
- DGCCRF · pyramid schemes and MLM ↗28 August 2025
The distinction between real sales and payments mainly linked to recruitment.
- Service Public · selling online ↗19 June 2026
Seller information, contracts, consumer rights and obligations according to the customer group.
- Service Public · training activity declaration ↗27 November 2025
Vocational training, formalities and the distinction from leisure courses.
- French Ministry for the Economy · commercial influence ↗Accessed on 24 October 2026
Transparency in commercial content and creators' responsibilities.
- CNIL · prospecting by email ↗Accessed on 24 October 2026
Consent, information and the right to object according to the audience and channel.
- DGCCRF · dropshipping responsibilities ↗Accessed on 24 October 2026
The seller remains responsible even when a supplier ships directly.
- Service Public · starting a business ↗Accessed on 24 October 2026
Formalities and a regime suited to the activity; check your personal circumstances.
- Ministry of the Economy · copyright and image rights ↗Accessed on 24 October 2026
Permissions and limits on using content.
- Service Public · regulated activities ↗Accessed on 24 October 2026
Qualifications and authorisations to check for the profession concerned.