Q. I'm a physician and would like to set up a store independent of my medical practice. I can't sell the products to my patients due to ethical concerns, but I would like to sell to other people. I'm interested in drop shipping to save on inventory space. However, I'm unsure of how to actually set it up, especially because I want different product categories. Are there any sites that can help me? Thanks!
-Peter, from Utica, NY, listens to my weekly radio program on WBIX 950 AM.

A. That sounds like a great plan, Peter. Drop shipping allows you to sell items without having a physical inventory.

You keep a catalog of the items you sell, but you don't actually carry them. When a person orders something from you, it's shipped from a third party.

I appreciate your concern for ethics. I would definitely go over your plan with a lawyer to make sure you aren't hitting a gray area with potential hassle down the road.

Of course, that's not the only thing to worry about. Drop shipping scams heavily outnumber the safe drop shipping businesses. It's easy to fall into a trap trying to find a drop shipper online.