Germany's Largest Dropshipper? with Arasch Jalali from Profishop

About this episode

Going Asset-Light Through B2B Dropshipping

Profishop does something that sounds paradoxical at first glance: The company sells over one million products – from simple copy paper to heavy excavators – without operating a single warehouse. Arasch Jalali and his team have developed a B2B dropshipping model that's revolutionizing traditional sales structures.

The concept is brilliantly simple: Companies order everything they need through one central platform. Profishop coordinates delivery directly from manufacturer to customer, without the goods ever passing through their own warehouse. This asset-light strategy enables the company to offer enormous product variety without tying up capital in inventory.

Why B2B Dropshipping is Taking Off Right Now

While dropshipping in the B2C space often struggles with quality issues and long delivery times, the model works significantly better in the B2B segment. Business customers have different priorities: they value reliability, complete product range, and the ability to source everything from one supplier.

Profishop benefits from the fact that mid-sized companies want to optimize their procurement processes. Instead of ordering from dozens of different suppliers, they can handle their entire needs through one platform. This saves time, reduces administrative overhead, and creates transparency.

The Art of B2B Scaling

Scaling a B2B business depends on different factors than consumer-facing businesses. Arasch Jalali knows: The decision-makers in mid-sized companies are often not who you'd expect at first glance. While the managing director makes final purchasing decisions, it's frequently the assistant or procurement manager who controls the daily purchasing process.

This insight is crucial for sales strategy. Profishop must not only convince decision-makers but especially the people who use the system daily. User-friendliness and simple ordering processes thus become critical success factors.

Classic Sales Structures as Success Building Blocks

Despite its digital platform, Profishop relies on proven sales approaches. Personal relationships and direct customer contact remain indispensable even in B2B e-commerce. The company combines modern technology with classic sales methods – a hybrid approach that proves particularly effective.

The challenge lies in orchestrating these different approaches while building scalable structures. This is where the importance of proper operational leadership becomes clear.

Finding the Right COO

For founders, searching for a reliable COO is one of the most critical hiring decisions. This person must not only bring operational excellence but also fit culturally with the company and support the vision.

Arasch Jalali shares his experience on what really matters when hiring a COO. It's not just about professional qualifications, but about the ability to understand complex processes while leading the team. In a fast-growing dropshipping business where coordination between various suppliers and customers is crucial, this role becomes particularly demanding.

Lessons Learned for Founders

Profishop's success shows: Even supposedly "old" business models can be revolutionized through intelligent digitization and new target groups. B2B dropshipping works when you understand the specific needs of business customers and create appropriate structures.

For other founders, this approach offers valuable insights: Asset-light models can work even in traditional industries when execution and customer understanding are right. The key lies in combining technological innovation with proven business principles.