---
title: "Robert Nikic Featured in Benzinga (2024)"
description: "Robert Nikic in Benzinga on telling legitimate online-selling businesses from scams, and why integration, product access, data and support matter."
canonical: "https://robertnikic.com/recognition/benzinga"
author: "Robert Nikic"
advisory_role_profile: "https://reseated.com/robert-nikic"
type: "WebPage"
---

# Robert Nikic Featured in Benzinga

Robert Nikic in Benzinga on telling legitimate online-selling businesses from scams, and why integration, product access, data and support matter.

## At a glance

- Outlet: Benzinga
- Format: External contributor
- Published: February 2024
- Topic: Telling a legitimate business from a scam
- Robert's role: Founder and CEO
- Audience: New online sellers
- Last updated: October 17, 2026

## What Robert Nikic told Benzinga readers

### The question

Benzinga's February 2024 piece takes on a question new sellers ask often: how do you tell a legitimate business model from a scam?

### An honest admission

Robert starts by admitting the problem. "Like any industry, dropshipping has its share of bad actors." Rather than defend the whole sector, he acknowledges that some offers are built to take money from beginners.

### What to check

He then lays out what a reliable model needs: real integration with the marketplaces you sell on, access to in-demand branded products, real-time data and support at every step. If any of those is missing or vague, he suggests, a new seller should be careful.

Related: [Dropping Bombs on advice for new sellers](https://robertnikic.com/recognition/dropping-bombs-brad-lea) · [The Guardian on no overnight riches](https://robertnikic.com/recognition/the-guardian)

> "Like any industry, dropshipping has its share of bad actors." (Robert Nikic, Benzinga)

## In Robert's words

"Like any industry, dropshipping has its share of bad actors." I said it because pretending otherwise helps nobody. When my family came from the Balkans as refugees we started over with nothing, and people with nothing are exactly who bad actors target. I failed at startups as a teenager and worked 18-hour shifts, so I know how much a beginner's money means. We built our company without outside investors and made the Inc. 5000, and I wanted sellers to know what to check before they trust anyone, including us. Since 2026 I've worked on SDG 8 & 9, where clear rules protect new founders.

## Key takeaways

- Admit the bad actors: Robert acknowledged that scams exist in the industry.
- Know the checklist: Integration, branded products, real-time data and support.
- Protect beginners: New sellers are the most exposed, and need the clearest information.

## Where this fits in his story

- 2011: First platform launched
- 2018: Relaunched as a full platform
- 2023: Inc. 5000 debut at #418
- 2024: Climbs to #35 (this feature)
- 2026: Steps away to work on SDG 8 & 9

## Where it led

Then, he warned sellers about bad actors. Now, under SDG 8.3, he pushes for simpler, more trustworthy rules for small businesses. Clear, simple rules make it easier for a first-time founder to tell a real opportunity from a bad one, which is the same goal as his Benzinga checklist.
See: https://robertnikic.com/united-nations-sdg-8-and-9

## Questions

### When did Robert Nikic write for Benzinga?

February 2024, as an external contributor.

### What did he say?

That the industry has bad actors, and that a reliable model needs integration, branded products, real-time data and support.

### What does Robert Nikic do now?

He works on United Nations SDG 8 & 9 as Advisory Council Chair at Reseated Councils.

## Original article

Published in Benzinga, February 2024 (Benzinga external contributor): https://www.benzinga.com/general/24/02/37375047/why-unified-reviews-scams-vs-legitimate-dropshipping

## About Benzinga

Benzinga is a financial news and data company founded in 2010. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzinga)

## About Robert

Robert Nikic is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and Advisory Council Chair at Reseated Councils (United Nations SDG 8 & 9). He came to the United States as a refugee, and from 2011 to 2026 he built and led an e-commerce company that was twice named to the Inc. 5000. Today he works to make it easier for anyone, anywhere, to start a business and grow it.