Online trade supplies with direct delivery

Small builders, carpenters, landscapers and renovators who want one contact to order from and deliver to site.

You earn the difference between supplier trade price and your sell price, plus any delivery charge. Repeat trade accounts give steady monthly orders.

• Building materials knowledge
• Quoting and negotiating
• Organised order tracking
• Customer service

• Supplier terms: check minimum orders, delivery times and who handles damaged or wrong goods
• Thin margins, work out your costs and pricing carefully before quoting
• Public liability and product liability insurance, check cover for goods you sell
• Council approval if you run the business from home, check with your local council
• Late payments from trade customers, consider deposits or credit checks
• Responsibility for supplying the right product to the right standard, confirm specifications with customers

Our estimates suggest startup costs typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how you set up your ordering process, any niche you focus on and your insurance. Get your own quotes before you commit to any spending.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on your niche, customers and pricing. Margins can be thin, so work out your costs carefully before quoting. Estimates assume at least about 15 hours a week.

Check supplier terms such as minimum orders, delivery times and who handles damaged or wrong goods. Also check public liability and product liability cover for goods you sell, council approval if you run the business from home, and confirm product specifications with customers.