Online children's bookshop with school book fairs

Parents, gift buyers, schools and childcare centres, and teachers buying for classrooms.

Margin on each book sold online, plus sales at book fairs and bulk class orders. Gift bundles and subscription boxes can raise the average order.

• Knowing children's books and age levels
• Social media and basic online selling
• Organising stock and orders
• Building relationships with schools

• Check whether your council requires approval to run a business from home, especially for storing stock
• Public liability and stock insurance, including for stock held at events
• Check what working with children checks apply in your state before visiting schools
• Check GST registration once turnover reaches the threshold
• Postage costs and returns can eat into margins, so price carefully
• Check schools' own requirements for approved suppliers or fundraising arrangements

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how much stock you buy and how you set up your website and book fair displays. Postage and returns can eat into margins, so price carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your online sales, school relationships and how many fairs or markets you run. The estimates start from about 10 hours a week.

Check what working with children checks apply in your state before visiting schools, and whether schools need approved suppliers or set fundraising arrangements. Also check council approval for home businesses and stock storage, insurance for stock at events, and GST registration.