Local fire safety trade supplier

Installers, maintenance and facilities firms, builders, strata managers, and businesses such as restaurants, warehouses and schools.

You earn a margin on trade and retail sales. Standing accounts with regular buyers and delivery fees for small urgent orders add to this.

• Building relationships with trade customers
• Stock control and ordering
• Product knowledge
• Driving and local delivery

• Check council and landlord rules for storing pressurised extinguishers and other fire safety stock
• Check dangerous goods and safe transport rules for carrying extinguishers in your vehicle
• Public liability and product liability insurance, plus insurance for your stock and vehicle
• Only sell certified, properly marked products, and keep batch and supplier records
• Servicing, testing and installing equipment often needs state accreditation or licensing, so check your state's regulator before offering it
• Unpaid trade accounts and slow-moving stock can tie up cash, so set credit terms carefully

Startup costs are typically around $12,000 to $60,000, depending on your stock levels, storage unit or trade counter, and delivery vehicle. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on your customer base.

Things to check: council and landlord rules for storing pressurised extinguishers, dangerous goods and safe transport rules for carrying them in your vehicle, and insurance for liability, stock and vehicle. Only sell certified, properly marked products.

Servicing, testing and installing equipment often needs state accreditation or licensing, so check with your state's regulator before offering it. This business is based on supplying products. The estimates assume at least around 30 hours a week.