Local supplier of bulk ingredients and packaging

Bakeries, sauce and snack makers, caterers, commercial kitchens and small food brands in your region.

You sell stock at a markup over your bulk buying price, with extra income from delivery fees and regular standing orders.

• Stock control and organising
• Sales and building trade accounts
• Basic handling and lifting, and driving

• Storing food may need registration with your local council or state food authority, so check before you stock
• Traceability, shelf life and storage conditions such as temperature, pests and allergen separation
• Forklift use may need a high risk work licence, so check your state WHS regulator
• Public liability, product liability and stock insurance
• Money tied up in stock and slow-paying customers
• Workers compensation insurance once you hire staff

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $25,000 to $80,000, depending on your unit rent and deposit, shelving and equipment, and how much opening stock you buy. Treat these as estimates, since money tied up in stock is a major factor.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on how many local food producers buy from you and their order sizes. Slow-paying customers can strain cash flow, so watch your trade accounts.

Check whether storing food needs registration with your council or state food authority. Also check traceability, shelf life and storage conditions, forklift licence rules with your state WHS regulator, insurance cover, and workers compensation once you hire.