Online furniture trade supplier

Cafes, restaurants, small hotels and short-stay hosts, interior designers, and independent furniture or homewares shops.

You earn the margin between the manufacturer's trade price and your bulk price, plus delivery charges. Larger repeat orders from the same customers are the aim.

• Negotiating with suppliers
• Sales and relationship building
• Organised with orders and invoicing
• Basic website or catalogue skills

• Public liability and product liability insurance, check what cover you need for goods you sell
• Imported furniture may need to meet Australian safety, labelling and biosecurity rules, check with the ACCC and the Department of Agriculture
• Delivery damage and returns, agree who carries the risk with each supplier
• GST registration once your turnover reaches the threshold
• Customers paying late, consider deposits or payment terms

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your trade website or catalogue, samples and supplier arrangements. Little or no stock is held, which keeps costs lower than a warehouse model.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on your trade customers, product range and order sizes. The estimates assume at least around 10 hours a week.

Things to check: whether imported furniture meets Australian safety, labelling and biosecurity rules (via the ACCC and the Department of Agriculture), insurance for goods you sell, GST registration at the threshold, and who carries delivery damage and returns risk.