Handmade crafts wholesaler from home

Gift shops, galleries, museum and tourist shops, boutiques, cafes with retail corners and market stallholders.

You buy at a wholesale price from makers and sell to shops with a markup, usually with a minimum order. Repeat orders from regular stockists are the steady income.

• Spotting products that sell
• Negotiating with makers and shops
• Stock and order tracking
• Packing and posting

• Check you have an ABN and whether you need to register for GST as your sales grow
• Check council rules on running a home-based business and storing stock at home
• Public liability and product liability insurance, as you are selling goods made by others
• Check labelling and safety rules for products like candles, children's items and cosmetics with the ACCC
• Be careful with cash flow: you pay makers up front while shops may pay on 14 to 30 day terms

Startup costs are typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how much stock you buy from makers, your packing supplies and your insurance. Treat this as an estimate and build your own budget before you buy stock.

Monthly revenue is typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many shops you supply, the range you carry and how often they reorder. This is revenue before paying makers, postage and other costs.

Check you have an ABN and whether you need to register for GST as sales grow. Check council rules on home businesses and storing stock at home. Also check insurance and ACCC labelling and safety rules for items like candles, children's items and cosmetics.