Lampshade supplier with a trade unit

Lighting retailers, furniture and homewares shops, interior designers, hospitality fit-out businesses and decorators.

Trade sales of cartons and mixed orders at a margin over your buying price, with extra income from custom orders and rush deliveries to designers.

• Stock control and warehousing
• Building trade relationships
• Managing suppliers and freight
• Basic bookkeeping and invoicing

• Commercial lease terms, zoning and council approval for trade visitors, so check before signing
• Public liability, product liability, stock and contents insurance
• Workers compensation insurance once you hire staff (state schemes differ)
• Import duty, GST on imports and electrical safety rules if you sell shades with fittings, so check with the relevant regulators
• Large stock holdings tie up cash and ranges can go out of fashion

Startup costs are typically around $25,000 to $80,000, depending on unit rent and deposit, the size of your shade range, your trade display and freight. Large stock holdings tie up cash, so range size is a key driver.

Monthly revenue is typically around $12,000 to $50,000, depending on your range, how many trade customers you win and how often they reorder. These are revenue estimates, not profit, so rent, stock and freight come out of them.

Check commercial lease terms, zoning and council approval for trade visitors before signing. Also check public liability, product liability and stock insurance, import duty, GST on imports, and electrical safety rules if you sell shades with fittings.