Home-based natural stone export trader

Overseas stonemasons, builders, importers and distributors who want Australian stone such as sandstone, granite or bluestone.

You buy at the quarry price and sell at a higher price per tonne, per square metre or per container. The difference is your margin, which has to cover freight costs, fees and currency movements.

• Negotiating with suppliers and buyers
• Organising paperwork and shipments
• Clear written communication with overseas customers

• Payment risk: check safer terms such as a deposit plus a letter of credit before shipping
• Export paperwork, timber packaging treatment and the import rules of the destination country
• Exchange rate swings and freight price changes that can wipe out a thin margin
• Public liability and cargo or trade insurance, ask a broker what suits you
• GST treatment of exports, check with the ATO or an accountant

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $8,000, depending on your setup, software, samples and insurance. The quarry loads the containers and you don't hold stock, so you avoid yard costs, but your own circumstances will vary.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many deals you close, the stone types and the order sizes. That is revenue, not profit, and exchange rates and freight changes can squeeze a thin margin.

Check payment risk, such as a deposit plus a letter of credit, before shipping. Also check export paperwork, timber packaging treatment, the destination country's import rules, your insurance, and the GST treatment of exports with the ATO or an accountant.