Pack-and-post service for online sellers

Small online sellers, market stallholders, craft makers and busy locals with parcels to send.

A fee per parcel for packing and handling, plus the postage or courier cost passed on, sometimes with a small margin. Regular sellers can pay a monthly rate.

• Neat, careful packing
• Organised, with good record keeping
• Reliable and good at communicating with clients

• Check with your local council whether you need approval to run a home-based business
• Public liability insurance, and ask whether you need cover for clients' stock while it's in your care
• Rules on prohibited and dangerous goods (such as batteries and aerosols), check each carrier's list
• Lost or damaged parcels: be clear in your terms about who is responsible and about carrier insurance options
• Storage space: stock can take over your home quickly

Estimates suggest startup costs typically sit around $500 to $2,500, depending on packing materials, scales, label printing and storage shelving. Storage space can fill quickly, so think about where client stock will be kept.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many sellers you work with and how many parcels you handle. Estimates suggest a minimum of about 8 hours a week, so check this against your own pricing.

Check with your local council whether a home-based business needs approval, and look at public liability insurance, including cover for clients' stock in your care. Also check each carrier's prohibited and dangerous goods list, and set clear terms on lost or damaged parcels.