Online wine merchant with cellar storage

Wine lovers building a collection, gift buyers, and cafes, restaurants and small venues that want a curated list.

Margin on each bottle or case sold, plus monthly or yearly storage fees for clients who keep their wine with you. Restaurant accounts bring repeat orders.

• Good wine knowledge, or a willingness to study
• Sourcing from producers and distributors
• Customer service and relationship building
• Basic stock and order tracking

• Liquor licensing rules differ by state and territory, so check what you need to sell, deliver and store alcohol
• Rules on age verification and delivery of alcohol, check your state's requirements
• Wine excise and WET (wine equalisation tax) and GST registration, check with the ATO or an accountant
• Insurance for stock held for others, including storage and transit cover, plus public liability
• Stock tied up in cash, so start with a small range
• Council approval if you plan any stock at home, check locally

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on the size of your opening range, storage arrangements, insurance and website set-up. Stock ties up cash, so starting with a small range may help.

Check liquor licensing rules in your state or territory for selling, delivering and storing alcohol, plus age verification and delivery requirements. Also check wine equalisation tax and GST registration with the ATO or an accountant, and insurance for stock held for others.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your range, the number of private and restaurant customers and any storage fees. The estimates assume at least about 10 hours a week.