Online african goods shop

African and Caribbean communities, and other shoppers in towns with no specialist shop nearby, who want familiar or hard-to-find products.

Mark-up on products bought wholesale or imported, plus shipping fees or free-shipping minimums that encourage bigger baskets.

• Sourcing reliable suppliers
• Basic online selling and photos
• Packing and keeping track of stock

• Food labelling rules: check CFIA requirements, including bilingual labelling for prepackaged foods
• Importing food yourself may need CFIA licensing, so check before you buy from overseas
• Collecting and remitting GST/HST or provincial sales tax once you pass the threshold
• Shipping costs, damaged parcels and best-before dates eating into margins
• Home-based business rules from your municipality if you store stock at home

Startup costs are typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how much stock you buy, how you set up your website and what packing supplies you need. Treat this as an estimate and plan for shipping and storage too.

Monthly revenue is typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on your product range, supplier prices and how many hours you put in. This is an estimate of revenue, not profit, and shipping costs and damaged parcels can reduce your margins.

Check CFIA labelling requirements, including bilingual labelling for prepackaged foods, and whether importing food yourself needs CFIA licensing. Also check when you must collect GST/HST or provincial sales tax, and your municipality's home-based business rules if you store stock at home.