Trade appliance supplier for builders and landlords

Small builders, renovators, kitchen installers, property managers and landlords who buy several appliances at a time.

You buy at trade or volume prices and sell at a margin, usually quoted per project or per unit. Repeat orders from the same builders and landlords are the main source of income.

• Quoting and negotiating
• Knowing appliance brands and models
• Organising orders and deliveries
• Building relationships with trade buyers

• Commercial general liability insurance, and check whether you need cover for goods in transit
• Brand and distributor agreements, which may limit who you can sell to or where, so read the terms
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence
• Energy efficiency and labelling rules for appliances sold in Canada, check Natural Resources Canada and your province
• GST/HST registration and how it applies to sales to resellers, check with the CRA
• Delivery damage and returns, agree who is responsible before you place an order
• Cash flow, since trade buyers may pay on terms while you pay suppliers up front

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your setup, insurance and any small rented space you use. These are estimates only, so plan for the cash needed to pay suppliers up front.

Monthly revenue is typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many builders, installers and landlords you supply and the order sizes. These are estimates, not guarantees, and trade buyers may pay on terms.

Check commercial general liability insurance and cover for goods in transit, plus brand and distributor agreements that may limit who you can sell to. Also check municipal home-based licence rules, energy labelling rules, GST/HST on sales to resellers, and who handles delivery damage.