Online battery seller with local trade accounts

Households searching for a specific battery, small contractors, security and alarm installers, care providers and local businesses that want a reliable supplier.

Margin on each battery sold, with better margins on specialty items and repeat trade orders. Bundles and subscription-style reorders for regular users can add steady sales.

• Online listings and basic website upkeep
• Organised stock and order handling
• Customer service by email and phone
• Prospecting local trade buyers

• Shipping rules for lithium batteries; carriers and Transport Canada dangerous goods rules can limit how you pack and ship them (check before you list them)
• Provincial battery recycling or stewardship obligations and any environmental fees (check your provincial regulator)
• Home-based business licence and zoning rules, plus home insurance that may not cover business stock
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance
• Safe storage of batteries at home, away from heat and living areas
• GST/HST and provincial sales tax on online sales, which can differ by province
• Counterfeit or unsafe batteries, so buy only from reputable distributors

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on the range of batteries you stock, how much inventory you buy and how you set up your website or marketplace listings. Treat this as an estimate and price your own stock list.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on your product range, pricing and how many local trade accounts you win. This is revenue, not profit, and the estimate assumes at least about 10 hours a week.

Check carrier and Transport Canada dangerous goods rules for shipping lithium batteries, provincial recycling or stewardship obligations and fees, home-based business licence and zoning rules, insurance, safe storage at home, and GST/HST and provincial sales tax on online sales.