Home-based car alarm trade supplier

Independent garages, car audio and accessory shops, auto glass and detailing shops that add security fittings, and fleet installers.

You buy at trade price and sell with a markup per unit. Repeat orders from a handful of regular installers matter more than one-off sales.

• Knowing alarm and immobilizer products well enough to advise installers
• Sales and relationship building with trade customers
• Organised stock, invoicing and order tracking

• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance, check what your insurer needs for security products
• Whether units meet Canadian requirements and are suitable for Canadian vehicles and winter conditions, ask suppliers for documentation
• Import duties, customs and shipping costs if you buy from outside Canada
• GST/HST registration and provincial sales tax rules for reselling, check with the CRA and your province
• Home-based business licence and any rules on storing stock at home, check with your municipality
• Warranty returns and faulty units, agree who handles them with your supplier

Estimates are typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how much stock you hold at home versus shipping straight from your supplier. Insurance, shipping and any import costs also affect where you land in that range.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many garages and installers you supply and how much stock you carry. That is revenue, not profit, so allow for stock, shipping and insurance costs.

Check what insurance you need for security products, including commercial general liability and product liability. Also check that units meet Canadian requirements, import duties, GST/HST and provincial sales tax, home business licensing, and warranty return terms with your supplier.