Mobile carpet and rug sales

Homeowners who want help choosing, landlords and property managers with several units to refresh, and older customers who prefer a home visit.

Margin on flooring ordered from your supplier, plus a markup on measuring and fitting arranged through installers.

• Selling and advising on style and durability
• Measuring rooms and quoting
• Organising suppliers and installers
• Reliable communication

• Commercial general liability insurance, and cover for samples and your vehicle used for business
• Check whether your municipality requires a business licence, including for a home-based business
• Check installers' insurance, workers' compensation cover and any provincial trade certification
• Deposits and order errors, as special-order carpet is often hard to return
• Winter driving and weather can slow visits in many provinces
• Quebec has French-language rules for customer materials

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on your sample books and rugs, your vehicle needs and your insurance. Without a shop there is no premises cost to cover.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how many home visits you book and the size of each order. The low end suits about 10 hours a week, so treat these as estimates.

Check commercial general liability insurance and cover for samples and your business vehicle. Also check whether your municipality requires a business licence, even for home-based work, installers' insurance, workers' compensation and trade certification, and how deposits on special orders work.