Home-based ceiling tile and panel supplier

Renovation contractors, drywall and finishing crews, painters and decorators, and property managers who buy materials for their own crews.

You buy at trade price and sell at a markup, usually with a delivery charge added. Repeat contractors who order for each job are the core of the business.

• Quoting and measuring up from plans
• Knowing ceiling products and how they are used
• Building trust with trades
• Organised order and delivery tracking

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance, and ask your insurer about delivery
• Supplier terms: minimum orders, return rules and who pays for damaged or wrong deliveries
• Make sure products meet the fire-rating and building code needs of each job, and ask the manufacturer when unsure
• Register for GST/HST when you pass the small supplier threshold, and check provincial sales tax rules
• Tight margins and slow-paying contractors, so check payment terms before extending credit

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500 CAD, depending on your quoting tools, insurance and supplier arrangements. Stock is delivered direct from a manufacturer or wholesaler, so you hold little inventory.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many contractors you serve and the size of their orders. Margins can be tight, and slow-paying contractors can affect cash flow.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, supplier terms on minimum orders and returns, and liability and product insurance. Also make sure products meet each job's fire-rating and building code needs, and check GST/HST rules.