Open a neighbourhood chinese grocery store

Local families, students and older customers who want familiar ingredients, plus home cooks and small restaurants nearby.

Retail margin on products sold. Fresh produce brings people in regularly, while packaged goods and imported specialty items usually carry better margins.

• Stock ordering and managing suppliers
• Customer service, ideally in Mandarin or Cantonese as well as English
• Handling fresh and frozen food safely
• Basic bookkeeping

• Food retail permits from your local public health unit, plus inspections of refrigeration and storage
• Labelling rules for prepackaged food, including English and French requirements, and extra rules in Quebec
• Federal licensing if you import products yourself, check with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Commercial general liability and property insurance
• Spoilage of fresh produce, which can quickly eat into thin margins
• Workers' compensation (WCB/WSIB) and employment rules once you hire staff, which vary by province

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $60,000 to $250,000 CAD, depending on the premises, stock and refrigeration. Insurance and the cost of hiring staff are worth including in your budget.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $25,000 to $120,000 CAD, depending on location, range and opening hours. Spoilage of fresh produce can quickly eat into thin margins, so watch your ordering.

Things to check: food retail permits and inspections of refrigeration and storage with your local public health unit; labelling rules for prepackaged food, including English and French and extra Quebec rules; and CFIA licensing if you import products yourself.