Vintage clothing stall with online shop

Shoppers who like vintage, sustainable or one-of-a-kind clothing, both in person at markets and online across Canada.

You sell individually priced pieces at a markup, with market sales on weekends and online orders in between, adding shipping charges on online sales.

• Sourcing and judging quality vintage or second-hand clothing
• Photography and writing item listings
• Customer service and packing orders
• Basic bookkeeping

• Check municipal or market business licence requirements for market vendors
• Check GST/HST registration once revenue passes the small supplier threshold, and how sales tax applies to online sales to other provinces
• Check your insurance needs, including commercial general liability and cover for stock stored at home
• Check home-based business rules with your municipality if you store and ship stock from home
• Shipping costs and returns can eat into margins, so set clear return terms

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on how much stock you buy, your stall setup and the online shop you build. Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $800 to $4,000.

Check whether your municipality or the market requires a business licence for vendors. Also check GST/HST registration once revenue passes the small supplier threshold, and how sales tax applies to online sales to other provinces.

Useful skills include sourcing and judging quality vintage clothing, photographing and writing listings, customer service, packing orders and basic bookkeeping. Estimates suggest at least about 10 hours a week to get started.