Remote sales agent for suppliers

The suppliers pay you commission. Their business customers pay the supplier for the goods.

Commission on each order, often with higher rates for new accounts and smaller ongoing commission on repeat orders. Some agents add a monthly retainer for lead generation.

• Writing clear outreach emails
• Phone and video call selling
• Using a simple CRM to track leads
• Patience with longer sales cycles

• Commission-only income can take months to build, so keep other income or savings available
• Anti-spam rules: Canada's CASL law limits unsolicited commercial email, check the rules before running outreach
• Written contract covering territory, commission, payment timing and termination
• GST/HST registration once you pass the small supplier threshold, check with the CRA
• Selling to customers in other provinces or countries can bring extra tax or language rules, for example in Quebec, check before you start
• Beware of suppliers asking you to pay upfront fees to become an agent

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $200 to $2,000, depending on the tools you choose, such as a simple CRM, a phone or video setup, and any samples you send to prospects.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $300 to $4,000, depending on the suppliers you represent and how many deals close. Commission-only income can take months to build, so keep savings or other income available.

Check Canada's anti-spam law (CASL) before running email outreach, get a written contract covering territory, commission, payment timing and termination, check GST/HST registration, and look at extra tax or language rules when selling to other provinces, such as Quebec.