Online disposable tableware reseller

Independent cafes, food trucks, small caterers, event organizers, community groups and market food vendors.

You buy at wholesale and sell at a markup, by the case or pallet. Repeat monthly orders from regular customers matter most. Delivery fees or minimum order values help cover shipping.

• Sales and relationship building
• Pricing and margin maths
• Organised with orders and suppliers

• Federal single-use plastics rules restrict some plastic items such as certain cutlery, straws and takeout containers, so check what you can legally sell and keep up with changes
• Check municipal bylaws too, as some cities have their own packaging rules
• Check Health Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency guidance on food-contact materials, and ask suppliers for documentation
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and whether you can store stock at home
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check provincial sales tax rules
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance, and French labelling and language rules if you sell in Quebec

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $500 to $3,000, depending on how much stock you hold, how you set up your website and your supplier terms. Many orders can ship directly from the wholesaler, so you may not need much stock.

Check federal single-use plastics rules for items such as certain cutlery, straws and takeout containers, plus municipal packaging bylaws. Also check Health Canada and CFIA guidance on food-contact materials, home-based business licensing, GST/HST registration, and French labelling rules if you sell in Quebec.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000, depending on your customer base, order sizes and pricing. That is revenue, not profit, so supplier costs and margins matter. Plan on at least roughly 8 hours a week.