Local door shop with a showroom

Homeowners renovating, general contractors, carpenters, renovation crews and small builders who want a local source.

You buy from manufacturers or distributors and sell at a markup. Extra income comes from hardware, accessories, pre-hanging or prep services (if you offer them) and repeat trade accounts.

• Customer service and product advice
• Reading door sizes, swing directions and basic specs
• Stock and supplier management
• Building relationships with local contractors

• Check zoning for retail use and whether your municipality requires a business licence before you open
• Commercial general liability and contents or stock insurance
• Special orders can be costly if a customer cancels or measures wrongly, so use deposits and written order forms
• Check how building code, fire-rating and energy-efficiency requirements in your province affect the doors you sell
• Register for GST/HST (and PST or QST where it applies) once you pass the threshold, and check provincial rules
• In Quebec, check French-language signage and display requirements
• Tying up cash in stock and display doors, so start with a focused range

Startup costs are estimates, typically around $50,000 to $200,000, depending on your premises, display doors, opening stock, fit-out and insurance. Starting with a focused range of doors can help you avoid tying up too much cash in stock.

Check zoning for retail use and whether your municipality requires a business licence. Also check how provincial building code, fire-rating and energy-efficiency requirements affect the doors you sell, sales tax registration, and French-language signage rules if you are in Quebec.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $15,000 to $70,000, depending on your location, range, and relationships with builders and renovators. That is revenue before costs, and the estimate assumes at least about 35 hours a week.