Online dried seafood store

Home cooks who can't find these products locally, especially outside big cities, plus small restaurants and caterers ordering in bulk.

Product sales per pack with shipping charged or built into the price, plus bulk and subscription-style repeat orders for regular customers.

• Basic online selling and product photos
• Organising stock, packing and shipping
• Customer service by email or chat

• Where you store and pack food: a home kitchen may not be allowed, check with your public health unit and municipality
• Federal licensing, labelling and rules on selling food between provinces, check with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Bilingual labelling if you sell into Quebec
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance
• Shipping costs, delays and winter weather can hurt margins and customer experience
• Collecting GST/HST and provincial sales tax once you pass the small supplier threshold

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your stock, packaging, website and suppliers. There is no shopfront rent, but shipping costs and delays can affect margins.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue of typically around $1,000 to $6,000, depending on your range, pricing and whether you also sell in bulk to restaurants. Plan on about 10 hours a week at the lower end.

Things to check: where you store and pack food, since a home kitchen may not be allowed; federal licensing and labelling rules with the CFIA; bilingual labelling for Quebec; and collecting GST/HST and provincial sales tax once past the small supplier threshold.