Local event ticketing service

Event organisers who want ticketing handled for them, and ticket buyers who pay a booking or service fee on top of the ticket price.

A per-ticket service fee or a percentage commission, sometimes with a flat set-up fee for organisers who also want help with promotion and event pages.

• Comfortable with online tools
• Clear communication with organisers
• Organised and detail-focused
• Basic bookkeeping

• Decide who holds the money and when organisers are paid, and who covers refunds and chargebacks if an event is cancelled
• Check how GST/HST (or QST in Quebec) applies to the ticket price and to your fees
• Check your province's consumer protection rules on fee disclosure and ticket resale, as some provinces limit resale above face value
• Check the payment platform's terms and keep customer data secure
• Consider commercial general liability and errors and omissions insurance
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence

Estimates suggest startup typically costs around $300 to $2,000, depending on the platform and tools you choose. Monthly revenue is typically around $300 to $3,000 in these estimates, depending on how many events you handle and the fees you charge.

Check who holds the money, when organizers are paid, and who covers refunds and chargebacks. Also check how GST/HST (or QST in Quebec) applies, your province's fee disclosure and resale rules, the payment platform's terms, and insurance options.

Useful skills include comfort with online tools, clear communication with organizers, being detail-focused and basic bookkeeping. The estimates assume at least about 8 hours a week, and most people build on an existing ticketing platform rather than creating their own system.