Home studio bag and soft goods maker

Shoppers at craft markets and online, gift and independent shops buying wholesale, and customers ordering custom or personalized pieces.

Direct sales at retail prices, wholesale to shops at a lower price per item, and custom orders priced by time and materials.

• Confident sewing and pattern cutting
• Consistent quality across batches
• Costing and pricing your time
• Photographing and describing products

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and whether zoning allows it
• Children's items may be covered by Health Canada product safety rules, so check requirements before selling them
• Textile labelling rules may apply, so check fibre content and care labelling requirements
• Avoid copying branded fabrics or licensed characters, which can raise copyright problems
• Get product liability insurance and register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on your sewing equipment, fabric and supplies, packaging and how you set up online selling. Starting with a short product range can help keep costs down.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $300 to $2,500, depending on your prices, how many items you make, and whether you sell at markets, online or wholesale. These are estimates and will vary with your time and sales.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and allows it under zoning. Check Health Canada product safety rules for children's items, textile labelling requirements, copyright on branded fabrics, product liability insurance and GST/HST registration.