Local gift shop on your main street

Locals buying presents for birthdays and holidays, plus tourists and visitors looking for souvenirs and keepsakes.

You buy stock wholesale or from makers and sell at a markup. Sales are usually strongest in the holiday season, so cash planning matters.

• Choosing products people want to buy
• Customer service
• Stock control and bookkeeping
• Merchandising and window displays

• Check whether your municipality requires a business licence and whether your unit's zoning allows retail
• Commercial general liability and contents insurance
• Register for GST/HST (or provincial sales tax where it applies) and check your province's rules
• Lease terms: check length, deposits and who pays for repairs before signing
• Seasonal sales swings, with a lot of cash tied up in stock before the holidays
• Quebec shops must meet French-language signage and service rules, so check these if you are there

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on your premises, fit-out and opening stock. Monthly revenue is estimated at roughly $5,000 to $25,000, depending on location, range and season.

Check whether your municipality requires a business licence and whether your unit's zoning allows retail. Also check GST/HST or provincial sales tax rules, your lease terms, and in Quebec, French-language signage and service rules.

Estimates suggest at least about 35 hours a week. Sales can swing with the seasons, and a lot of cash may be tied up in stock before the holidays, so plan your cash flow and check insurance cover.