Online grow supplies store

Home growers of vegetables, herbs and houseplants, hobby gardeners, and small horticultural growers who prefer to order online.

Profit on each product sold, usually a markup over wholesale. Repeat orders for nutrients and consumables add steady sales, and bundled starter kits raise the order value.

• Product knowledge about lighting and nutrients
• Online selling and customer service
• Organising stock and shipping

• Check the rules on cannabis-related products and marketing in your province, and avoid selling seeds or plants without the right licence
• Home growing rules differ by province, so check what you can say to customers in each place you ship
• Collecting GST/HST or provincial sales tax once you pass the small supplier threshold
• Shipping costs for heavy or bulky items such as tents and bags of growing medium
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance, especially for electrical goods

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on whether you dropship from Canadian suppliers or hold stock of your best sellers, and how much you spend on your website.

Estimates put monthly revenue typically around $1,000 to $8,000, depending on your product range, marketing and how quickly you build repeat customers. The idea starts at roughly 10 hours a week at minimum.

Things to check: cannabis-related product and marketing rules in your province, and avoiding seeds or plants without the right licence; home growing rules where you ship; GST/HST or provincial sales tax once past the small supplier threshold; and liability insurance.