Home-Based craft wholesaler for local gift shops

Independent gift shops, galleries, museum shops, garden centres and cafés that want local, handmade products but don't have time to deal with many individual makers.

You buy at a wholesale price from makers (or take stock on consignment) and sell to shops at a margin. Orders are often placed in bulk before the holiday season.

• Eye for quality and what sells
• Negotiating with makers and shops
• Basic stock and invoice tracking

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, and whether your home insurance covers stored stock
• Register for GST/HST when your sales pass the small supplier threshold, and check provincial sales tax rules for your province
• Check labelling and product safety rules for items such as children's products, candles, cosmetics and textiles
• Be honest about who made each item. Check that any Indigenous-style art is made by and credited to the artists, and agree terms in writing
• Cash flow: you pay makers before shops pay you, so be careful with credit terms
• Sales are seasonal, with the busiest orders ahead of the holiday season

Startup costs are estimates, typically around $1,500 to $6,000 CAD, depending on how much stock you buy from makers and how you set up storage and a simple catalogue. Remember you pay makers before shops pay you.

Monthly revenue is an estimate, typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on the range you carry and how many shops and galleries you supply. Plan for at least about 8 hours a week, with busier orders before the holidays.

Check for a municipal home-based business licence, whether your home insurance covers stored stock, and GST/HST and provincial sales tax rules. Also check labelling and product safety rules, and that Indigenous-style art is made by and credited to the artists.