Bagged ice delivery route

Bars, restaurants, caterers, event organizers, food trucks, farmers' market vendors and the occasional wedding or festival.

You mark up each bag or block over your wholesale price, and may add a delivery fee for small or rush orders. Regular weekly orders from venues give the steadiest income, and summer events add extra.

• Reliable driving and route planning
• Lifting and handling heavy bags
• Building relationships with venues and caterers

• Check with your local public health unit whether storing and reselling packaged ice counts as a food business and needs a permit or registration
• Commercial general liability insurance, and cover for your vehicle used for business deliveries
• Winter is usually much slower, so plan cash flow for the off-season or add other cold-weather customers
• Heavy lifting every day, so plan for back strain and use a trolley or lift gate
• Check your municipality for business licence rules and whether you can store freezers at home

Startup costs are typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on your freezers or insulated trailer, vehicle needs and how much stock you buy. These are estimates, so get quotes from wholesale ice makers first.

Monthly revenue is typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many bars, caterers and event customers you serve. This is an estimate, and winter is usually much slower, so plan your cash flow for the off-season.

Check with your local public health unit whether storing and reselling packaged ice counts as a food business needing a permit or registration. Also check your municipality's business licence rules, whether you can keep freezers at home, and commercial liability and vehicle insurance.