Online kitchen supply store

Home cooks and bakers, small food makers, market vendors and gift buyers anywhere in Canada.

Markup on products sold through your website or marketplaces, plus bundles and bulk packs for food businesses. Shipping charges help cover postage.

• Setting up and running an online shop
• Product photos and clear descriptions
• Organising stock, packing and shipping

• Sales tax: check when you must register for GST/HST and how PST or QST applies by province
• Shipping costs, especially heavy cast iron or bulky items and delivery to remote areas, and returns of breakable goods
• Check Health Canada rules for food-contact products and for any imported goods before you sell them
• Quebec customers: check French-language requirements for your website and product information
• Home-based business licence or zoning rules from your municipality, and commercial general liability insurance that covers products you sell
• Competition from large marketplaces, so a clear niche and good service matter

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $12,000, depending on your range of stock, website setup and storage. These are estimates, so build a budget from your own product list and supplier quotes before you order inventory.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $6,000, depending on your niche, product range and the time you put in, from about 10 hours a week. That is revenue, not profit, so allow for stock and shipping costs.

Check when you must register for GST/HST and how PST or QST applies in your province. Also check Health Canada rules for food-contact and imported products, French-language requirements for Quebec customers, and municipal home-business licence rules and insurance.