Home-Based leather goods wholesaler

Independent gift shops, clothing boutiques, market sellers, online stores and small brands that want leather products without making them.

You buy at a trade price and sell at a wholesale price with a margin, usually with minimum order sizes. Repeat orders from regular shops are the main earner.

• Judging leather quality and stitching
• Negotiating with suppliers
• Selling to shop owners
• Keeping track of stock and orders

• Check your municipality for home-based business licence rules and whether you can store stock at home
• If importing, check CBSA rules on duties, import paperwork and GST/HST, and consider working with a customs broker
• Check whether you need to collect or exempt provincial sales tax on wholesale sales, and register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold
• Exotic leathers can need special permits, so check before buying them
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance
• Quebec has French-language labelling and packaging rules, so check them if you sell there

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how much stock you buy and whether you import. These are estimates, so plan your first order size and shelf space carefully.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on your range, the shops you supply and your order sizes. With a starting point of about 10 hours a week, it can begin part-time.

Check your municipality's home-based business licence rules and whether you can store stock at home. If importing, check CBSA rules on duties, paperwork and GST/HST. Also check provincial sales tax on wholesale sales and Quebec French-language labelling rules.