Local mineral water delivery route

Independent cafés, restaurants, offices, gyms, small hotels and corner shops that want a reliable local supplier.

You buy at wholesale price and sell by the case or pallet at a markup, with repeat weekly or fortnightly orders. A delivery fee or minimum order can help cover fuel.

• Selling to local businesses
• Route planning and driving
• Keeping track of stock and invoices
• Comfortable with heavy lifting

• Check with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency whether you need a Safe Food for Canadians licence, especially if you import or trade between provinces
• Check your municipality and local public health unit about food storage rules and any home-based business licence
• Commercial general liability and commercial vehicle insurance, so confirm your personal policy covers business use
• Bottles are heavy and margins can be thin, so work out your profit per case after fuel
• Water can freeze and burst bottles in an unheated garage or van in winter
• Deposit and recycling rules vary by province, and Quebec has French-language labelling and invoicing requirements

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on your vehicle, storage space and first stock order. Check commercial general liability and vehicle insurance, and confirm your personal policy covers business use.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many accounts you win and the size of your route. Bottles are heavy and margins can be thin, so work out profit per case after fuel.

Check with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency whether you need a Safe Food for Canadians licence, especially if you import or trade between provinces. Also check food storage rules locally, deposit and recycling rules, and Quebec French-language requirements.