Online music box store

Collectors, gift shoppers buying for weddings, births and anniversaries, and people looking for keepsakes.

You earn the difference between what you pay for stock and your selling price. Engraving, gift wrapping and custom tunes can add margin.

• Online selling and product photography
• Customer service
• Organizing stock and shipping

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check provincial sales tax rules for your province
• Check Health Canada product safety rules if any boxes are marketed to children
• Fragile items need good packaging, and shipping costs and breakages can eat into margins
• Check import duties and licensing if you buy from overseas or sell items with licensed characters or songs
• Consider commercial general liability and product insurance

Estimates suggest startup typically costs around $1,500 to $6,000, depending on your opening stock, website or marketplace setup and any custom tune or engraving options you offer.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $600 to $3,000, depending on your range, the traffic you attract and your prices. Expect to spend at least around 8 hours a week.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, and GST/HST and provincial sales tax rules. Check Health Canada product safety rules if boxes are marketed to children, plus import duties and licensing for overseas stock or licensed characters or songs.