Online pet supplies with local delivery

Busy pet owners, people with heavy bags of food to carry, and owners who want specialty or local brands.

Mark-up on products, with subscription-style repeat orders for food and treats. Delivery fees or minimum order amounts help cover costs.

• Online selling and basic website setup
• Organizing stock and orders
• Customer service
• Social media or local marketing

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and whether you can store stock at home
• Commercial general liability insurance, and check your auto policy if you deliver by car
• GST/HST registration once you pass the small supplier threshold, plus provincial sales tax rules
• Heavy bags of food and winter driving make deliveries harder, plan for it
• Margins can be thin against big online sellers, so compete on service and specialty products
• Pet food labelling and import rules if you source from outside Canada, check with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $2,000 to $12,000, depending on how much opening stock you buy, how you set up your website, and whether you need storage space beyond your home.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $8,000, depending on your product range, delivery area and how many repeat customers you win. This is revenue, not profit, and margins can be thin against big online sellers.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and allows stock storage at home. Also check commercial general liability insurance, your auto policy for deliveries, GST/HST and provincial sales tax, and Canadian Food Inspection Agency rules if you source from outside Canada.