Online pump supplier for contractors and farms

Contractors, farms, property maintenance firms and handy homeowners who need the right pump quickly.

You buy at trade prices and sell at a markup, with extra income from fittings, hoses, controls and repeat orders from regular trade customers.

• Learning how different pumps work and which jobs they suit
• Clear product advice by phone and email
• Order handling and supplier management

• Dealer agreements, pricing rules and warranty return handling with each supplier
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance, so check what your insurer needs
• Pumps for drinking water may need specific certification, so check which standards apply in your province
• GST/HST and provincial sales tax rules for online sales, and French-language rules if you sell in Quebec
• Heavy shipping costs and damaged-in-transit claims
• Check your municipality's home-based business rules if you store stock at home

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your website, how much stock you hold at home versus shipping direct from wholesalers, and any dealer agreements. Heavy shipping costs are worth planning for.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on the pumps you stock, how well you advise customers, and how you manage shipping costs and damaged-in-transit claims. Supplier terms also affect what you keep.

Check dealer agreements and warranty return handling with each supplier, plus commercial general liability and product liability insurance. Drinking-water pumps may need specific certification in your province. Also check GST/HST, provincial sales tax, French-language rules in Quebec, and home-business rules if storing stock.