Sail repair and canvas workshop

Recreational sailors, small racing crews, sailing clubs, marinas and boat yards, and boat owners needing covers.

Fixed price or hourly rate per repair, and quoted prices for canvas items. Work usually peaks in spring before launch, so winter is a good time to take repairs.

• Sewing on heavy-duty machines
• Knowledge of sail cloth and how sails are built
• Careful measuring and quoting

• Check your municipality's rules and any home-based business licence for running a workshop at home
• Commercial general liability insurance, and cover for customers' sails while in your care
• Space to lay out and store large sails, and fire safety if you use a hot knife
• Strong seasonality tied to the boating season, plan for quiet months
• Check whether you need to register for GST/HST once revenue grows

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $2,500 to $10,000 CAD, depending on the heavy-duty sewing machine you choose, materials, workspace setup and insurance. Treat this as a rough estimate and compare machine and supply quotes first.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $800 to $4,000 CAD, depending on how many repairs and canvas jobs you take and your pricing. These are estimates only. Boating is seasonal, so plan for quieter months.

Check your municipality's rules and any home-based business licence for running a workshop at home. Also look into commercial general liability insurance, cover for customers' sails, space to lay out large sails, fire safety if you use a hot knife, and GST/HST registration.