Online saree store with pop-up sales

South Asian families and individuals buying for weddings, festivals, parties and everyday wear, plus bridesmaids and guests shopping in groups.

You buy stock from suppliers and sell at a markup. Extra income can come from stitched blouses, petticoats, fall and pico finishing, and accessories.

• Eye for fabric, colour and quality
• Social media and photography
• Customer service and styling advice
• Basic stock and bookkeeping

• Check whether you need to register for GST/HST once sales pass the small supplier threshold
• Check import duties, taxes and shipping costs if buying stock from abroad
• Check textile labelling rules for garments sold in Canada, including bilingual requirements
• Check your municipality for home-based business rules if you store or sell stock at home
• Stock can sit unsold, so start small and track which styles sell
• Check with your insurer about cover for stock and for pop-up events

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how much stock you buy, your website setup and pop-up costs. Stock can sit unsold, so starting small and tracking which styles sell is worth considering.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $500 to $5,000, depending on your stock, how often you run pop-ups and your marketing. The estimates start from about 8 hours a week.

Check whether you need to register for GST/HST once sales pass the small supplier threshold, import duties and taxes on stock from abroad, and textile labelling rules, including bilingual requirements. Also check home-based business rules and insurance for stock and pop-up events.