Specialty soda delivery route

Independent cafés, convenience and specialty food shops, restaurants, pubs, gyms and workplaces that want drinks beyond the big national brands.

You buy by the case or pallet and sell at a wholesale price with a margin. Repeat orders from a steady set of customers on a weekly or fortnightly route are the core of the income.

• Selling and building relationships with local businesses
• Route planning and stock control
• Comfortable with heavy lifting and driving

• Provincial bottle deposit and recycling rules differ, so check how they apply to what you sell
• If you import drinks or sell across provincial borders, check whether you need a Safe Food for Canadians licence from the CFIA
• Labelling rules, including bilingual labels, apply to products you import, so check with your supplier
• Check municipal zoning before storing stock at home, and check your vehicle insurance covers business use
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check how it applies to your drinks
• Cases are heavy and winter driving adds risk, so plan your route and your back

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $6,000 to $30,000, depending on your vehicle, opening stock, storage and insurance. Check that your vehicle insurance covers business use before you start delivering.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many cafés, shops, pubs and workplaces you supply and the brands you carry. Cases are heavy and winter driving adds risk, so plan your routes.

Check provincial bottle deposit and recycling rules, and whether you need a Safe Food for Canadians licence if you import or sell across provincial borders. Also check bilingual labelling for imports, municipal zoning for home storage, and GST/HST.