Home-based shop fixture dealer

New and expanding independent shops, cafés, boutiques, salons, pharmacies and pop-up retailers.

You add a margin to the wholesale price of each order, and can charge separately for layout advice, delivery coordination or installation arranged through a subcontractor.

• Sales and quoting
• Organising orders and deliveries
• Reading simple floor plans
• Building supplier relationships

• Collect and remit the right sales taxes (GST/HST, plus PST or QST in some provinces) once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check with the CRA
• Freight damage and returns on bulky items, so agree who covers them with each supplier
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, and whether you need product liability cover through your commercial general liability insurance
• If you import from overseas, check duties, customs and delivery lead times
• Fixtures that are installed may need to meet local building or fire code requirements, so check who is responsible

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $1,000 to $6,000, depending on your samples, quoting tools and marketing. Items are ordered from a wholesaler or manufacturer and delivered to the customer, so your own costs will vary with how you set up.

Check whether you must collect and remit GST/HST, plus PST or QST in some provinces, once past the small supplier threshold. Also check for a home-based business licence, product liability cover, and who is responsible for building or fire code requirements on installed fixtures.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many shops you quote and the size of their orders. Agree with each supplier who covers freight damage and returns, as that can affect what you keep.