Home tea blender selling online

Tea lovers, gift buyers and people looking for specialty or wellness-style blends, mostly through online orders and local markets.

You sell tins, pouches or sample sets at a markup over ingredient and packaging costs. Subscriptions, gift sets and seasonal blends can bring repeat orders.

• Good palate and curiosity about flavour
• Careful measuring and record keeping
• Basic online selling and photography
• Customer service

• Some provinces and municipalities do not allow food to be made for sale in a home kitchen, or only allow certain low-risk foods, so confirm with your local public health unit before you start; you may need a separate commercial or shared kitchen
• Check with your local public health unit whether you need a food premises permit or inspection before trading
• Check with your municipality whether you need a business licence and whether zoning allows a home-based food business
• Check with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) whether you need a Safe Food for Canadians licence, particularly if you sell to other provinces, import ingredients or export
• Check CFIA rules for labelling (including when bilingual labels are required), ingredient lists, allergens and any claims you make
• Avoid health claims such as 'cures' or 'detox', as these can be regulated
• Commercial general liability and product liability insurance, which markets often require
• Check with the Canada Revenue Agency when you must register for GST/HST
• Shipping across provinces and to the US adds costs and extra rules

Estimates suggest startup costs typically run around $1,500 to $6,000, depending on the tea and ingredients you buy, packaging and labels, your website, and whether you need a commercial or shared kitchen.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $300 to $3,000, depending on your range, pricing and how much you sell through your website and local markets.

Check with your local public health unit whether home food production is allowed and whether you need a permit. Also check with CFIA about a Safe Food for Canadians licence and labelling, and your municipality about licences and zoning.