Online tennis shop with racket stringing

Club and recreational players, parents of junior players, coaches and tennis clubs.

Margin on products sold online, plus a fee per racket strung (string is often sold on top). Regular players and coaches restring several times a season.

• Knowing tennis equipment
• Careful hands-on work for stringing
• Online selling and customer service

• Check whether your municipality needs a home-based business licence and whether zoning allows customer drop-offs
• Some racket brands require approved dealer accounts or minimum orders, so check before you plan your range
• Register for GST/HST (and PST or QST where it applies) once you pass the small supplier threshold
• Tennis is seasonal in much of Canada, so plan for slower winter months unless local indoor courts are busy
• Commercial general liability insurance, and shipping and returns costs for online orders
• If you sell in Quebec, check French-language requirements for your website and packaging

Estimates suggest startup costs of typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on your stock, stringing equipment and website. Shipping and returns costs for online orders are also worth budgeting for.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue of typically around $2,000 to $9,000, depending on your range, online sales and local stringing demand. Tennis is seasonal in much of Canada, so plan for slower winter months.

Check whether your municipality needs a home-based business licence and allows customer drop-offs, and whether racket brands require dealer accounts. Also check GST/HST and PST or QST, liability insurance, and French-language rules if you sell in Quebec.