Open a folk costume shop with a fitting room

Dance schools and ensembles, cultural societies, festival organizers, parents of young performers, and collectors of regional dress.

Retail margin on costumes and accessories, paid fittings and alterations, group orders, and seasonal rentals where you choose to offer them.

• Knowledge of regional dress and its details
• Sewing or alterations (or a trusted tailor)
• Retail management and customer service

• Commercial lease terms, as rent is usually the biggest fixed cost
• Check municipal business licence and zoning requirements for retail
• Commercial general liability and contents insurance
• Register for GST/HST (and provincial sales tax or QST where it applies); in Quebec, check French-language signage and service rules
• Check import duties and textile labelling rules for goods from abroad
• Handle sacred items such as Indigenous regalia with care and community involvement
• Sales cluster around festival and performance seasons, so winter can be slow

Startup costs are typically around $25,000 to $100,000, depending on location, shop size and stock. Rent is usually the biggest fixed cost, so check commercial lease terms carefully before signing.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $6,000 to $30,000, depending on location, range and local demand. Sales cluster around festival and performance seasons, so winter can be slow and cash flow needs planning.

Check municipal business licence and zoning requirements for retail, insurance, GST/HST or provincial sales tax registration, import duties and textile labelling rules, and Quebec's French-language signage rules. Handle sacred items such as Indigenous regalia with community involvement.