Online used car dealer, by appointment

Private buyers who search online marketplaces for a used car or van, including trade-in customers.

You earn the margin between purchase cost (plus prep and repairs) and sale price. With less rent, you can run on a smaller stock. Monthly revenue here means gross sales, not profit.

• Spotting good-value vehicles
• Good photos and honest online listings
• Negotiating
• Paperwork and record keeping

• Selling cars regularly without a dealer licence (often called curbsiding) is illegal in many provinces, so check your regulator's rules
• Home-based business and zoning rules from your municipality, and whether a physical premises is required
• Dealer insurance and cover for vehicles in storage or on test drives
• Disclosure obligations, lien checks and accident history reports
• Scams around deposits, payments and fake buyers, so use secure payment methods
• Slow sales in winter tying up your cash in stock

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on how many vehicles you stock, your licensing and any small space you rent for viewings. Slow winter sales can tie up cash in stock.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on how many vehicles you sell and their prices. These are revenue estimates, not profit, and slower winter sales may affect them.

Selling cars regularly without a dealer licence (often called curbsiding) is illegal in many provinces, so check your regulator's rules. Also check home-based business and zoning rules, whether a physical premises is required, dealer insurance, disclosure obligations and lien checks.