Willow baskets online and to retailers

Online shoppers looking for handmade home and garden items, plus garden centres, gift shops and home stores buying in quantity.

Direct online sales at retail price, plus wholesale orders to shops at a lower price per basket but in bigger batches. Custom orders such as wedding or corporate gift baskets can add higher-value sales.

• Consistent basketry technique
• Product photography
• Online selling and customer messages
• Organizing orders and shipping

• Baskets are bulky, so check shipping costs and packaging before setting online prices
• Wholesale prices must still cover your time, so test the maths before agreeing to orders
• Check municipal rules on home-based business licences and any delivery or storage limits
• Consider business liability insurance and product coverage if selling through shops
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check how provincial sales tax applies to online sales
• Check rules on selling in Quebec, which can include French-language requirements for labels and listings

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on your materials, photography, website set-up and packaging. Baskets are bulky, so check shipping costs and packaging before setting online prices.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $400 to $2,500, depending on how many baskets you make and how many shops and online customers you reach. Test the maths so wholesale prices still cover your time.

Check municipal rules on home-based business licences and any delivery or storage limits, and consider business and product liability insurance. Also check GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, provincial sales tax on online sales, and Quebec French-language requirements for labels and listings.