Yarn wholesaler for local yarn shops

Independent yarn shops, craft and gift stores, knitting and weaving studios, and small makers who sell finished goods.

You sell at a wholesale price, typically well below shop price, and keep the margin between your buying price and your selling price. Repeat orders from a small group of shops build steady income.

• Knowing yarn types, fibres and weights
• Selling to shop owners
• Stock tracking and organisation

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and whether you can store and ship stock from home
• Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check your province's rules on selling for resale
• If you import, check customs duties, brokerage fees and exchange rate swings
• Check textile fibre content labelling rules for goods you sell, and French-language rules if you sell in Quebec
• Cash tied up in stock and slow-paying customers, so consider deposits or payment terms
• Check commercial general liability and stock insurance

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $5,000 to $25,000 CAD, depending on how much stock you buy, where you store it and your insurance. Stock is usually the biggest part, so plan your first order carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many shops and makers you supply and the size of their orders. The estimate assumes from about 15 hours a week.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and allows stock storage and shipping from home. Also check GST/HST registration, resale rules in your province, customs duties if importing, textile labelling and French-language rules in Quebec, and insurance.