Home-Based aluminium frames supplier

Glaziers, small builders, shopfitters and fabricators who want a reliable local source and a person they can phone.

You buy at trade price and sell with a margin added. Margins are usually thin, so repeat orders from a handful of regular trade customers matter most.

• Understanding frame types and trade terminology
• Selling to tradespeople and building relationships
• Careful order and paperwork handling

• Check which product standards and markings apply to the frames you sell (for example UKCA or CE marking) and ask suppliers for the paperwork
• Public liability and product liability insurance, plus goods in transit cover if you arrange deliveries
• Customers often want credit terms, so check how you would handle late payment and whether credit insurance suits you
• Wrong sizes or damaged goods can wipe out a thin margin, so agree clear returns terms with suppliers first
• Running a business from home may need permission from a landlord, mortgage lender or the council

Startup costs for a home-based supplier are typically around £1,500 to £7,500, depending on your insurance, systems, any samples and how much you fund upfront. Treat this as an estimate and cost your own setup.

Monthly revenue is typically around £2,000 to £10,000, depending on how many trade customers you win and the size of their orders. That is revenue, not profit, so allow for supplier costs and thin margins.

Check which product standards and markings apply, such as UKCA or CE, and ask suppliers for paperwork. Also check your insurance, how you would handle late payment, returns terms with suppliers, and whether you need permission to run a business from home.