Start an online children's clothes shop

Parents, grandparents and gift buyers looking for everyday clothes, special occasion outfits or presents.

You buy stock at wholesale prices and sell at a mark-up. Profit depends on choosing styles that sell, keeping returns low and not being left with unsold seasonal stock.

• Spotting trends and choosing stock
• Product photography and listings
• Stock and order management
• Customer service

• Children's clothing has safety rules, such as those on drawstrings and flammability. Check the Trading Standards guidance before you buy stock
• Distance selling rules give customers a right to return items, so plan for returns and refunds
• Check clothing labelling requirements, especially for fibre content
• Register as a sole trader or company, and check when VAT registration applies to you
• Seasonal stock can be left unsold, so order small amounts at first

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £500 to £5,000, depending on how much stock you buy, whether you build your own website or sell on marketplaces, and how much you spend on photography. Ordering small amounts of seasonal stock at first can help.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £300 to £3,500, depending on your niche, your stock choices and the time you put in. The estimate starts from about 8 hours a week. Revenue is not profit, as stock and other costs come out of it.

Check Trading Standards guidance on children's clothing safety, such as drawstrings and flammability, before you buy stock. Also check distance selling rules on returns and refunds, labelling requirements for fibre content, and how to register and when VAT registration applies.