Online home gym equipment shop

Home exercisers, small personal trainers and community groups buying for themselves or their members.

You buy at trade price and sell at a mark-up. Accessories usually carry better margins than heavy items, which cost more to ship.

• Knowing fitness products well
• Online selling and basic photography
• Order and stock tracking
• Customer service

• Consumer rights rules for online sales, including the right to cancel and returns, so check the current guidance
• Product safety and labelling duties for sellers, check what applies to the items you sell
• Heavy items are costly to ship and store, work out delivery costs before pricing
• Public liability and product liability insurance, check what cover you need
• Register as a sole trader with HMRC and keep an eye on the VAT threshold

Startup costs are typically around £500 to £6,000, depending on your website, how much stock you hold and whether suppliers ship direct. These are estimates, so work out delivery costs for heavy items before pricing.

Monthly revenue is typically around £300 to £5,000, depending on your product range, pricing and marketing. These are estimates, and the shop could start at around 8 hours a week.

Check current consumer rights guidance for online sales, including cancellation and returns. Also check product safety and labelling duties for the items you sell, insurance cover, and VAT threshold rules once you register as a sole trader.