Home-Based sprinkler and suppression parts reseller

Fire protection installers, mechanical and electrical contractors, and building firms who need parts quickly and want a friendly point of contact.

You buy at trade price and sell with a margin. Profit comes from repeat orders, fast quotes and covering niche or urgent parts that bigger merchants are slow on.

• Reading specifications and parts lists
• Building trade relationships
• Quoting and chasing orders accurately
• Basic bookkeeping and credit control

• Check which standards and third-party approvals your customers expect for the products you sell, such as sprinkler component approvals
• Product liability and public liability insurance, and ask your insurer about cover for fire safety products
• Late payment from trade customers: check credit terms and whether trade credit insurance is worth it
• Rules on suppression gases and pressurised equipment can be specific, so check before selling them
• Running a business from home may need permission from a landlord, mortgage lender or the council

Startup costs are typically around £2,000 to £10,000, depending on trade accounts and any stock you hold. Monthly revenue is typically estimated around £3,000 to £15,000, depending on how many installers you supply and the size of their orders.

Check which standards and third-party approvals your customers expect for the products you sell, such as sprinkler component approvals. Rules on suppression gases and pressurised equipment can be specific, so check them before selling these items.

Check credit terms before agreeing to supply, and consider whether trade credit insurance is worth it. Also ask your insurer about product liability cover, and check whether running a business from home needs permission from a landlord, lender or the council.