Packaging and supplies for small food makers

Small food producers, bakers, sauce and snack makers, and kitchens that make food to sell on to shops and cafés.

You buy at trade prices and sell at a mark-up, or earn commission as an agent. Repeat monthly orders from the same producers are what make it work.

• Sales and building trade relationships
• Organising orders and deliveries
• Knowing what food makers need, such as food-safe materials

• Check that packaging sold for food contact is suitable and that suppliers can provide the right compliance paperwork
• Margins can be thin, so work out postage, returns and card fees before setting prices
• Check whether you need public liability and product liability insurance
• Running a business from home may need permission from a landlord or mortgage lender
• VAT registration becomes compulsory above a turnover threshold, so keep track of sales

Startup costs are typically around £500 to £4,000, depending on your website, any stock you choose to hold and how you set up supplier arrangements. Many orders can ship direct from the manufacturer, so you may hold little or no stock.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £1,000 to £5,000, depending on the number of food-maker customers and order sizes. Margins can be thin, so work out postage, returns and card fees before setting prices.

Check that packaging sold for food contact is suitable and that suppliers can provide the right compliance paperwork. Also check whether you need public liability and product liability insurance, and keep track of sales for VAT registration thresholds.