Futon and sofa bed showroom

Local households, students, landlords furnishing rentals and people buying for a spare room.

Margin on each item sold, plus extra sales of mattresses, covers and bedding, and delivery charges.

• Retail selling and customer service
• Buying stock and managing cash flow
• Basic bookkeeping

• Lease terms, deposits and business rates, so check what you would pay in total
• Fire safety labelling on upholstered furniture and mattresses, so check your suppliers comply
• Shop insurance covering stock, public liability and employer's liability if you hire
• Tied-up money in stock and slow sales in quiet months

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £10,000 to £40,000, depending on the unit, fit-out and stock. Monthly revenue is estimated at around £4,000 to £20,000, depending on your location, range and how busy the shop is.

Check lease terms, deposits and business rates so you know what you would pay in total. Check that your suppliers comply with fire safety labelling rules for upholstered furniture and mattresses, and that shop insurance covers stock, public liability and employer's liability if you hire.

The estimates start at around 35 hours a week. Useful skills include retail selling, customer service, buying stock, managing cash flow and basic bookkeeping. Money can be tied up in stock, and sales may slow in quiet months.