Online handbag and purse shop

Individual shoppers buying for themselves or as gifts, usually women but also men looking for wallets, backpacks and travel bags.

You buy stock at wholesale prices and sell at a mark-up. You can also sell on a marketplace alongside your own site, and gift sets and add-ons like purses can raise the average order.

• Good eye for style and trends
• Product photography and listing writing
• Customer service and handling returns
• Basic stock and price tracking

• Distance selling rules: check the customer's right to cancel and your returns policy
• Fake or counterfeit designer goods are illegal to sell, so buy only from trusted suppliers
• Check product labelling and any material claims such as 'real leather' or 'vegan'
• Unsold stock ties up cash, so start small and reorder what sells
• Check whether you need to register as a sole trader or company, and when VAT applies

Startup costs are estimated at typically around £500 to £3,000, depending on how much stock you buy and your chosen niche. Unsold stock ties up cash, so start small and reorder what sells.

Check distance selling rules, including the customer's right to cancel and your returns policy. Also check product labelling and material claims such as 'real leather' or 'vegan', and avoid counterfeit designer goods by buying from trusted suppliers.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around £300 to £3,000, depending on your range, pricing and how well you reach customers. That is revenue, not profit. It can start from around 8 hours a week.