Online homeware shop

People furnishing a new home, refreshing a room or buying gifts, found through search, social media and marketplaces.

You buy at wholesale and sell at a markup. Profit comes from the gap between buying and selling price, minus postage, platform fees and returns.

• Choosing products that sell
• Product photos and descriptions
• Stock and order tracking
• Customer service

• Consumer rights for online sales, including the right to cancel and returns, check the rules on GOV.UK
• Product safety rules, especially for candles, electrical items and anything used with food, check what applies
• Tied-up cash in stock that does not sell, so start small
• Breakage in the post and the cost of packaging and delivery
• Whether you can store stock at home under your tenancy or mortgage terms

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £500 to £3,000, depending on your stock, website and packaging. Starting small helps avoid tying up cash in stock that does not sell.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £300 to £3,000, depending on your range, pricing and how customers find you. This is revenue, not profit, so stock, packaging and delivery costs come out of it.

Check consumer rights for online sales, including the right to cancel and returns, on GOV.UK. Also check product safety rules, especially for candles, electrical items and anything used with food, and whether your tenancy or mortgage allows storing stock at home.