Jewellery exporter with stock and trade fairs

Overseas retailers, department store buyers, gift shops and distributors who like to see and handle pieces before ordering.

You buy at wholesale and sell at a trade price with a margin. Holding stock lets you ship quickly and win larger, repeat orders.

• Negotiating with makers and buyers
• Managing stock and cash flow
• Comfortable travelling and talking to buyers

• Stock ties up cash, so start with a small range and track what sells
• Check insurance for stock, goods in transit and samples carried to fairs
• Precious metal items may need to be hallmarked, so check the current UK hallmarking rules with the Assay Office
• Check EORI, export declarations, commodity codes and the buyer's import duties and VAT for each country
• Check whether you need to register with HMRC for anti-money laundering if you deal in high-value goods or accept large cash payments
• If you source gemstones or diamonds, check their origin and supplier due diligence
• Trade fair stands and travel can be costly, so budget carefully

Startup costs are typically around £20,000 to £60,000, depending on the stock you buy, storage, insurance, and trade fair stands and travel. Stock ties up cash, so a small starting range is worth considering.

Monthly revenue is typically around £3,000 to £15,000, depending on your range, how many fairs you attend and how many repeat accounts you build. These are estimates of sales, not profit.

Check hallmarking rules for precious metal items, EORI, export declarations, commodity codes, and import duties and VAT for each country. Also check insurance for stock and samples in transit, anti-money laundering registration with HMRC for high-value goods, and gemstone or diamond origin checks.