Leather goods supplier to independent shops

Independent gift shops, boutiques, farm shops, visitor attractions, museum shops and menswear or accessory stores.

You earn the margin between your buying price and your trade price. Regular reorders from shops you visit each season matter more than one-off sales.

• Confident face-to-face selling
• Route and diary planning
• Knowing what suits different shop types
• Reliable invoicing and delivery

• Payment terms: decide whether to ask for payment up front for new customers to reduce the risk of late payment
• Product labelling and safety rules for leather goods, check with Trading Standards
• Import duty and VAT if you buy from outside the UK, check with HMRC
• Motor insurance that covers business use, and cover for samples and stock in your vehicle
• Public and product liability insurance
• Trade fair stand costs can be high, start with smaller events

Startup costs are typically around £2,000 to £8,000, depending on the size of your sample range and the stock you hold. Trade fair stands can be expensive, so starting with smaller events may help keep costs down.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £1,000 to £5,000, depending on how many shops you visit, what they order and your pricing. These are revenue estimates, so allow for stock, fuel, insurance and other costs.

Check product labelling and safety rules with Trading Standards, and import duty and VAT with HMRC if you buy from outside the UK. Also check payment terms for new customers, business-use motor insurance, and public and product liability cover.