Online mailroom supplies and refurbished machines

Small businesses, offices, charities and mail room managers who want to cut costs or replace a machine without a long contract.

Margin on each product sold, with repeat orders for consumables and higher-value sales of refurbished machines.

• Comfortable running an online shop
• Good product knowledge, or willingness to learn it
• Careful stock and order handling

• Check Royal Mail's rules before selling or moving franking machines, as they may have licensing conditions
• Compatible ink must work properly and not infringe trade marks, so check with suppliers
• Consumer and business sales rules, returns and warranty on refurbished items
• Public liability and product liability insurance, and tax records for stock

Startup costs are typically around £1,500 to £7,000, depending on how much stock you buy, whether you use a small storage unit and how you set up your online shop. These figures are estimates, not guarantees.

Monthly revenue is typically around £600 to £3,000, depending on your product range, pricing and how many offices and small businesses you reach. This is an estimate of sales, not profit, so allow for stock and postage costs.

Check Royal Mail's rules before selling or moving franking machines, as licensing conditions may apply. Also check that compatible ink does not infringe trade marks, and look at returns and warranty rules, insurance and tax records.