Office supplies delivered to local businesses

Small offices, GP and dental practices, tradespeople, clubs and charities that want regular supplies without a trip to the shops.

You earn the margin between trade and selling prices. Regular standing orders and a minimum order value or delivery charge help keep each drop worthwhile.

• Organising orders and deliveries
• Building relationships with business customers
• Basic bookkeeping and invoicing
• Simple online ordering setup

• Check your lease, mortgage or council rules before storing stock or running a business from home
• Public liability insurance, plus business-use cover on your vehicle and cover for stock
• Large online sellers compete hard on price, so focus on reliability, local service and account terms
• Offering credit to business customers risks late payment, so agree terms and chase invoices promptly
• Handling customer details means following UK GDPR, so check what you need to do

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £1,500 to £8,000, depending on how much stock you hold, your ordering set-up and your vehicle needs. Ordering the rest from wholesalers helps keep the stock you hold modest.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue is typically around £800 to £4,000, depending on how many business customers you win, their order sizes and your pricing. The estimate assumes at least about 10 hours a week.

Check your lease, mortgage or council rules on storing stock at home, and arrange public liability, vehicle business-use and stock cover. Agree payment terms with business customers, chase invoices promptly, and check what UK GDPR requires when handling customer details.