Online russian and eastern european food shop

Eastern European households and Russian speakers living far from a specialist shop, and shoppers buying gifts or trying new foods.

Mark-up on products bought wholesale, with delivery charged to the customer or built into the price. Monthly boxes and bundles can encourage repeat orders.

• Setting up an online shop
• Packing and posting orders
• Social media and customer service
• Russian or another Eastern European language is helpful

• Food business registration with your local council, even if you only work from home, so check before you start
• Labelling, allergen and best-before rules, especially if you repack or relabel products, so check with the Food Standards Agency
• Rules on importing certain foods and on distance selling and returns, so check the official guidance
• Running a food business from home may need permission from your landlord or mortgage lender
• Public liability and product liability insurance, and the risk of damaged or out-of-date stock

Startup costs are estimates, typically around £1,500 to £8,000, depending on your website, initial stock and packing supplies. Public liability and product liability insurance are also worth checking before you start.

Monthly revenue is an estimate, typically around £500 to £4,000, depending on your range, marketing and order volume. You could start from around 10 hours a week, but damaged or out-of-date stock is a risk to watch.

Check food business registration with your local council, even if you only work from home. Also check labelling, allergen and best-before rules, import rules for certain foods, distance selling and returns rules, and whether your landlord or mortgage lender needs to agree.