Online workplace safety supplies shop

Small employers, builders, workshops, farms, schools, care homes and sole traders who need to equip themselves or their staff.

You buy at trade price and sell at a margin. Repeat orders and bundles (for example a starter kit for a new site) help raise the value of each sale.

• Researching products and suppliers
• Basic website and online shop setup
• Clear customer service and record keeping

• Safety-critical items such as helmets and gloves must meet the relevant standards and carry the right marks (check current UKCA or CE marking rules with Trading Standards or the HSE)
• Product liability and public liability insurance, check what your insurer needs for selling PPE
• Distance selling and returns rules for consumers and sole traders, check the current rules
• Do not give compliance advice you are not qualified to give, point customers to the HSE or a qualified adviser
• Check VAT registration once your turnover grows

Startup costs are typically around £500 to £4,000, depending on website setup and any stock you hold. Monthly revenue is typically estimated around £500 to £5,000, depending on your products, pricing and how many small employers you reach.

Safety-critical items such as helmets and gloves must meet the relevant standards and carry the right marks. Check current UKCA or CE marking rules with Trading Standards or the HSE, and ask your insurer what it needs for product liability when selling PPE.

Check distance selling and returns rules for consumers and sole traders, and VAT registration as your turnover grows. Do not give compliance advice you are not qualified to give; point customers to the HSE or a qualified adviser.