Home-Based souvenir maker for gift shops and visitor sites

Independent gift shops, visitor centres, heritage sites, museums, cafes and holiday accommodation providers.

Wholesale prices for batches sold to shops, with a higher margin on any items you sell directly at markets or online.

• Design or illustration
• Hands-on making and finishing
• Costing and pricing products
• Approaching shops and managers

• Product safety rules for items sold in the UK, especially anything for children or in contact with food and drink (check with Trading Standards)
• Using photos, logos, landmarks or characters that are protected by copyright or trade marks, check before using them
• Whether you can run production at home with your landlord, mortgage lender or council, especially if you use noisy or dusty machines
• Public liability and product liability insurance
• Cash tied up in stock if shops pay on invoice terms

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £500 to £4,000, depending on the equipment you need, such as a laser cutter or printer, plus materials, packaging and insurance. Stock can also tie up cash.

Monthly revenue is typically around £200 to £1,500 in our estimates, depending on your products, prices and how many shops you supply. Around eight hours a week is a possible starting point.

Check product safety rules with Trading Standards, especially for children's items or food contact. Check copyright and trade marks on landmarks or characters, whether you can produce at home, and arrange public liability and product liability insurance.