Local toner supplier for small offices

Small offices, accountants, solicitors, dental and GP surgeries, schools, estate agents and trade businesses with their own printers.

You add a margin to the wholesale price of each cartridge. Regular supply agreements with repeat orders give steadier income than one-off sales.

• Reliable and organised
• Comfortable approaching businesses
• Basic stock and invoicing records

• Margins on cartridges can be thin, so check your costs and delivery time before quoting
• Compatible and remanufactured cartridges: make sure you describe them honestly and don't imply they are the printer maker's own brand
• Check whether you need to register as a waste carrier if you collect empty cartridges for recycling
• Public liability insurance, and goods in transit cover if you carry stock
• Late payment on invoices: consider credit checks, clear payment terms or paying up front for new customers
• Check with your landlord, mortgage lender or council if you store stock at home

Startup costs are typically around £500 to £3,000, depending on how much stock you buy and how you deliver. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £800 to £4,000, depending on how many regular business customers you win.

Check your margins and delivery time before quoting. Describe compatible and remanufactured cartridges honestly. Check waste carrier rules if you collect empties, public liability and goods in transit cover, late payment protection, and storage rules with your landlord, lender or council.

You need to be reliable and organised, comfortable approaching businesses, and able to keep basic stock and invoicing records. The estimate is at least around 8 hours a week, depending on how many customers and deliveries you handle.