Home-based tropical fish and aquarium supplies

Local hobbyists, people in aquarium clubs and online groups, and online buyers of equipment and food.

Margin on fish sold by collection or order, plus sales of dry goods, plants and accessories, with repeat customers buying food and treatments.

• Fish keeping and water quality knowledge
• Basic online selling and photography
• Organising orders and stock
• Clear, honest customer advice

• Pet selling licence: check with your local council, as selling animals as a business may need one
• Permission from your landlord, mortgage lender or council to run a business from home
• Public liability and stock insurance, and a home insurer who knows about the business
• Live fish should not be posted casually, so check courier rules and welfare requirements before shipping
• Electricity use and the risk of tank leaks or power cuts, so plan backups

Estimates are typically around £1,500 to £8,000, depending on the number of tanks, equipment, stock and how you set up your online shop. Also plan for electricity use and backups in case of power cuts.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £300 to £2,500, depending on how much you sell locally and online. That is revenue rather than profit, and the time needed can start small, at around eight hours a week.

Check with your local council whether selling animals as a business needs a pet selling licence. Also check permission from your landlord, mortgage lender or council to run a business from home, and courier rules and welfare requirements before shipping live fish.