Asian homeware and gift shop

Local shoppers, Asian-American families looking for familiar products, gift buyers, tourists and people who enjoy cooking Asian food at home.

You buy stock wholesale and sell at retail prices. Margins vary by product, with giftware and homeware often higher than packaged food. Seasonal events like Lunar New Year add peak sales.

• Choosing products customers want
• Customer service
• Inventory and ordering
• Basic bookkeeping

• Business license and sales tax registration: check with your city, county and state
• Selling packaged food may need a health department permit or food handler rules, check your state and county
• Imported food must meet FDA labeling rules in English; check with your supplier and the FDA
• General liability and property insurance
• Commercial lease terms and rent: negotiate carefully and avoid long commitments at first
• Stock tied up in inventory and slow-selling items, so order small test quantities

Startup costs are typically around $15,000 to $70,000, depending on your lease, shop size and how much inventory you buy. Ordering small test quantities of stock can help limit money tied up in slow-selling items.

Monthly revenue is typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on location, product range and foot traffic. That is revenue, not profit, so rent, stock and other costs come out of it. Plan on about 35 hours a week or more.

Check business license and sales tax registration with your city, county and state. If you sell packaged food, check for a health department permit or food handler rules, and make sure imported food meets FDA English labeling rules.