Home-Based bar stool dealer for bars and cafes

Bar, cafe and restaurant owners, brewery taprooms, hotel and event venues, and designers or contractors fitting out new spaces.

You buy at a trade price and sell at a markup, usually per stool or per set. Larger orders for new openings or refits bring the biggest sales. You can charge extra for custom finishes or fast shipping.

• Sales and following up on quotes
• Comparing products and prices
• Clear communication with customers
• Organizing orders and deliveries

• Check your state's rules on sales tax registration and resale certificates
• General liability and product liability insurance, ask your insurer what applies to furniture resale
• Ask suppliers whether the stools are commercial-grade and meet flammability or fire code rules that apply in your state or city
• Freight damage and returns, agree who pays before you take a deposit
• Check HOA or lease rules if you run the business from home

Startup costs are typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on samples, insurance, a simple website and quoting tools. You hold little or no stock because suppliers ship orders directly to your customers.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how many venues you quote and win, the lines you carry and your margins. Supplier costs and freight come out of that.

Things to check: your state's sales tax registration and resale certificate rules, general and product liability insurance, whether stools are commercial-grade and meet local flammability or fire codes, and HOA or lease rules for home businesses.