Online niche dental supplies store

Independent dental practices, dental labs, mobile dentists, and dental schools or clinics that want a simpler alternative to the big distributors.

You earn the margin between your wholesale cost and your selling price. Repeat orders and reorder reminders from practices are the main driver, and shipping and bulk discounts affect profit.

• Sales and relationship building
• Inventory and order tracking
• Basic website and online store setup
• Knowing dental products, or willingness to learn them

• Some manufacturers only sell through approved distributors, so check each brand's authorization rules
• Dental devices, drugs, and anesthetics can be FDA regulated or need state distributor licensing. Check with your state board and the FDA before selling them
• Check your state's sales tax and resale certificate rules, including exemptions for some buyers
• General liability and product liability insurance, plus expiry dates and storage conditions on stock
• Large distributors have contract pricing, so you may need to compete on service or niche range rather than price

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your website, the range of products you stock and your opening inventory. These are estimates, so check supplier minimums before you budget.

Monthly revenue is typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your niche, how many practices and labs you win and your product mix. This is an estimate of revenue, not profit, and large distributors may compete on price.

Check each brand's authorization rules, as some sell only through approved distributors. Dental devices, drugs and anesthetics can be FDA regulated or need state distributor licensing, so check with your state board and the FDA. Also check sales tax and resale certificate rules.