Online dried fruit and nut store

Home cooks, snackers, gift buyers and subscription customers across the country.

You sell packs and gift boxes at a markup over wholesale and packaging costs, with repeat orders from subscriptions.

• Basic website and photo skills
• Packing and shipping
• Online marketing

• Check state cottage food rules, since many exclude shipping across state lines or limit what you can sell
• FDA food labeling and allergen rules for packaged food
• Sales tax collection rules for online sales in different states
• Shipping heat and freshness, plus shipping costs eating into margins
• Product liability and general liability insurance

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your website, initial stock, packaging, insurance, and whether you pack orders yourself or use a licensed co-packer. Treat this as an estimate and price your own plan.

Monthly revenue is typically around $500 to $5,000, depending on your product range, marketing, and customer base. Shipping costs and freshness concerns in hot weather can eat into margins, so check what you would keep after costs.

Check state cottage food rules, since many exclude shipping across state lines or limit what you can sell. Also check FDA food labeling and allergen rules, sales tax collection in different states, and product and general liability insurance.