Online flooring seller with drop-ship

Homeowners planning a renovation, small installers and handymen, and landlords buying for rental units.

You buy at a trade price and sell at a markup per square foot, with extra income from accessories like underlayment, trim and adhesive.

• Knowing flooring types and how they differ
• Customer service and clear advice
• Comfortable with online stores and orders
• Organized with quotes and deliveries

• Sales tax registration and resale certificates, check with your state's tax agency
• Freight damage, wrong orders and returns, since pallets are heavy and costly to send back
• Check rules on formaldehyde emissions for composite wood and on the origin of imported wood with your supplier
• General liability and product liability insurance, ask an agent what suits an online seller
• Thin margins when competing with big-box stores, so focus on advice and a niche

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your website, samples and marketing. Because orders usually ship from a distributor or mill, you hold little or no stock.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your niche, how well you advise buyers and how many homeowners and installers you reach. Margins can be thin against big-box stores.

Check sales tax registration and resale certificates with your state's tax agency. Also check rules on formaldehyde emissions for composite wood and the origin of imported wood with your supplier, plus freight damage, returns and insurance.