Food packaging and consumables supplier

Small food producers such as bakeries, sauce and snack makers, commissary kitchen tenants, craft food startups and local caterers.

You earn the margin between your bulk purchase price and your resale price, plus delivery fees or minimum order charges. Repeat monthly orders from the same makers give steadier income.

• Negotiating with suppliers
• Organizing orders and inventory
• Building relationships with local businesses
• Basic bookkeeping

• Food-contact packaging should come from suppliers who can confirm it is food grade, so ask for documentation
• Sales tax registration and resale certificate rules vary by state, so check with your state's tax agency
• Home storage may need a home occupation permit and must respect HOA or lease rules, so check with your city or county
• General liability and product liability insurance, since faulty packaging can cause problems for your customers
• Tied-up cash in inventory if customers pay slowly or orders are small

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how much packaging stock you buy up front and whether you use home storage or a small rented space. Treat this as a planning estimate.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how many local food producers you supply and the size of their orders. Slow-paying customers or small orders can tie up cash in inventory.

Ask suppliers for documentation that food-contact packaging is food grade. Also check sales tax registration and resale certificate rules with your state's tax agency, home occupation permits and HOA or lease rules for home storage, and liability insurance.