Mobile flooring sales with a sample kit

Homeowners who want help at home, landlords, flippers and small contractors who want a reliable materials supplier.

You earn margin on materials ordered at trade prices, plus any installation coordination fee. Keeping no inventory keeps your costs low.

• Sales and customer service
• Measuring rooms and estimating materials
• Organizing orders and deliveries
• Building relationships with installers and contractors

• Check whether your state or city requires a business license and sales tax registration for selling materials
• If you coordinate or sell installation, check your state's contractor licensing rules before you do
• General liability insurance, and make sure your installers carry their own cover
• Ordering errors or damaged deliveries, so confirm measurements and check shipments carefully
• Home occupation or HOA rules if you store samples or run the business from home

Startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your sample kit, vehicle needs, insurance and marketing. There is no showroom rent, which keeps costs lower. Treat these as estimates and price your own setup.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on how many customers and contractors you work with and the size of the jobs. That is revenue, not profit, so account for material and installer costs.

Check whether your state or city requires a business license and sales tax registration for selling materials. If you coordinate or sell installation, check your state's contractor licensing rules first. Also check insurance and any home occupation or HOA rules.