Office furniture dealer with install service

Small and mid-size offices, medical and dental practices, schools, landlords and companies moving or expanding.

Margin on furniture sold, plus separate charges for delivery, assembly, removal of old furniture and space planning.

• Quoting and selling to businesses
• Hands-on assembly and lifting
• Scheduling deliveries and managing suppliers

• Commercial auto insurance for delivery vehicles, as personal policies may not cover business use
• General liability insurance, since damage to client premises is a real risk
• Workers' compensation insurance once you hire helpers
• Local business license, sales tax registration and resale certificate, check with your city, county and state
• Heavy lifting, plan help and equipment to avoid injury
• Cash flow when clients pay on invoice terms while you pay suppliers upfront

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on your vehicle, storage space, tools and how much furniture you buy before clients pay. Cash flow matters, since clients may pay on invoice terms while suppliers want payment upfront.

Check commercial auto insurance for delivery vehicles, since personal policies may not cover business use. Also look at general liability insurance, workers' compensation once you hire helpers, and your local business license, sales tax registration and resale certificate with your city, county and state.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many office, practice and school clients you win and the size of each order. Plan on at least about 20 hours a week, including lifting and assembly, so plan help and equipment.