Home-Based paper reseller (drop-ship)

Small commercial printers, copy shops, offices, schools, nonprofits and local resellers that want a personal contact and flexible order sizes.

You buy at wholesale and sell at a markup, or earn a margin or commission on each order. Repeat orders from a handful of steady accounts matter most.

• Selling and building relationships
• Quoting and keeping track of orders
• Knowing paper types, weights and sizes

• Check your state's rules on a sales tax permit and resale certificate for buying wholesale without paying tax
• Check city or county business license and home occupation rules, plus any HOA or lease limits
• Thin margins: suppliers may set minimums, and larger distributors can undercut your prices
• Customers may pay on 30-day terms, so plan for cash flow before you pay your supplier
• Consider general liability and product or cargo coverage, and check who is responsible for damaged deliveries

Startup costs are typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how you set up your quoting, accounts and any insurance. Because suppliers ship directly to customers, you don't need a warehouse. Watch cash flow if customers pay on 30-day terms.

Monthly revenue is typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how many printers and offices you sign up. Margins can be thin, as suppliers may set minimums and larger distributors can undercut prices. Plan on roughly 15 hours a week.

Check your state's rules on a sales tax permit and resale certificate for buying wholesale without paying tax. Also check city or county business license and home occupation rules, plus any HOA or lease limits.