Home-based promo products reseller

Small businesses, contractors, real estate agents, schools, nonprofits, clubs and event organizers that need branded giveaways, staff uniforms or gifts.

You buy at a supplier's wholesale price and add a markup to the client's price. Repeat orders from the same clients, such as annual events or staff shirts, build steady income.

• Selling and following up with leads
• Attention to detail on orders and artwork proofs
• Basic design or ability to work with print-ready files
• Reliable customer service

• Check whether your state requires a sales tax permit and how resale certificates work for your supplier purchases
• Check your city or county for a business license and any home occupation permit or HOA rules
• Get general liability insurance; product liability coverage is worth asking about
• Printing mistakes or late deliveries are your problem with the client, so check proofs carefully and build in extra time
• Be careful with logos and trademarked artwork; get the client's permission to use them

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $300 to $2,500, depending on the samples, software, insurance and website you set up. Treat this as an estimate. You work from supplier catalogs and hold no stock, which is why the range is lower.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $500 to $5,000, depending on how many business clients you win, the size of their orders and how often they reorder. The estimate assumes roughly 8 or more hours a week.

Check whether your state requires a sales tax permit and how resale certificates work with suppliers. Check your city or county for a business license, home occupation permit and HOA rules. Ask about liability insurance, and get permission to use clients' logos.