Online saree boutique

South Asian families and individuals buying for weddings, festivals and parties, plus people who wear sarees every day or want them for cultural events.

You buy sarees at wholesale prices and sell at a markup. Extra income comes from stitched blouses, pre-draped sarees, petticoats and accessories.

• Eye for fabric, color and quality
• Social media and photography
• Customer service and order handling

• Sales tax registration with your state and rules for online sales into other states, check with your state tax agency
• Import duties, shipping times and customs if you buy directly from overseas suppliers
• Returns and color differences between photos and real fabric, which can cut into margins
• Tying up cash in stock that does not sell, so start small
• General liability or product insurance, check what suits an online seller

Startup costs are typically around $1,500 to $7,000, depending on how much stock you buy, your website and photography, and shipping supplies. Treat this as an estimate, and starting small helps avoid tying up cash in unsold stock.

Things to check: sales tax registration with your state and rules for online sales into other states. Also check import duties, shipping times and customs if you buy from overseas, and what general liability or product insurance suits an online seller.

Monthly revenue is typically around $500 to $4,000, depending on your stock, prices and how many customers you reach. Returns and color differences between photos and real fabric can cut into margins. The estimate assumes at least about 8 hours a week.