School science supply reseller

Public and private schools, homeschool co-ops, tutoring centers, community colleges and small testing or hobby labs.

You earn the margin between your wholesale cost and your selling price on each order. Repeat orders from schools at the start of each term help, and quotes or bulk orders raise the order size.

• Basic science knowledge to talk to teachers
• Organized with quotes, orders and paperwork
• Patient with purchasing processes
• Comfortable selling by email and phone

• Check whether your state requires a seller's permit or resale certificate, and how sales tax applies, including exemptions for schools
• Many school districts require vendor registration or W-9 and approved-vendor lists before they can buy, so check each district's process
• Chemicals and some items have shipping and school safety restrictions, so consider sticking to equipment and non-hazardous supplies at first
• Check general liability and product liability insurance, and be clear about returns and damaged shipments
• Schools can pay slowly, so plan your cash flow

Startup costs are typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your initial stock, quoting and ordering tools, insurance and shipping setup. Treat this as an estimate and check which costs apply to your plan.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how many schools and tutors you win and your order sizes. Schools can pay slowly, so plan your cash flow. These are estimates, not guarantees.

Check whether your state requires a seller's permit or resale certificate and how sales tax applies, including school exemptions. Many districts require vendor registration, a W-9 or approved-vendor listing. Also check shipping and safety limits on chemicals, and liability insurance.