From Home Clear-Out to Thriving Online Business
A mother from Kent who began selling unwanted clothing items from her residence has transformed her simple initiative into a profitable online resale enterprise, generating up to £2,000 in monthly profit while dedicating merely three hours each day to the venture.
Unexpected Success Sparks Business Idea
Liv Needham, aged 27, initially started listing items she no longer required in June 2024 during her pregnancy with her son. Motivated by the need to create additional space at home, she commenced selling these articles on popular platforms such as Vinted and Facebook Marketplace.
Remarkably, within just three weeks, Liv had accumulated nearly £1,000 from selling clothes and other unwanted possessions. This early achievement made her realise the potential to develop a supplementary income stream while caring for her newborn baby.
Strategic Evolution of the Resale Model
Since those initial days, Liv has systematically grown this side project into a structured small business. She now sources clothing in bulk quantities, concentrating specifically on selling premium branded menswear and womenswear from labels including Nike, The North Face, and Patagonia.
Speaking about her motivation, Liv explained she sought something personally fulfilling after becoming a mother following a prolonged journey to pregnancy through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). "I was so desperate to be a mum - we had a very long journey getting there and ended up doing IVF - but I didn't want to lose myself by not having a hobby," she shared.
"I wanted something that made me feel excited and motivated, and I had that fire in my belly to start something new and see how far I could take it."
Business Background and Operational Shift
Liv possesses prior experience in business management, having previously established a sales and marketing consultancy with her husband alongside managing Airbnb property rentals. However, she expressed surprise at the substantial earnings potential from items already present within her home.
As her resale venture expanded, she began acquiring clothing from charity shops and car boot sales for profitable resale. After her son's birth in November 2024, she found it increasingly challenging to dedicate extensive hours to physical stock searching.
"The baby needed feeding every two hours, I couldn't be traipsing around the shops," Liv noted.
Efficient Sourcing Through Digital Platforms
This logistical challenge prompted Liv to transition to Fleek, a wholesale platform enabling resellers to purchase clothing bundles directly from suppliers. She highlighted how the application allows filtering by brand and clothing type, simplifying the process of locating stock that aligns with her specific niche.
"My favourite thing about Fleek is that you can buy exact bundles, so you know exactly what you're getting," she elaborated.
This approach has conserved significant time for Liv. Instead of spending hours visiting charity outlets, she can now order bundles containing up to 20 items online within minutes, with delivery occurring several weeks later.
Daily Routine and Business Flexibility
Currently, Liv allocates approximately two to three hours daily to her resale business, typically during her baby's nap times or in evenings after her husband returns from work. During these periods, she photographs clothing items, lists them online, and creates video content documenting her reselling journey on TikTok.
Liv believes reselling offers particular advantages for parents due to its inherent flexibility. "You don't need special skills or a huge amount of money to start," she emphasized. "You can literally begin with things you already have in your house."
She further explained that the business can scale according to individual time investment preferences. "If you want it to be £50 extra a month or £1,000 extra a month, you can decide how much time and energy you put into it."
Financial Outcomes and Future Aspirations
Liv now earns between £1,000 and £2,000 in profit monthly, with sales typically peaking during the pre-Christmas period. She intends to continue her reselling activities while saving funds for another IVF round, hoping to expand her family further.
Practical Advice for Aspiring Resellers
For individuals interested in launching their own resale businesses, Liv stressed the importance of thorough research. "You don't need to list things for £2 or £3. If you present items well and take good photos, you can often sell them for much more," she advised.
She also recommended sourcing stock from diverse locations including personal possessions, friends and family contributions, charity shops, and wholesale suppliers. Finally, Liv highlighted the value of establishing an online presence.
"Get on TikTok and share your journey," she suggested. "The communities you can join and the opportunities that come from that make it much more than just making extra money."
