Start with your business name
The first thing you need to do (after deciding what you want to sell, of course) is to pick a fabulous, memorable business name that no one else is using.

You can do a business name search to make sure it’s not already in use. Once you’ve chosen a name, register it. If you are forming an LLC or corporation, this will happen automatically in the state where you file your documents.

Secure your domain name and website
Ideally, you will get your company name as your domain name. However, if it’s not available, choose a URL that is easy to say and spell, and relates to your business.

The design of your e-commerce site can be the biggest expense. However, there are many e-commerce solutions available. These will allow you to set up an e-commerce store without spending too much money, like Shopify for example.

Select the best business structure and register your business
In order to run an e-commerce business, you will need to create a legal structure. For this, there are several possible options:

If you decide to create an e-commerce business on your own
The status of micro-entrepreneur
The auto-entrepreneur is a simplified legal status. It allows an entrepreneur to exercise a commercial or craft activity not exceeding a threshold of annual billing. This threshold is 82 800€ for purchase/sale activities or 33 200€ for service activities.

The status of individual entrepreneur (EI)
This status is similar to the auto-entrepreneur status. However, the company director has an extended liability since he is indefinitely responsible for all the debts of his company.

The status of individual entrepreneur with limited liability (EIRL)
The EIRL allows the business owner to protect his personal assets. To do so, he creates an asset dedicated to his professional activity, separate from his personal assets.

The EURL (limited liability company)
The EURL allows the company director to benefit from the limited liability regime while retaining full control of his activity. In short, the EURL is a SARL with only one partner.

The SASU (simplified one-person company)
The SASU can be constituted by a single natural or legal person whose liability is limited to its contribution. This status is very much in demand for the creators of e-commerce companies. Indeed, they define themselves the amount of the social capital of their company.

If you wish to associate with partners
The SARL (limited liability company)
The limited liability company must be constituted by at least two partners. This status allows the partners to limit their liability to the amount of their respective contributions.

The SA (limited company)
A SA must be constituted with a minimum capital of 37 000€. Also, at least 7 partners must be gathered. Their liability is limited to the amount of their contribution.

The SAS (simplified joint stock company)
The SAS is a more flexible form of company that allows the partners to organize the functioning of the company.

Launching an e-commerce site: offering the right products at the right time

Find the right suppliers
Today, selling products online is very competitive. So it’s in your best interest to find the best quality and prices for the products you sell or the materials you use to create your products.

Start marketing early
Even if you’re not up and running, it’s a good idea to create social media profiles and write content for your blog now. This will ensure that you don’t start from scratch on day one.

You can set up your website with an “upcoming” page. Interested people can sign up via this page to receive advance information.

Become more productive with the right software
Technology can make your job easier. So, before you start your e-commerce business, play around with customer relationship management, accounting, project management and email marketing software…so you can integrate it into what you do once you launch your business.

Check your inventory
Whether you have a warehouse full of products somewhere or your inventory living in your garage, make sure you have enough products for the launch.

Sometimes it’s tricky to know in advance how many products you’ll need. So it’s important to pay attention to how your sales are growing so you can make smart orders.