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4 May 2001, Italy

Gentlemen:

I am interested in opening an e-shop where I would like to sell
Mexican articles. As a result, I kindly request that you please send
me information as to the detailed procedure to open an e-shop
(authorization, licences, payment...). As I am new to the subject,
please send basic, advanced or any relevant information concerning the procedure.

Please specify if the steps are the same in Italy and all states of
Europe.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours truly,

Miriam Magri

Dear Miriam:

Giving you the detailed procedures to set up an e-shop could fill a book! The best I can do here is give you a few pointers.

The first thing to do, if you haven't done so already, is to register your business according to the laws of Italy. Check with your local chamber of commerce or a lawyer for more information on this. You will also need to know the basics of running a business - such as bookkeeping, tax, marketing, labour law, etc. Check your library for books on the subject.

Then you need to set up a web site together with a shopping facility that will probably include a catalogue, shopping cart, payment, etc. If you want to start simply, you can sell via an on-line shopping mall. These will normally provide everything you need to set up a small shop for a nominal monthly payment. But check these carefully before signing any contract. Talk to other merchants about their experiences with the mall. Alternatively, you could hire a specialist to set up software on your site. Check the How Do I Do It? page on this web site for more information on these options.

Finally, you will need to market your site so prospective customers can find it. The most important thing is to be listed in the search engines. After all, this is probably the tool most people will use to look for shops selling Mexican products. You can also look into various kinds of on-line and off-line advertising. Check my Marketing and Selling page for more information.

For information on legal aspects of Electronic Commerce, check our book "Don't Panic Do E-commerce"

Good luck,

Dr. Ecommerce