Depending on the product or service you want to provide with your E-Commerce Business, you will need the appropriate supporting infrastructure. This infrastructure includes anything you need to make the sale and delivery of your products/services to your online customers. Choosing the appropriate infrastructure that aligns with your business strategy spurs efficient operations. The list below is not comprehensive but it is a robust foundation for you to start thinking about the various elements of your infrastructure. At a minimum, your E-commerce Business Infrastructure should consider the following 5 elements:
Website 101: Registration to Development
As is the case with any E-commerce brand, a website is important as this serves as your shopfront in place of a physical storefront.
Marketing or Advertising? Prioritize Long Term Growth
Often, business owners seek short term marketing gains by unsustainably investing in online advertising to rapidly draw in potential sales leads. The problem with advertising-led marketing operations is that ads have no long-term benefits; as soon as you stop paying for them, they no longer run, and you are left right back where you started.
Office Space: The Heart of your Business
Even if you are starting up an e-commerce business, all companies registered in Singapore regardless of size and type still need a registered office address. If your online business is at a very small scale, you can explore the possibility of having a home office. Singapore’s Home Office Scheme allows business owners living in private or HDB properties to conduct small-scale businesses within their homes, provided their business activities do not fall under the scheme’s negative list. Note that in order to qualify for the Home Office Scheme, your business must be registered with the Singapore Company Registrar, ACRA beforehand.
Read more about starting an ecommerce business at this InCorp Global blog.