Getting Started with Electronic Commerce
| Summary: In order to get started with Internet
Commerce, you need to develop a business plan. You also
need to perform a number of assessments to gauge your
readiness to enter the world of on-line commerce. You
will also need to examine a wide variety of electronic
commerce services, vendors, and other resources. |
Business Planning for Electronic Commerce
The business plan is your primary document for developing a
new business, whether it is a completely new enterprise or just
an offshoot of an exiting firm. The business plan defines:
- What the business is (the description)
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- How it will be promoted (the marketing plan)
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- How it will be financed (the finance plan), and
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- How it will be operated (the management plan)
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In addition to the above, the business plan should also
include an executive summary, supporting documentation, and
financial projections. In addition, you should have a
highly-visual version of the plan available with which to make
oral presentations.
E-Commerce Services
In order to operate on the Internet, you need a number of
special services and products. Business Hosts and Internet
Service Providers supply a home for your business and access to
the Internet for you and your customers. In addition to the
hosts, there is special software which is used in electronic
commerce. Web development software is the basic software which
allows you to create web pages.
