A business owner who does any, or all, of their business using the internet, is running an online business. Running an online business can include buying and selling online, and providing an online service. A wide variety of businesses can be found online, in many different industries.
Anyone can start an online business. If you have a unique product or idea, you can find a way to sell or trade it online. It’s just like a traditional ‘bricks-and-mortar’ business, except your office or shop is online, so you have to decide how it will look and appeal to customers.
Online businesses can have different online business-fronts (how they appear on the internet). These can take many forms, such as:
- websites
- online shops or marketplaces
- blogs
- social media accounts.
Are you thinking about starting an online business, or moving your existing business online?
There are a lot of things to consider before making the decision to start or move an existing business online, particularly if you’re not a computer or web guru, or haven’t ever started a business before.
Advantages and disadvantages of online business
Benefits of doing business online may include:
- cost savings in rent and staffing
- greater flexibility and efficiency in product and service delivery
- 24/7 accessibility to customers all over Australia (or worldwide).
There can also be drawbacks in doing business online, such as:
- some technical or web knowledge may be necessary
- software and hardware expenses
- risk of online scams and fraud.
Head over to the Digital Business 
website for more reasons why you should consider going online.
Know your IT before starting online
(…that’s ‘information technology’.)
Learning how to use your computer and its software packages, as well as how to navigate the internet without getting lost, will let you run your online business much more smoothly.
Don’t be intimidated if you’re not a computer whiz – there are plenty of information sessions and courses out there for you. Check out our IT training page to see what’s available.
Need help when considering doing business online?
- Read our Home-based business topic for an overview of starting your own business from home.
- Visit your local business advisory service if you need more personalised advice. Head to our Advisor Finder tool to find your closest service.
- Do you need financial help? As a small business or not-for profit organisation, you may be eligible for funding assistance or training opportunities to help grow online. Visit our Programs and initiatives for online business page for a list.
- Find other grants and assistance opportunities by using our Grant Finder tool.
- Learn more about managing finances, check out our Business finances topic.
- Contact your nearest business advisory service for tailored advice: use our Advisor Finder tool to find your local service, or search for government and business associations using our directory.