The Commonwealth of Australia is the largest country in Oceania and the world’s six largest country by area. According to ABC Australia, Australia has a population of 26 million people. The capital of Australia is Canberra though Sydney is the largest city. With a GDP of 1.433 trillion dollars, Australia has one of the best economies in the world.
Today, many people in the world make use of the internet. Statistically, according to popular newspaper Daily telegraph, more than 2 billion people use the internet daily. With just an internet connection you can basically do anything online. Most casinos have also joined the trend by providing online casino platforms for gamers to play games like poker, roulette and video slots online. The world has moved towards the digital age, and so many Australians now make use of the internet to buy and sell their goods and services. ABC Australia has recently provided us with the list of people in Australia that have made millions from online businesses. You can also make a fortune off the internet if you start your own online business. The following 5 steps will guide you on how to start an online business in Australia.
Choose your online business and online business structure
The first thing you must do is to choose an online business. Your online business must satisfy a certain need or want. Popular online business includes; web design, virtual assistance, bookkeeping, graphic design, online store, digital marketing, copywriting and many more others.
The online business structure you choose directly affects the tax you pay, the risk of the online business and your online business control level. The business structures for an online business is the same thing for the conventional business.
The online business structures are;
- Sole proprietorship: Here, you are the sole owner of your online business and you bear all the risks of the online business alone.
- Partnership: In this type of online business, two or more people combine to form the online business.
- Trust: You can possess, manage or control the online business for the benefit of a third party.
Legalize your online business
Apply for an Australian Business Number (ABN) and register your online business name. An Australian Business Number (ABN) is a unique 11-digit number for your online business and is used by the government to identify your online business. Then once you get your Australian Business Number (ABN), you can register your online business with the relevant Australian government agencies created for that purpose. Also, you identify your online business from similar entities by ensuring your trademark, logo and other online business Intellectual Property (IP) is different from that of other online businesses. In Australia, Goods and Services tax (GST) is required from the online businesses so you must ensure you pay them on time.
Find your niche
If you want your online business to survive, you need to find exactly where you will sit in the market. Since you want to satisfy the needs of a particular group of people or persons, you must ensure you position your business in the place your customers can locate you. You can create your website, social media pages and handles, emails and other social networking tools to help you find a niche for your online business.
Create your website
The design of your website must be given priority when creating the website of the online business. You must look for a good website designer that meets your needs. You must create a website for your online business that is attractive to people. Check out the website design of Daily telegraph and see how a good website design should look like.
Your website developer must provide a website contract to protect your Intellectual Property (IP) and ensure you own the content that is developed for you.
A Website Privacy Policy that protects the privacy of visitors to your site must be in place according to Australian legislation.
A Website Disclaimer must also be in plan when developing your website to protect you from being sued when there is a damage.
A Website Terms & Conditions is another factor you must put in place according to the Australian law to protect you and limit your liability for customers that may claim to have suffered loss from your content or from using your products or services.
Finally, you must register your online business domain name as an Australian business.
Market your online business
Social media is one of the greatest tools you can use to market your business. According to ABC Australia, every one in five persons in Australia is on social media. So you can use paid advertisements on social media to reach out to millions of potential customers.
Email marketing is also a very powerful tool for your business. By sending emails that have your websites and call contacts, potential customers can easily access you and patronize your online business in Australia. Other marketing tools include Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertisements.
Conclusion
Online businesses in Australia are booming at the moment. So many people now buy and sell their goods online. Also, most gamers in Australia now enjoy video slots online through online casino platforms. So if you want to start your own online business, you must start by choosing your online business and online business structure and legalize the online business to get your Australian Business Number (ABN). Also, endeavour to find your niche; the people you want to sell to and create a website for your online business. Finally, online marketing of your business through social media, emails, SEO’s and paid advertisements will help you build a successful online business in Australia.
