Starting a webshop: The Complete Guide for Beginners (2024)

Starting a webshop as a secondary occupation is an attractive option for many people who want to generate extra income in addition to their current job. Whether you want to sell unique handmade products or offer digital services, setting up an online store can be flexible and profitable. In this guide, we’ll discuss the key steps, legal requirements, and costs to help you get started.

What is a Supplementary Webshop?

A webshop as a secondary occupation means that you run an online store in addition to your current job or company. This offers flexibility to manage your webshop in your spare time and to gradually grow your business without having to invest all your energy and time immediately.

The First Steps for Your Online Store

1. Set goals: It’s important to set clear goals in advance. Ask yourself what you want to achieve with your online store. Do you want to generate extra income? Or is this a stepping stone to a full-time company?
2. Choose a niche: By focusing on a specific market or niche, you can differentiate yourself from competitors. For example, sustainable fashion, handmade jewelry, or unique digital products such as e-books or design templates.

Legal Requirements in the Netherlands and Belgium

1. Registration with KBO: For a webshop as a secondary occupation in Belgium, you must register with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO). In the Netherlands, you must register with the Chamber of Commerce. This is your company’s official registration, giving you a company number.
2. Request a VAT number: In many cases, you also need to apply for a VAT number, especially if you sell products to consumers. This number is essential for paying VAT and filing VAT returns.
3. Insurances: Although it is not mandatory, it is advisable to insure yourself against risks such as liability and damage to products. This can protect you against unforeseen costs.

How Much Money Do You Need to Start an Online Store?

One of the most frequently asked questions is: How much money do you need to start an online store?

On average, with an investment of €25,000 be able to start an online store. This amount is based on the costs of minimizing inventory, building a professional website, and further professionalizing your webshop after the first income comes in. However, it’s important to emphasize that the final costs can vary greatly depending on the scale of your business, your niche, and the level of professionalization you want to achieve.

Costs of a Webshop as a secondary occupation

1. Domain and hosting: The basis of each webshop is its own domain name and hosting. The costs for this vary, but on average, you pay between €50 and €100 per year for domain registration and hosting.
2. Webshop software: There are various platforms available for setting up an online store, such as WooCommerce, Shopify, and SME Shops. The costs vary, but can start at €20 per month for basic functionalities.
3. Inventory and packaging costs: Depending on the products you sell, you may need to invest in inventory and packaging materials. Start small with minimal inventory to reduce risks, but expect an initial investment of around €500 to €2,000, depending on your product type.
4. Marketing costs: To attract customers to your web store, you need to invest in marketing. Think about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Google Ads, and social media ads. A starting budget of around €200 can help you build awareness.

Build or Outsource a Webshop Yourself?

There are two options when it comes to building your webshop: do it yourself or outsource it.

1. Benefits of building yourself: The biggest advantage of building your own webshop is that you can keep costs low. Platforms such as Shopify and WordPress offer user-friendly tools that allow you to set up a professional webshop without technical knowledge.
2. Outsource: If you want a unique and fully customized webshop, it can be smart to hire a professional. By having this webshop developed by an expert, you will not be bothered by all the legal requirements yourself and your webshop will immediately appear a lot more professional. In addition, this will ensure that the webshop performs better because a webshop builder has much more experience.

Legal Aspects of Your Webshop

Starting a webshop comes not only with business decisions, but also with important legal obligations. Every webshop, whether run as a main or secondary occupation, must comply with the applicable e-commerce legislation. Below, we’ll discuss the most important legal aspects to consider.

1. Duty to provide information
   • As the owner of a webshop, you are legally obliged to clearly state your company details on your website. This includes your company name, address, tax ID, and contact information.
   • You must also provide clear information about the order process, payments, deliveries, and returns policy. Transparency is crucial here to build trust with your customers and comply with the law.
2. Privacy Policy (GDPR)
   • As an online retailer, you process a lot of personal data, such as the names, addresses and payment details of your customers. According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you are obliged to inform your customers about how you collect, store, and use this data.
   • Make sure you have a clear and accessible privacy policy on your website that lets you tell customers how their data is processed and protected.
3. General Terms and Conditions
   • The terms and conditions are an essential part of your webshop. They govern all terms and conditions that apply to the sale, such as payment terms, delivery terms, and warranties.
   • These terms should always be available to your visitors and customers before they make a purchase. This protects both you and the customer in the event of any disputes.
4. Price and Additional Costs
   • It’s important that the prices of your products or services are clearly displayed on your webshop. In addition, any additional costs, such as shipping costs or administrative costs, must be clearly stated before the customer completes the purchase.
   • Transparency in the quote prevents surprises for the customer and ensures that you comply with legislation.
5. Right of withdrawal
   • In the European Union, consumers have the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days of receiving their order without giving a reason. This is known as the right of withdrawal.
   • You are obliged to inform your customers about this and offer a return policy that respects these laws. If a customer makes use of this right, you must refund the full purchase amount, including any standard shipping costs.
6. Legal Guarantee
   • In the EU, consumers are entitled to a legal guarantee of at least two years. This means that if a product is defective or does not work as expected, the customer is entitled to a repair, replacement, or refund.
   • It’s important to clearly communicate this right to your customers so they know what to expect in case of defects or problems with their purchase.

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Marketing Strategies for a Successful Start

1. SEO for your online store: Search engine optimization is essential to make your webshop visible in search results. This means optimizing your product descriptions, meta titles, and images, and using relevant keywords such as “start a webshop as a secondary occupation”.
2. Social media marketing: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest can be powerful tools for promoting your online store. By posting visual content and engaging your followers, you can build a loyal customer base.
3. Email marketing: Building a mailing list from day one is a smart strategy to stay in touch with your customers. With tools like Mailchimp or Sendinblue, you can easily send newsletters with updates about new products or offers.

Time Management in a secondary occupation

Running an online store alongside your current job can be challenging, so effective time management is crucial. Use tools like Trello or Asana to organize your tasks and try automating processes like shipping and customer service with software like ShipStation or Zendesk.

How Much Do You Earn With an Online Shop as a Supplementary Occupation?

The revenue of an online store can vary greatly depending on your niche, product price, and marketing efforts. In the first year, with a good plan and effective marketing, you can quickly earn an extra few hundred to thousands of euros per month. Keep in mind that it takes time to build your online store and that you need to be patient before the first significant income comes in.

Entrepreneur Success Stories

Many successful entrepreneurs have started a webshop as a secondary occupation. They started small, with minimal investment, and grew their business steadily. This proves that it is possible to turn a secondary occupation into a full-time career.

Conclusion

Starting a webshop as a secondary occupation is a smart way to generate extra income and explore your entrepreneurship without full financial risk. By starting with a good plan, the right tools and effective marketing, you can gradually grow your webshop into a successful company.

With this guide, you’ll be ready to… starting your own webshop. Now it’s up to you to take the first step!

Want to have a webshop created?

Anyone can start a webshop as a secondary occupation, but as you’ve read, there’s a lot involved. From legal obligations to marketing strategies and technical choices, setting up a successful online store is no easy task. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone.

Bee Bast Agency we’re here to help you at every step of the process. Whether you’re a want to have a completely new webshop built or want to optimize your current webshop, we provide a customized solution that fully meets your goals and target group.

Are you ready to take your online store to the next level? Take contact contact us for an informal conversation and find out how we can help you create a profitable webshop as a secondary occupation.