hello adrianwf,   Online business is just like any brick and mortar business.I did not understand you question clearly but let me answer based on what I understood.. I have dealt with this business before so have some idea about it.    I assume you already have sourcing established for t-shirts? Are  you planning to drop-ship or have them custom made from a manufacturer Initially you are better off selling for someone else or find branded stuff off-season and sell them next year. This has generated me so much revenue over the years. e.g. I used to buy lot of stuff from abercrombie/hollister outlets/stores for 30% of actual price. Those same items would sell for almost close to actual price during the actual season.   Initially use ebay/amazon to sell your items but every sale you make ,promote your website with it. That is the key. You want customers coming back to your website rather than ebay/amazon.   For the website setup, buy a cheap hosting from godaddy,bluehost or someone who can support oscommerce,zommla,wordpress. most do these days but good to check.     Anyways, hope this helps and reply here if anything was not clear or need any specific information     

I have started a T-shirt business also, but I am testing concepts on Cafepress.com first to see what works before I do a full fledged online stand alone site. Maybe you should look into this also before you go 'official'.

First of all you have to launch a website. These are the main steps you should follow to do this: 1) website design and development; 2) domain name and hosting selection; 3) online marketing and website advertizing. I would like to say that you will have to make the minimal investments to launch a website in web, but much more time and money is usually spent to promote a website in web properly.

If you are starting an online business to sell T-shirts you aren't limited to a particular city, state or even country. One issue I do believe you need to research however is that of collecting and submitting sales taxes from in-state purchasers. You certainly should register your business entity (S-Corp, C-Corp, LLC,...) to limit your liabilities and avoid overpayment of taxes. I also suggest you take advantage of free consultation offered by many accountants and lawyers to help you get on the right track.

Avoiding getting your Reseller's Permit and Tax ID Number isn't doing yourself any favors. In fact, it's a real detriment to your business. Getting the proper documentation should be the first step in starting your online business - you should do it immediately, not try to avoid it.

When setting up your site don't forget about your search engine marketing. The key to success is driving quality traffic to your site - other than that you are just another web site out there.

Jack P, Take a look at this article Why Register a Business? Even when you have a home-based business there are many advantages to being registered. JimD

Sorry If I'm mistaken. Is that really necessary to register a business if we are doing it from home? There are lots of online business (like on ebay and all) which I expect as non-registered and doing very well. Please advice me on this.

I would suggest you find a SCORE or SBDC in your area - they know your local and state laws as well as can help you research and develop your business idea - getting you started on the right foot. Plus, they are free to use.

adrianwf, We have put together 10 Steps to Starting a Business. Follow these and let me know if you have any additional questions. JimD