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Online store management
Online store management is the day-to-day work of keeping product listings, stock, orders and customer service organised. You can sell through a marketplace or set up your own store, then review what is working and improve it over time.
Open the interactive guide (checklist, video, read-aloud) →In plain words
- Choose what you want to sell.
- Make clear pages for your products.
- Keep track of stock and orders.
- Pack orders and answer customer questions.
- Check costs and rules where you live.
Who it suits
Suits someone who is organised, comfortable using websites and enjoys helping customers. It can work for a small product business or as a service managing another seller’s store.
People pay for products that meet a need or interest, and they value clear information, reliable delivery and helpful support. Sellers may also pay someone to organise listings, stock, orders and customer messages for them.
Step by step
- Choose products and likely customers. Write down what you plan to sell and who might want it. Check that you can make or source each product reliably, and list the features customers need to know. About 1-2 hours.
- Choose a marketplace or your own store. Compare the audience, tools and charges before deciding. Square describes a free plan, while Amazon lists a monthly charge plus selling fees. Square Amazon About 1-3 hours.
- Set up your store and product pages. Add accurate descriptions, clear photographs and sensible categories. Make delivery and returns information easy to find, and check that the pages work on a phone as well as a computer. About 1-2 days.
- Work out a price for each product. Add up the product cost, packaging, delivery, platform charges and payment-processing costs. Keep a note of your estimates so you can update them when costs change. About 30-60 minutes per product.
- Make a stock-checking process. Choose one place to record what is available and update it when stock arrives or sells. Decide what you will tell customers if an item is unavailable. About 30-60 minutes to set up.
- Plan how orders will be packed and sent. Decide where stock and packing materials will be kept, and when you will dispatch orders. You can pack orders yourself or consider a fulfilment provider; Amazon describes FBA as handling storage, picking, packing and shipping. Amazon About 1-2 hours to plan.
- Set a routine for customer support. Choose times to check messages and order updates. Prepare clear responses for common questions, refunds and complaints, and keep delivery and returns information easy to find. About 30-60 minutes to set up.
- Promote your store and review results. Choose a few relevant places to tell people about the store. Keep a simple record of visits, orders and customer questions, and review whether any paid advertising is helping before spending more. About 1-2 hours a week.
- Keep records and check local rules. Save sales, costs and relevant messages in an organised place. Check the tax and product rules for where you live and what you sell; requirements can differ between the UK and Ireland. About 30 minutes a week, plus research time.
Your first 15 minutes
Choose one product range, compare a marketplace with a store option, and draft clear listings and delivery information before publishing anything.
The money
For products, include what you pay to make or buy each item, packaging, delivery, platform charges and payment processing, then choose a price that customers may accept. For store-management services, agree the tasks, hours and payment terms in writing; review your costs and actual time regularly.
Example only: UK, one week — 5 orders × £20 = £100 sales; £35 product costs + £10 packaging and delivery + £5 platform and payment costs = £50 costs; £100 − £50 = £50 before tax and any other costs. Ireland, one week — 4 orders × €25 = €100 sales; €40 product costs + €10 packaging and delivery + €5 platform and payment costs = €55 costs; €100 − €55 = €45 before tax and any other costs.
The rules
You can sell products or manage another seller’s online store legally in the UK and Ireland. You must follow the rules for your business, products, customers and location. Check the platform’s age rules. There is no single age limit for every platform.
UK and Northern Ireland
- Trading income and tax. The first £1,000 a year of trading income is covered by the trading allowance. This is gross income before expenses. You must tell HMRC if you earn more than this. If you need to register for Self Assessment, the deadline is 5 October after the end of the tax year. GOV.UK Tax Help for Hustles GOV.UK
- VAT. You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover is over £90,000. If you’re unsure how this applies to your business, check the current rules with HMRC. Business.gov.uk
- Online sales and returns. UK online customers generally have 14 days to cancel an order and return goods. Publish clear terms, privacy, cookie and returns information. Check how the rules apply to your products. myPOS
- Advertising. Clearly label adverts and affiliate posts. For example, use “Ad”. Advertising Standards Authority
- Customer data and ICO fee. Use the ICO self-assessment tool to check whether you need to pay a data protection fee. The ICO says you’re likely to be exempt if you hold customer details only for your own accounts and transaction records. Advertising or marketing another person’s business, goods or services is an example of processing that requires a fee. Check whether this applies to your work. ICO
- Products, insurance and age. Some products have extra rules. Food hygiene registration and cosmetic safety compliance are examples. Requirements depend on the product and location. In Northern Ireland, check the applicable NI/EU product rules under the Windsor Framework. Don’t assume that a Great Britain example applies. Consider suitable insurance. Check each platform’s minimum-age rules before opening an account. Square
Ireland
- Income tax returns. If you’re a PAYE worker, register for self-assessment using Form 11 if your taxable non-PAYE income is over €5,000 or your gross non-PAYE income is over €30,000. Below those limits, declare the income on Form 12 through myAccount. If you’re unsure, check with Revenue or a tax adviser. Revenue
- VAT. The VAT registration thresholds are €85,000 for goods and €42,500 for services. Ask Revenue or a tax adviser how your sales and any store-management services are treated. Revenue
- Trading name. If you trade under a name other than your own, register the business name with the CRO. The stated online fee is €20. CRO
- Advertising. Clearly label commercial content. For example, use “#Ad”. If you’re unsure, label it. CCPC
- Customer data and consumers. Check with the relevant Irish authorities about handling customer information and consumer rules. Irish data-protection fee rules and consumer requirements are not covered in full here.
- Products, insurance and age. Check with the relevant local authority or product regulator to see whether your goods need approval or registration. There is no general licence for every online store. Consider suitable insurance. Check each platform’s minimum-age rules before opening an account.
Checked against official sources: 22 October 2026. Not yet reviewed by a qualified tax or legal adviser. General guidance, not legal advice. Check the official link beside each point before you start.
Common mistakes
- Choosing products before checking whether you can source or make them reliably.
- Setting prices without including packaging, delivery and platform costs.
- Letting stock records fall behind, then accepting orders for unavailable items.
- Using unclear product, delivery or returns information.
- Spending on advertising without checking whether it brings useful visits or orders.
AI-made demonstration: this module has a 20-second street-chat video in the interactive guide. The presenter and the people in it are computer-generated, not real people.