While people still shop in brick-and-mortar stores on a daily basis in Texas and throughout the U.S., many people opt for the convenience of shopping online to make many of their purchases. For this reason, many businesses are choosing to enter the world of e-commerce if they have not done so already. It is never too late to set up your online store and doing so can significantly expand your customer base and can be very profitable.

However, there are certain steps you must take to set up an e-commerce site, including the following:

 

    • Form your business – While you can operate an e-commerce site as a sole proprietor or partnership without any legal formalities, it is often wise to legally form a more complex business entity that has specific liability protections under Texas law should something go wrong.

 

    • Register a domain name – You must find a unique domain name to register at which you will conduct your business. While you want to choose a domain name that represents your business, you will also have to verify that no other business has that domain registered.

 

    • Build a website – Your website is just as important as a physical store and it must be built in a manner that speaks to your customers and represents the quality of your product. However, while building your website, you must ensure that you are not infringing on any existing trademarks or other intellectual property violations. In addition, you must draft your terms of service for your website that informs customers of what information you gather, how you use that information, and more. Such terms of service should be carefully crafted by an experienced attorney.

Call a Houston Business Attorney for More Information about Our Services

In this ever-changing world, taking advantage of technology to grow your business can be extremely profitable. However, you want to ensure you do so in the right way and in compliance will all laws and regulations to avoid penalties or liability. For guidance in starting an e-commerce business – or any type of business – please call an experienced business lawyer at the Weisblatt Law Firm at 713-666-1981 today.

https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/boc.shtml

Houston Business Contracts Attorney

Attorney Andrew Weisblatt

Mr. Weisblatt has practiced continuously since becoming licensed in 1992 and has represented businesses ranging in size from one person start-up ventures to multi-national corporations employing hundreds of people in multiple countries. From 2005 through 2009 Mr. Weisblatt was in-house counsel and chief operating officer of a multi-national corporation in the steel products industry. That in-house position provided valuable insight into how businesses work and what they actually need from their lawyers – both in-house and outside counsel. Attorney Bio