Money and paperwork basics

None of this is exciting, and all of it is cheaper to do in week one than in month six. The goal is simple: at any moment you can say what came in, what went out, and what you owe.

Keep the business money separate

Open a separate bank account, or at least a separate UPI ID, for the business. Mixing it with personal money is how sellers lose track of whether they are profitable. A current account is not required to begin; a second savings account in your name with its own UPI handle is enough for the first months. Your store prints that UPI ID and bank details on invoices for cash-on-delivery and manual orders — see How to get paid.

Take online payments properly

For customers to pay by UPI, card or net banking on the store itself, you connect a payment gateway — Razorpay is the usual choice in India, and PhonePe and Cashfree also work. Signing up needs your PAN, bank details and a few business documents, and approval takes a little time, so start it in week one rather than on launch day. Until it is approved you can still sell with cash on delivery and WhatsApp, and switch online payments on later. The money goes to your bank on the gateway's schedule; SitesPlaced never holds it.

Write every order down once

A store does this for you: each order has the customer, the items, the address, what they paid and how, and a status you move from Confirmed to Delivered. If you are still taking some orders on WhatsApp, enter them in the same place so there is one list. Once a month, total it. That number — orders, money in, money spent — is the only report a small business needs.

A returns policy you can actually honour

Decide now: do you accept returns, within how many days, for what reasons, and who pays the return courier? A clear policy loses fewer customers than a vague one, and it protects you when someone asks for a refund on a worn kurta. The return policy generator drafts one in a minute; your store shows it on its own page — see Policies.

Registrations: what is worth doing early

• GST. Covered in Price it right: check whether your sales and your inter-state orders require it. If you register, you can also claim back the GST on the things you buy for the business.
• Udyam (MSME) registration. Free, online, and optional. It is useful when a bank or a government scheme asks whether you are a registered small business.
• Food products. If you sell food, an FSSAI registration or licence is required; which one depends on your size. Start with the FSSAI website — it is quicker than most people expect.
• A business PAN or company. Not needed to start. Selling as an individual is fine; most sellers form a company only when they take on a partner, hire, or want to raise money.

Write down

Business UPI ID: ______. Returns: ___ days, ___ pays return courier. Gateway signup started: yes / no.