Merchant.net.au Business Plan

Tagline: Empowering Australian merchants to thrive online.

Description: Imagine a dynamic platform where Aussie businesses connect, trade, and grow with ease. Merchant.net.au is your gateway to seamless e-commerce and digital success.

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Executive Summary

Merchant.net.au is a purpose-built digital platform designed to accelerate e-commerce success for small and medium Australian retailers and service providers. We offer a tailored marketplace, robust digital tools, and a merchant community to address the unique needs of Australian businesses. Our vision is to be the go-to digital ecosystem for merchants seeking growth, efficiency, and local support in a rapidly evolving digital economy.

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Problem

Australian SMEs face several barriers to online success:

• Fragmented Digital Tools: Merchants juggle multiple, often incompatible platforms for web hosting, payments, logistics, and marketing.
• Limited Local Support: International solutions lack Australian-specific integrations (GST, local couriers, payment gateways) and support.
• Discovery & Trust: Smaller businesses struggle to gain visibility and consumer trust in saturated online markets.
• High Costs: Many solutions have opaque pricing, lock-in contracts, or excessive transaction fees.

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Solution/Product

Merchant.net.au solves these pain points via an integrated, user-friendly platform:

• Unified Merchant Dashboard: Centralised management of products, orders, inventory, and analytics.
• Australian Marketplace: A curated, searchable marketplace connecting local buyers with vetted merchants.
• Built-in Local Integrations: Support for Australian payment gateways, shipping partners, and compliance (GST, ABN verification).
• Community & Education: Peer forums, best-practice guides, and expert webinars tailored to Australian regulations and trends.
• Customisable Storefronts: Branded microsites with easy customisation, SEO optimisation, and mobile responsiveness.
• Transparent Pricing: Simple, tiered monthly plans; low, capped transaction fees.

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Market & Audience

• Target Market: Australian SMEs (1-50 employees), including retailers, makers, and service providers seeking digital growth.
• Market Size: Over 2.4 million active SMEs in Australia (ABS, 2023), with >120,000 retail SMEs and >600,000 sole traders.
• Segmentation:

- Early-stage micro-businesses (1-5 staff) - Growing SMEs (6-50 staff) - Niche and regional merchants

Competitive Landscape:

| Platform | Local Support | Pricing Transparency | Community | All-in-one?
|-------------------|:-------------:|:-------------------:|:---------:|:----------:|
| Shopify | Low | Medium | Low | Yes |
| Squarespace | Low | Medium | Low | Partial |
| Marketplacer | Medium | Low | Low | Partial |
| Merchant.net.au | High | High | High | Yes |

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Monetisation

• Subscription Plans:

- Starter ($39/mo): Core features, capped at 50 products. - Growth ($89/mo): Advanced analytics, up to 500 products, priority support. - Plus ($149/mo): Unlimited products, multi-user access, API integrations.

• Marketplace Commission: 1.5% capped per transaction (max $20/transaction).
• Value-added Services:

- Custom domain setup - Premium marketing tools - Logistics solutions (shipping label discounts, fulfilment partnerships)

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Go-To-Market

• Brand Positioning: The home of Australian e-commerce, community-driven and locally supported.

• Channels:

- Digital marketing (Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram, LinkedIn) - Partnerships with Chambers of Commerce, industry groups, and local councils - Referral programme for member merchants - PR: Thought leadership in Australian retail and SME media

• Key Launch Initiatives:

- State-based launch events (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) - Early adopter incentives (3 months free for beta users) - Webinars on "Digital Success for Aussie SMEs"

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Operations

• Team:

- Founders (CEO, CTO, Head of Community) - Product development (in-house and local contractors) - Customer support (Australian-based) - Sales & Partnerships

• Technology Stack:

- Cloud-based (AWS Sydney region) - React frontend, NodeJS backend - Integrations: Stripe AU, Australia Post, Sendle, Xero

• Customer Support:

- Live chat (business hours) - Knowledge base and community forum - Email and phone support (premium tiers)

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12-Month Roadmap

| Quarter | Milestones |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Q1 | MVP launch, onboarding 100 pilot merchants, marketplace live |
| Q2 | Add 500+ merchants, launch community forums, 1st partnerships|
| Q3 | Integrate advanced analytics, run state roadshows |
| Q4 | Premium services (fulfilment, marketing), 2,000+ merchants |

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Risks & Mitigations

• Market Adoption Risk:

- Mitigation: Focus on underserved micro-SMEs, build advocacy via community and partnerships.

• Platform Security/Data Breach:

- Mitigation: Regular security audits, local data hosting, robust compliance.

• Competitive Response:

- Mitigation: Differentiation via local integrations, capped fees, and active community.

• Cash Flow Constraints:

- Mitigation: Lean operations, phased hiring, milestone-based fundraising.

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KPIs

• Merchant Acquisition: Number of onboarded, active merchants.
• Gross Merchandise Value (GMV): Total transaction volume facilitated.
• Churn Rate: % of merchants cancelling subscriptions monthly.
• Customer Satisfaction (NPS): Net Promoter Score from merchant surveys.
• Community Engagement: Forum activity, webinar attendance.

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Merchant.net.au aims to anchor itself as the trusted, all-in-one growth platform for Australian businesses. By focusing on local needs, transparent pricing, and genuine community, we enable merchants not just to survive, but to thrive online.