Successful brands share a common trait: direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales. But complex day-to-day operations can hold back those trying to start. Practical burdens such as product design, registration and settlement links are major barriers to entry, and automated operations solutions are emerging as an alternative.

Early operational burdens are also shown in data. According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "2024 Survey on the Status of One-Person Creative Enterprises", the average preparation period for starting a one-person business was 11.7 months. It took an additional 2.7 months to reach first sales. Reaching break-even (BEP) took an average of 28.6 months. That means it takes more than 40 months of patience for a company-run online store to get onto a stable profit track.

◆"Focus only on planning"... Automated system cuts startup preparation time

Global e-commerce platform Cafe24's "Cafe24 Pro" enables fast-track operations with system support from setup to marketing. The key is replacing the technical execution process needed to run a brand with an advanced system.

Existing business operators had to spend a lot of time learning practical tasks such as building a shopping mall, linking payments and producing product detail pages. With Cafe24 Pro, by contrast, when an operator provides only product information and images, a big data-based system immediately builds the shopping mall and registers the products. It created an environment in which even founders lacking specialised skills can enter the market while preparing products.

It also improved efficiency in producing content such as product detail pages and banners, where the share of production work is high. AI analyses product photos and basic information to generate a product detail page in about 3 minutes. It automatically applies sales-optimised wording and professional layouts, helping users quickly secure visual content at the level of major brands.

◆Multi-channel links to overcome limits of company-run stores, boosting profitability

The system also addresses the biggest concern in running a company-run store: securing traffic. The strategy is to solve the lack of early brand awareness by linking to major marketplaces.

Cafe24 Pro simultaneously links products from a company-run store to 15 major domestic and overseas marketplaces, including Gmarket, Musinsa and Ably, with a few clicks. It improved operational efficiency by automating repetitive administrative work that involves separately accessing each channel’s management page to enter information.

It also applies search engine optimisation (SEO) and AI-based search optimisation (GEO) by default to pursue increased organic traffic without the burden of ad spending. Overseas market links through automatic multilingual translation are also handled in an integrated way within the system. The structure supports the entire e-commerce value chain, from marketing to logistics and customer service.

◆Monthly transaction volume of 133.8 billion won draws attention to proven operational efficiency

This trend toward systematising operations is borne out by performance. As of November 2025, monthly gross merchandise value (GMV) for the Cafe24 Pro service reached 133.8 billion won, surging 14.6-fold from a year earlier after the service was ramped up in earnest.

Cumulative brands using the service now total about 17,000, and more than 4,000 new applications are being received each month. It reflects founders' strategic choice to use systems to increase business speed rather than shoulder operational burdens directly.

Joohee Ha, group leader of Cafe24's Business Growth Team, said, "Unlike the past, when time was spent solving technical problems and repetitive tasks, the 'architect' role has now become important, focusing on creating core value such as planning differentiated products." She added, "By supporting operational tasks with systems, we will continue to provide an environment in which founders can immerse themselves in the creative domain."