Choosing and Installing 1C-Bitrix Small Business Edition
"Small Business" is the minimum edition with an online store module. If the task is to sell goods online, this is the edition to start with. Everything below it ("Start", "Standard") doesn't have a shopping cart.
What the Edition Provides
"Small Business" includes the full sale module: shopping cart, order checkout, online payment, order management in admin panel, statuses and notifications. Product catalog with cards, photos, descriptions. Basic SEO tools. Site search.
Limitations compared to higher editions:
- No trade offers (SKU)—a product cannot have variants (size/color). This is a serious limitation for clothing, footwear, electronics
- No warehouse management—single inventory, without warehouse tracking
- No 1C integration via CommerceML
- No marketing tools (coupons, conditional discounts)
- No affiliate program
When "Small Business" Is Sufficient
Store with simple products without variants, several hundred items at most, without 1C integration. Local business where license cost is critical. Startup that needs to launch quickly and test a hypothesis.
If products have variants (size, color, volume)—go straight for "Business". Trade offers (SKU) are a basic requirement for most stores, and their absence in "Small Business" is critical.
Technical Installation
Standard procedure: distribution, installation wizard, license key entry. After installation—catalog setup: create an infoblock of type "Catalog" (not just an infoblock, but specifically via "Shop → Catalog" section). Configure payment methods (b_sale_pay_system) and delivery (b_sale_delivery_service).
Initial store configuration after installation takes 1-3 days: catalog setup, payment (acquiring or transfer), delivery, notification templates, URL SEO rules.
Installation and initial setup: 1-3 days. Catalog population and ad launch are separate work.