Could you please help me? (sorry if this is a bit off topic) I am not
technically minded, but I would like to start an online store. What
should I start with? Are there any pitfalls that I should be aware
of? Thank you

i guess you would need a CMS (content-management system) to manage your inventory, and take actions on them. it should be like any "regular" website, just with a little more interactivity for your services. you might want to figure out first how big your venture is gonna be.

so as a store manager, you will have to :
1. update (add/delete) your stock
2. have an inventory of your stock

as a buyer, i should be able to:
1. browse thro your inventory.
2. place an order for something.

maybe thats all you need to get done? i dont know if there are ready-made CMS's for this (I would say there are), but maybe you can get someone (since your not technically-minded) to code it for you? it should be fairly simple [i know a combo of ZOPE(+mySQL) shouldnt take much time to get up n runnin]

Its a pretty general question you're asking here...

I can understand that you say you aren't technically minded but setting up an online store is technically intensive.

You need to know how you're going to set things up (for example, will you accept payment and orders online? or just orders? Or supply an order form to be faxed?) that sort of things. It can range from the somewhat simple (an online catalog and order form) to complex (online payment, shopping carts, order tracking)

Depending on how complex it is, I would recommend hiring someone who understands the technical issues...its safer that way...although I imagine many ISPs can and do offer startup services.

Either way tho, even just administrating an online shopping site will require some technical expertise.

Try this - http://www.ecommerce.com/?pg=products. very good impression!