Every Nepali SME has WhatsApp installed; few have it set up. The difference between “message us on WhatsApp” typed in a bio and a working sales channel is about two focused hours: profile, catalogue, labels, quick replies, QR placement, and a staff guide. This is the full checklist — the same scope professional setup covers — written so a careful owner can do it free, and know exactly what they are paying for if they outsource it. For what happens after setup (automation, campaigns, measurement), see WhatsApp automation.

1. Business profile that converts views

• Business name exactly as customers know it (matches board, Facebook page, GBP).
• Category, description with what you sell + service area + hours, in the customer’s language mix.
• Profile photo: logo legible at thumbnail size; cover showing premises or bestsellers.
• Location pin, email, website link, and hours including festival variations — an empty profile viewed from an ad click is a bounce you paid for.

2. Catalogue that sells while you sleep

Add bestsellers first (not everything): clear photos, NPR prices, one-line descriptions, item codes matching your live-commerce or in-store codes so chats reference the same identifiers. Keep it under twenty items to start — a 200-item unmaintained catalogue with dead prices destroys more trust than no catalogue. Update prices the day they change, not quarter-end.

3. Labels: your pipeline without software

Color-label every chat on first contact: new inquiry, quoted, confirmed, paid, dispatched, repeat buyer, dormant. Labels turn the inbox into a reportable funnel — weekly counts per label replace “business feels slow” with numbers. Archive (never delete) dead threads monthly so active chats stay workable.

4. Quick replies for the ten repeated questions

Write the ten answers you already type daily (price, location, hours, delivery charge, payment options, return terms, timing, stock checks, directions, greeting) as /-triggered quick replies with blanks for specifics. Review quarterly — stale quick replies quoting old prices are worse than typing fresh.

5. QR code and entry points

Generate the number’s QR and short link, then place everywhere the customer already looks: billing counter tent card, packaging sticker, delivery bag insert, invoice footer, Facebook/Instagram bios, website header and contact page, Google Business Profile messaging link where eligible. Test-scan every placement monthly — faded prints and changed numbers silently kill the channel.

6. Staff operating guide (one page, pinned)

• Who answers, and backup when they are off — named, not “the team”.
• First-reply target (15 minutes in business hours) with away message stating the next window.
• What never goes in chat: payment credentials, customer ID documents beyond the minimum, internal pricing debates.
• Escalation path: complaint → manager within the hour; the chat log goes with it.
• Weekly 10-minute review: unanswered threads, label hygiene, template updates.

7. When to graduate to the API

Signals: multiple agents colliding in one inbox, message volume breaking manual follow-up, need for CRM integration or template campaigns at scale, or conversation-based pricing beating staff time. The API runs through a provider with per-conversation pricing — model it against hires, not against free, and keep the app’s labels/replies discipline as the operating base regardless of platform.

What to do this week

1. Complete the profile and first ten catalogue items; print and place the QR.
2. Write the ten quick replies from last month’s actual chats.
3. Pin the staff guide and set the 15-minute reply rule with backup named.
4. Want it done for you? Contact for setup (Rs. 4,200 one-time published rate).

Related reading: WhatsApp automation, Viber guide, live commerce playbook, COD attribution, honest cost guide, and hire a digital marketing expert.