You already have the hardest part of a business sorted: real customers, a real product, and a shop they can walk into. Going online is not about starting over — it's about adding a second counter that never closes. The good news? You don't need a developer, a big budget, or weeks of free time. Here is a realistic 7-day plan to take your brick-and-mortar shop in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar — anywhere in Nepal — and get it selling online.
Set aside one or two focused hours each day. By the end of the week, you'll be taking orders and payments digitally.
Day 1: Decide what you're actually selling online
Don't try to list your entire shop on day one. Pick your 10–20 best-selling or highest-margin products — the ones customers already ask for by name. For each one, note the price in NPR, a one-line description, and whether you have stock today.
Also decide your delivery boundary now. Will you serve only inside the Valley, your own city, or ship across Nepal? This single decision shapes your pricing and your courier choice later, so write it down.
Day 2: Take clean product photos with your phone
Photos sell. You don't need a camera — a recent smartphone near a window in daylight is enough. A few rules that genuinely matter:
- Shoot against a plain wall or a clean cloth so the product stands out.
- Take one clear front shot plus one detail shot per item.
- Keep the framing consistent so your store looks tidy, not random.
Avoid heavy filters. Customers paying real money want to see the real colour and texture.
Day 3: Sort out payments — eSewa, Khalti and bank
This is where Nepali shops often hesitate, but it's straightforward. Most of your customers already use eSewa or Khalti, so make sure you can accept both. If you don't have a merchant account yet, register one — you'll usually need your PAN/VAT certificate, citizenship, and a bank account in the business or owner's name.
Plan for two payment realities at once:
- Prepaid digital: eSewa, Khalti, or direct bank/QR transfer. Faster cash flow, fewer fake orders.
- Cash on Delivery (COD): still the default trust-builder for first-time online buyers in Nepal. Expect to offer it, at least early on.
A small tip: nudge customers toward prepaid by offering free or discounted delivery on advance payment. It cuts down on "order karne ko lagi gareko" no-shows.
Day 4: Set up your online store
Now you put it all together — products, prices, photos, and payments in one place customers can visit. You want something built for Nepal, not a foreign template you have to fight with currency, payment gateways, and delivery zones.
This is exactly where a localized platform earns its keep. Saauzi lets you build an online store, connect eSewa/Khalti and bank payments, and manage your POS and inventory together — so what you sell at the counter and what you sell online draw from the same stock, in NPR, with VAT/PAN handling built in. Set up your store, add your Day 1 product list, and connect the payment accounts from Day 3.
If you run a physical counter too, link your POS now so a sale online automatically reduces shelf stock. Double-selling an item you don't have is the fastest way to lose a new online customer.
Day 5: Set up delivery and COD logistics
Decide how orders actually reach people. You have three common options in Nepal:
- Your own rider for local, same-city delivery — cheapest and fastest inside your area.
- A courier/logistics partner for nationwide or valley-wide orders, ideally one that handles COD collection and remits the cash to you.
- Customer pickup from your shop — surprisingly popular, and it brings buyers into the store.
Set clear, honest delivery charges and timelines (e.g. "Inside Ring Road: Rs. 100, next day"). For COD, confirm how and when the courier settles collected cash to your account, and factor any COD fee into your pricing so margins don't quietly disappear.
Day 6: Tell people — start with the customers you already have
You don't need ads on day one. Your warmest audience is the people who already visit your shop. Do three things:
- Put your store link in your Facebook and Instagram bio, and post your product photos there.
- Set a WhatsApp/Viber Business number and share the link with regular customers directly.
- Print a small QR code for your store and stick it at the counter so walk-in customers can reorder from home.
One genuine post — "We're now online, order from home, payment via eSewa/Khalti or COD" — to your existing followers will outperform money spent on strangers in week one.
Day 7: Place a test order and fix the gaps
Before you promote widely, order from your own store like a customer would. Walk the full path: add to cart, pay with eSewa or Khalti, and confirm the order lands where you can see it. Then check the awkward questions:
- Does the stock count drop correctly after a sale?
- Is the delivery charge showing right for each area?
- Did the payment actually reach your account?
- Can you generate a proper VAT bill if a customer asks?
Fix whatever feels clumsy. Then you're live.
Plan ahead for Dashain and Tihar
Nepal's selling calendar peaks around Dashain and Tihar. If your launch is anywhere near festival season, prepare a week or two early: stock up on bestsellers, set festival bundles, confirm your courier can handle the rush, and be honest about delivery dates when everyone is shopping at once. A shop that delivers on time during Dashain earns customers for the whole year.
Your takeaway
Going online isn't a giant leap — it's seven small, doable steps. Start today: pick your top 10 products and photograph them this evening. Connect eSewa/Khalti and COD by midweek, get your store live, then test one real order before you tell the world. A week from now, your shop can be selling while you sleep — and right in time for the next festival rush.
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