--- title: "WhatsApp Business setup for small business · Ingenious Hub" description: "WhatsApp is where many Indian customers want to talk. The Business app gives a small business the tools to answer well. The setup order below keeps it simple." canonical: https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/whatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses updated: 2026-10-31 publisher: Ingenious Hub (https://www.ingenioushub.com) --- Marketing # WhatsApp Business setup for small business WhatsApp is where many Indian customers want to talk. The Business app gives a small business the tools to answer well. The setup order below keeps it simple. By [Daitiva Sharma](https://www.ingenioushub.com/studio) 31 Oct 20263 min readReads at about Class 7 **In this article3 min read** 1. Before you start 2. Step one: the business profile 3. Step two: greeting and away messages 4. Step three: quick replies 5. Step four: lists, labels and the catalogue 6. Step five: links and QR codes 7. What not to do 8. Make it a habit For a shop, a clinic or a service business, a customer's first message is often on WhatsApp, not by phone or form. The free WhatsApp Business app is built for that, with a profile, quick replies, a catalogue and a way to tell new enquiries from old ones. This guide sets it up in the order that matters. ## Before you start - Use the green WhatsApp Business app, not the ordinary WhatsApp. Features such as the catalogue and quick replies exist only in the Business app. - Use a number the business keeps. Moving later means every customer's saved contact goes stale. - Decide who answers and when. A greeting that promises a reply is only as good as the person keeping it. - Do not run the same number in both apps, and never share the verification code that WhatsApp sends you. ## Step one: the business profile Open the Tools tab in the app, then Profile. Add your business name exactly as it appears on your signboard, your logo as the picture, a short description, the address, your opening hours, your email and your website. Use the same details as your Google profile. Customers compare them, and mismatches look careless. ## Step two: greeting and away messages The greeting goes to a new person when they first write. Make it useful: say who you are, when you usually reply, and what to tell you so you can help. The away message goes outside your working hours. Set the hours in the profile first, so the app knows when you are closed. Check the messages by writing to your own number from another phone, once during working hours and once after. ## Step three: quick replies A quick reply is a saved message you send by typing a slash and a short word. Write one for the questions you answer every day: prices or how you quote, how to order, timings, address and a thank-you. They save time, but they do not send themselves. When a customer asks, you send the reply. Edit it for the person before you send, so it still sounds like you. ## Step four: lists, labels and the catalogue Sort chats into groups such as New, Quote sent, Follow up, Won and Lost. In newer versions this is called Lists, and in older ones Labels. Look for it under Tools. For the catalogue, plan the collections, names, descriptions and photos first with the [WhatsApp catalogue planner](https://www.ingenioushub.com/tools/whatsapp-catalogue-planner), then enter them in the app. Keep names short and photos matching. ## Step five: links and QR codes The app can give you a short link to start a chat with you. Put it on your Google profile, your website and your social bios, and print it as a QR code on the signboard, the counter and your cards. The [QR code generator](https://www.ingenioushub.com/tools/qr-code-generator) makes one for a WhatsApp chat in a minute. [QR code](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/qr-code): A QR code is a square pattern that a phone camera reads to open a link, such as a WhatsApp chat, a Google review page or a website. ## What not to do - Do not message people who have never contacted you, except one-to-one messages to customers you know. Bulk or cold messages are the quickest way to get a number blocked. - Do not promise prices, dates or results in chat that you have not agreed in writing. - Do not switch on settings that share customer activity for advertising unless you understand them and your customers have agreed. - Do not put a bot on the number you use on your phone without checking what it does to your inbox. Connecting a number to some business platforms changes how the app works. ## Make it a habit Reply within the time you promise. Put every chat into a list as you answer. Once a day, open the Follow up list and nudge anyone who has gone quiet. For a Jaipur view of the catalogue and the profile, see the [notes on WhatsApp catalogues in Jaipur](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/jaipur-whatsapp-catalogue-notes), and use the [shop launch checklist](https://www.ingenioushub.com/shop-launch-checklist) if you are opening a new place. We also help businesses make their profile, catalogue and signboard look consistent: [send a short brief](https://www.ingenioushub.com/contact). About the author [Daitiva Sharma](https://www.ingenioushub.com/studio) is the founder of Ingenious Hub, a brand and design studio in Jaipur. A designer, brand strategist and photographer, he has worked in design since 2007, leading design teams before founding the studio. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daitiva) Disagree, or want to argue the point? hello@ingenioushub.com Share this note - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fwhatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses) - [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fwhatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses&text=WhatsApp%20Business%20setup%20for%20small%20business) - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=WhatsApp%20Business%20setup%20for%20small%20business%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fwhatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses) - 3 min read Share this note - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fwhatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses) - [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fwhatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses&text=WhatsApp%20Business%20setup%20for%20small%20business) - [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=WhatsApp%20Business%20setup%20for%20small%20business%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingenioushub.com%2Fnotes%2Fwhatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses) - ## Tools and terms for this note Try it yourself, free - [WhatsApp catalogue plannerPlan collections and items, and a photo shot list.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/tools/whatsapp-catalogue-planner) - [QR code generatorA QR for WhatsApp, a review link or a website, ready to print.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/tools/qr-code-generator) - [New shop launch checklistSignboard, listing, WhatsApp and print in the right order.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/shop-launch-checklist) Words used in this note - [QR codeMarketing](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary/qr-code) [The full glossary](https://www.ingenioushub.com/glossary) ## Keep reading More on [PR and growth](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/topic/pr-and-growth) - [How to write a brand taglineBranding · 3 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/how-to-write-a-brand-tagline) - [Claim your Google Business Profile in IndiaMarketing · 3 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/how-to-claim-and-complete-a-google-business-profile-in-india) - [Choosing a digital marketing agency in IndiaMarketing · 4 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/how-to-choose-a-digital-marketing-agency-in-india) - [How to read an SEO quote in IndiaMarketing · 4 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/how-to-read-an-seo-quote-in-india) - [Landing page checklist for small businessMarketing · 3 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/landing-page-checklist-for-indian-small-businesses) - [Brand or performance marketing: where nextMarketing · 6 min read](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/brand-marketing-vs-performance-marketing) [All notes](https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes) The argument, applied ## MasterChef Rajasthan: A regional flagship made cinematic. The show identity and on-air package for Season 2, plus social cuts. [Read the case study](https://www.ingenioushub.com/work/masterchef-rajasthan) [All work](https://www.ingenioushub.com/work) [ *(image: MasterChef Rajasthan: A regional flagship made cinematic.)* ](https://www.ingenioushub.com/work/masterchef-rajasthan) ## Where this thinking goes to work - [Performance MarketingPredictable growth, not vanity.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/services/performance) - [Creative & ContentContent that earns action.](https://www.ingenioushub.com/services/creative) ## More on this topic. Something we haven’t covered? [Ask us](https://www.ingenioushub.com/contact?from=notes-whatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses). **Is WhatsApp Business free?** The Business app is free to download and use. Some separate paid features and the business platform for larger companies are priced by Meta, but a small business can run well on the free app. **Can I use WhatsApp Business and normal WhatsApp on one phone?** Yes, with two different numbers. The same number can only be in one of the two apps at a time. **Do quick replies answer customers automatically?** No. A quick reply is a saved message that you send yourself. The basic automatic messages in the app are the greeting and the away message. **How do I stop being flagged as spam?** Message only people who have contacted you or know you, do not send the same message to many strangers, and make it easy for people to stop hearing from you. Do not buy contact lists. **Can I show prices in the catalogue?** Yes, a price is optional. Show it only if it is real and you will keep it current. If you quote on request, say so in the description. ## Want this applied to your brand? [Start a project](https://www.ingenioushub.com/contact?service=performance&from=notes-whatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses) [See what Performance Marketing starts at](https://www.ingenioushub.com/pricing#price-performance) [Free brand audit](https://www.ingenioushub.com/brand-audit) Based in Rajasthan? [Digital Marketing Agency in Jaipur](https://www.ingenioushub.com/digital-marketing-agency-jaipur) Source: https://www.ingenioushub.com/notes/whatsapp-business-setup-for-indian-small-businesses