How to Subscribe, Download the Apps and Set Up Your First Shop

My Local Shops setup and onboarding can be completed from an Android owner app: create the owner account with Google, choose the plan for your shops and godowns, pay, and register the first business location. The guided flow then verifies or prefills applicable GST information, records the map location and business details, requires a shop photo, and offers the other owner-app downloads.

The website can also be used to sign up, compare plans and subscribe. For a new Android user, starting inside Trade Manager, Inventory Manager or Order Manager is usually the most direct route because the same app continues into business setup after payment.

Before starting: keep these ready

What you need	Why it is needed
An Android phone running Android 6.0 or later	The current apps are distributed as Android APKs; iOS is not available yet
A Google account controlled by the owner	New account creation uses Google sign-up
Internet connection	Sign-in, payment, GST lookup, map setup, photo upload and cloud activation require connectivity
Total number of shops and godowns	The combined count determines the recommended subscription plan
Business GSTIN	A public shop normally requires GST verification; it can also help find registered addresses
Shop or godown name and address	Required to create the first business location
Contact email and WhatsApp number	Required for the public shop contact information
Correct map location	Used to connect the location record and help with public discovery where applicable
A clear shop photo	The first-location onboarding requires a photo upload before completion
Categories and business hours	Needed for a customer-facing shop profile

If the first location is a godown rather than a public shop, its form is shorter. A godown is a private storage location and does not become a customer-facing digital shop.

Complete setup at a glance

Stage	What the owner does	Result
1. Choose an owner app	Download Trade Manager, Inventory Manager or Order Manager	One app becomes the entry point for onboarding
2. Install the APK	Allow the browser to install the downloaded app when Android asks	The genuine My Local Shops app is installed
3. Create the account	Accept the terms and continue with Google	A cloud account is created for that owner
4. Select the plan	Answer how many shops/godowns the business manages	A location-based plan is recommended
5. Pay	Complete the available secure checkout	Verified payment activates the seller subscription
6. Choose location type	Select Shop or Godown	The correct setup form is opened
7. Complete GST/address setup	Verify GSTIN and choose an applicable registered address when offered	Business and address fields can be prefilled
8. Complete the form	Confirm name, category, contact, map pin and other details	The first shop or godown is created
9. Upload the photo	Choose and submit a recognisable business photo	The required first-location photo is attached
10. Get the other apps	Use the final screen or /apps page	The same owner account can use the connected owner apps

Step 1: choose the first owner app

The owner can start from any one of these three apps:

• Trade Manager when the immediate need is tracking domestic or international purchases, shipment, payment, receipt and landed cost;
• Inventory Manager when the immediate need is creating products, colour-size SKUs and shop/godown stock; or
• Order Manager when the immediate need is wholesale billing, party outstanding, payment and owner reports.

Open the My Local Shops Apps page, choose the relevant app and open its download page. The latest version number, release information and APK link are read from the current app configuration.

Do not begin owner onboarding through Staff Bill. Staff Bill is for an employee whom an already-subscribed owner invites later.

Step 2: download and install the Android APK

My Local Shops currently distributes its apps directly from its website rather than the Play Store.

For each owner app:

1. Tap Download APK on its official My Local Shops page.
2. Open the downloaded file from the browser or Android notification.
3. If Android asks, open Settings and allow that browser to install unknown apps.
4. Return to the installer and tap Install.
5. Open the app after installation.

The “unknown apps” wording is Android's label for software downloaded outside the Play Store. Only use the download button on the official My Local Shops website; do not accept an APK forwarded by an unknown person.

This permission belongs to the browser or file source used for installation. It does not grant every downloaded application unrestricted access to the phone.

Step 3: create the owner account with Google

New My Local Shops accounts are created using Google sign-up. On the website, the owner reviews and accepts the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then selects Sign up with Google. The Android owner apps provide the corresponding Google sign-in route and create the required cloud profile for a genuinely new user.

Use an account that the business owner will retain. Do not use a temporary staff member's Google account for the owner subscription.

After the Google account exists, the owner can create an MLS app password from Settings. That allows the same account to sign in with email and the MLS password on another device without changing the Google password. Email/password is an additional login method for the existing account; it is not a separate email-signup process.

Step 4: choose the plan for all shops and godowns

The onboarding screen asks how many shops or godowns the business manages together. The website's Pricing page also lets the owner select the combined location requirement and see the recommended plan.

Count both types:

• 1 shop + 0 godowns = 1 location;
• 1 shop + 1 godown = 2 locations; and
• 2 shops + 1 godown = 3 locations.

All current plans include the four connected business apps, unlimited products, GST and non-GST billing, no per-invoice charge, Staff Bill and MLS digital-shop eligibility. The main plan difference is the permitted combined location count.

Review the monthly and yearly options shown at that time. Use the live Pricing page for the current amount instead of relying on an old screenshot or message.

Step 5: complete payment and wait for activation

Tap the payment button only after checking the selected plan, billing cycle, location capacity and amount. Complete the checkout through the payment interface presented by the app or website.

The system unlocks seller access only after payment verification updates the subscription to active. A payment window, bank debit message or screenshot by itself is not the access decision.

If money is debited but the app does not show an active subscription:

1. do not immediately make the same payment again;
2. confirm that the phone has an internet connection;
3. reopen the app and check the account state; and
4. contact My Local Shops support with the payment reference if activation still does not appear.

A successful first subscription changes the account from a regular customer profile into the seller account used by the business apps.

Step 6: choose Shop or Godown

After the first successful payment, the owner sees the welcome step and then chooses the first location type.

Choose Shop when

• customers can visit or identify the location;
• products should become eligible for the public MLS digital shop;
• the location has public contact information, category and business hours; and
• a recognisable shop photo should appear with the profile.

Choose Godown when

• it is used mainly to store stock;
• customers should not discover it as a storefront; and
• only the location name, address and stock identity are operationally required.

At least one shop or godown is mandatory before an owner app opens its normal business home. Closing the app halfway does not bypass this requirement; the setup resumes on a later launch.

Step 7: verify GST and select the right address

The GST step supports both shops and godowns, but it serves different purposes.

For a public shop, the owner enters a valid 15-character GSTIN. The lookup can prefill the legal/trade name and registered address. If the GST registration contains relevant additional places of business, the owner can select the correct registered shop address rather than accepting the principal address blindly.

For a godown, GST lookup is a convenience. If registered warehouse addresses exist under the GSTIN, the owner can select one. A godown can also use another address because the location may not yet appear as a registered warehouse on that GST record.

Always check the selected address. A valid GSTIN does not automatically mean the principal address is the location currently being added.

Step 8: complete the business form and map pin

For a shop, confirm or enter:

• shop name;
• one or more business categories;
• description;
• GSTIN and legal name;
• address, city, state and pincode;
• precise position on the embedded map;
• contact email and WhatsApp number;
• business hours; and
• optional website and social links.

The map pin is not decorative. The shop or godown cannot be created without coordinates. Search for the address, use the current-location option where suitable, or move the pin until it represents the actual business entrance or stock location.

For a godown, the system intentionally uses a shorter form: godown name and mapped address are the important fields. Customer-facing categories, business hours and social links are unnecessary for a private warehouse.

Step 9: upload the required shop photo

After the first location document is created, the app asks for a photo. Choose a clear image that helps a buyer or owner recognise the location.

A useful shop photo should:

• show the storefront, signboard or recognisable interior;
• be bright enough to understand;
• avoid covering the important area with text or stickers; and
• avoid exposing invoices, phone screens or other customers' private information.

The app processes the photo before upload to reduce unnecessary file size and data use. The first-time onboarding does not provide a skip or back gesture around this required photo step.

Step 10: install the other owner apps

The final onboarding screen shows the other two owner apps that are not currently installed through the flow. Their links come from the live app configuration so the owner receives the current release.

The owner does not have to install all three on the same day. A practical sequence is:

1. begin with the app that solves today's main problem;
2. complete the owner and location setup;
3. add Inventory Manager before creating the product catalogue;
4. add Order Manager before billing from that inventory; and
5. add Trade Manager when purchase and landed-cost tracking is required.

All three use the same owner account and active subscription. The owner should sign in with the same Google account or the email/password method later linked to that same account.

Step 11: invite staff only after owner setup

Staff Bill is not another owner app and should not receive the owner's password.

After Order Manager is ready:

1. the owner opens staff management in Order Manager;
2. the owner invites the employee's Google-account email;
3. the employee downloads Staff Bill;
4. the employee signs in using that exact invited account; and
5. the employee accepts the relationship before billing.

Staff Bill can then use the owner's permitted parties, products and billing location without showing owner-only landed cost, profit or reports.

A realistic first-day setup

Consider a footwear wholesaler with one shop and one godown.

The owner wants to organise the existing shoe stock first, so they download Inventory Manager. They sign in with the owner's Google account, select two combined locations, review the recommended plan and billing cycle, and complete payment.

They add the public shop first:

1. select Shop;
2. verify the business GSTIN;
3. choose the registered shop address rather than the godown address;
4. confirm the footwear categories and contact details;
5. place the map pin on the shop;
6. set business hours; and
7. upload a clear storefront photo.

After entering Inventory Manager, they add the godown as the second location. They then create products with size and colour SKUs and distribute quantities between the shop and godown.

Later, they install Order Manager with the same owner account and invite the counter employee to Staff Bill. No product re-upload and no second subscription are required.

What information is stored after onboarding

The setup creates or maintains:

• the owner's cloud account and accepted consent information;
• seller role and active subscription status;
• selected plan, billing cycle and expiry;
• the first shop or godown attached to the owner;
• GST and legal-name information applicable to a public shop;
• address and map coordinates;
• contact, category, business-hour and optional social details;
• shop photo and smaller display version; and
• the location reference used later by inventory and billing.

This is why the same information can support Inventory Manager, Order Manager, Staff Bill and the customer-facing MLS shop without the owner creating a separate business identity in each app.

Common setup mistakes

Using a staff member's Google account as the owner

Subscriptions and business ownership follow the owner account. Use a durable account controlled by the business owner.

Counting shops but not godowns

Both consume location capacity. Count the combined total before choosing a plan.

Selecting the wrong GST address

A GSTIN may contain a principal address and additional places. Choose the location actually being created.

Dropping the map pin on a nearby road

Confirm the exact location. The map coordinates become part of the shop or godown record.

Uploading a product photo as the shop photo

The first photo should identify the business location. Product images belong in Inventory Manager later.

Installing Staff Bill and trying to subscribe as the owner

Start with Trade Manager, Inventory Manager or Order Manager. Staff Bill is connected through an owner invitation.

Paying twice because activation is delayed

Payment verification and app refresh can take a moment. Check the active status and contact support rather than creating an immediate duplicate payment.

Frequently asked questions

Can I create a new account using email and password?

New signup uses Google. After the account exists, the owner can create an MLS app password and then use the same email with that password on another device.

Must I subscribe before downloading the apps?

No. The APKs can be downloaded first. An active subscription is required before the owner can use the connected seller operations.

Which app should I install first?

Choose Trade Manager for purchase tracking, Inventory Manager for stock and products, or Order Manager for billing and party payments. Any of these three can host the first-time onboarding flow.

Can my first location be a godown?

Yes. At least one shop or godown is required. A godown remains private and does not function as a public customer-facing shop.

Is a shop photo compulsory?

Yes, during the Android first-time setup. The app requires the first location's photo before completing onboarding.

What happens if I close the app before creating the shop?

An active subscriber with no shop or godown is returned to the required location setup on a later app launch rather than being sent to the normal home screen.

Can I change phones after setup?

Yes. Install the current app and sign in with the same authorised owner account. The business records remain in the cloud, while temporary local images may download again.

Do I install Staff Bill on the owner's phone?

Normally no. Staff Bill belongs on the employee's device and uses that employee's invited Google account. The owner uses Order Manager for full billing control and private reports.

Continue your setup

• Compare current plans and location limits
• View and download the owner and staff apps
• Create or sign into your My Local Shops account
• Understand what one subscription includes
• Learn how the four apps share cloud data safely
• Read the complete connected workflow

Set up the owner account carefully once, use the correct first shop or godown, and keep the owner and staff identities separate. The connected apps can then reuse the same verified business foundation for trades, inventory, invoices, reports and the real-time digital shop.