Your first day doesn't need to be perfect. The goal is small: get set up, choose a few products and let people know you're selling. Here is a plan you can finish in one afternoon and one evening.
Step 1: Install and sign up (10 minutes)
- Download the app and open it.
- Sign up with your mobile number.
- Choose your language: Sinhala, Tamil or English.
Step 2: Do the identity check today (15 minutes)
You need to finish the identity check before your first order, so do it now, not when a customer is waiting. Keep these ready:
- your NIC, for clear photos of both sides
- a well-lit spot for your selfie
- your bank details
There are tips for getting it right first time in why MyKade checks your identity.
Step 3: Open the Academy (10 minutes)
MyKade Academy is inside the app. It has 9 short lessons and a "first 10 customers" mission that ticks itself off as you go. Read the first lesson today.
Then try the earnings planner. Type in a monthly goal and it shows roughly how many orders and messages a day that means. It is a useful reality check before you begin.
Step 4: Choose just three products (30 minutes)
Don't try to sell everything. Pick three:
- one you would happily buy yourself, so you can talk about it honestly
- one that suits people you know, such as parents with small children, people who drive, or someone who cooks a lot
- one priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000, because in real Sri Lankan online shops 9 in 10 items sold were in that range
For each one, look at your price, the suggested selling price and your profit. How to pick products that sell goes deeper.
Step 5: Set your prices (10 minutes)
For your first few orders, staying close to the suggested selling price is a safe start. Remember the customer also pays delivery, usually around Rs 450. Think about the total they will pay, not only the product price.
Step 6: Look at your shop link (5 minutes)
Your shop link is a shop page with your name and your prices. Open it on your phone the way a customer would. Check the prices are what you wanted. Copy the link somewhere handy; you will use it often.
Step 7: Send your first shares (20 minutes)
Start with people who already know you. When customers know the seller, parcels are far more likely to be delivered.
- Put one product on your WhatsApp Status using the ready-made caption, or ask the AI to write one.
- Send a short personal message to 5–10 people you know well. Not a broadcast to everyone in your phone.
Hi [name], I've started selling some useful home and kitchen items through MyKade. No pressure at all, but if you ever need something, here's my shop: [your shop link]. You pay cash when it arrives at your door.
Change the words so it sounds like you.
Step 8: Be ready tonight
In real Sri Lankan online shops, enquiries peak between 7 and 11 pm, and the busiest hour is 9 pm. Keep your phone close this evening.
When someone is interested, reply quickly. About 3 in 4 people who ordered did so within a day of asking, and almost nobody ordered after 3 days.
When someone wants to buy, confirm these before you place the order:
- Full name
- Full address, with a nearby landmark
- A phone number they will answer
- The full total, including delivery
- Roughly when it will arrive (about 3 days on average)
What not to do on day one
- Don't join twenty groups and post the same thing everywhere.
- Don't pay for ads yet.
- Don't promise a delivery date you can't be sure of.
- Don't ask anyone to send money to you. Customers always pay MyKade.
That's day one
If you did these steps, you've done more than most people who only think about selling online. Tomorrow, share one more product and reply to everyone who asked. If you haven't yet, download the MyKade app and start with Step 1.