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Operate · Shop Manager

Your shop keeps selling while you're away. Now you can see every bit of it.

Stock, sales and customers in one phone dashboard, plus a shopfront where buyers order on WhatsApp. Built for Nairobi shop owners who can't be there all day.

From Ksh 75,000 for the year, setup included. Your stock loaded in 3 days. Or from Ksh 20,000 setup, then Ksh 5,000 a month.

30-day money-back guarantee Real Nairobi shops running on it Private & password-protected Works on any phone No app to download WhatsApp marketing built in A ban can't delete your shop
Shop Manager on a phone: the admin menu and the sales overview for today, this week, this month and all time, with the figures hidden

See it work

The risk no one warns you about

Meta bans pages and WhatsApp groups every day.
Your shop can't be taken down.

Instagram suspends pages with no warning, and now Meta is wiping WhatsApp groups too. Shop owners are losing hundreds of buyers overnight. With Shop Manager your shop is a link you own and your customer list is saved on your side, so a ban can't touch either. Share one link and buyers filter to exactly what they want.

A shop link you own A customer list that can't be wiped Keep selling through a ban
Protect my shop
See it work

Watch a real sale, start to finish.

A customer who bought once, brought back with one message. Then the sale, the receipt, and the numbers updating. All from a phone.

2 minutes · turn your sound on

The real cost

You can't grow what you can't see.

Most shop owners run the whole thing from memory and a notebook. It works, until you step away, hire help, or try to figure out why a good month still felt tight.

Stock just vanishes

You don't know what's left, what's moving, or what quietly walked out the door while you weren't looking.

Sales you never see

If you're not at the counter, you're trusting that every sale got recorded and every shilling came home.

Customers you forget

Your best buyers' numbers live in WhatsApp chats and your head. When staff leave, the customer list leaves too.

Guessing what sells

You restock on a hunch. You can't tell which item, size or colour is actually pulling the money in.

Already live

Real shops running on it today.

Browse their public shopfronts, the same system you'd get, each branded to the shop.

Want a shopfront like these? Send your Instagram, TikTok or WhatsApp shop and I'll set yours up.

Chat on WhatsApp
In their words

What clients say about working with us.

Not all of them run shops, but they all trusted us to build and deliver. Same hands building yours.

★★★★★ 4.9 from 18 verified Google reviews See them on Google →
★★★★★

"Joel from Essence Automations designed an amazing website for our hardware business. He also created a Google Business Profile and optimized it so well, Oloolua Hardware is now ranking number 2 in Ngong."

Oloolua HardwareHardware, Ngong
★★★★★

"You made the whole process easy and stress-free. I'm grateful for how careful you were with every detail and how you captured the feel of my brand."

Joy RykerRyker Luxury
★★★★★

"Brilliant system from Joel. The appointment calendar and review system work really well."

SuitGuru KenyaMenswear, Nairobi
★★★★★

"Joel has run our digital ads at Rajshyn Jewellers since 2018. His Facebook, Instagram and Google ad strategies have delivered positive returns consistently. I recommend him."

Bhavna PattniRajshyn Jewellers
★★★★★

"Joel built a quote-request ad for our company on a Saturday afternoon. By Monday morning we already had 2 qualified leads asking for quotes. If you're looking for clients, I highly recommend Essence Automations."

Becca ReenaSptra Glass & Interiors KE
★★★★★

"Joel designed a really nice website for us, full of detail, and we get quote requests and enquiries by email very quickly. Huge impact on our business. Best decision we ever made was choosing him. Hongera!"

Boma Movers KEMovers, Nairobi
★★★★★

"Joel designed a great website for my hospital that also comes with a customer-tracking app. Try him, you won't regret it."

Dr. Fadhili MuliliMedical practice, Nairobi
★★★★★

"Loved working with Joel on my one-page website. I gave him a brief and he came back with a great design on the first try. Friendly, easy to talk to, made the whole process smooth."

Franklin ThomasWebsite client
★★★★★

"Can't say enough about the support Joel has given my business, Brookhaven Events. The webchat and CRM solutions have been crucial in our marketing."

Farouk SterooBrookhaven Events
★★★★★

"Our sales process is much simpler now with Joel's CRM. The training and after-sales support are top tier. Happy to recommend and work with him again."

Raphael OpiyoCRM client
★★★★★

"Great CRM for lead generation, email marketing, and booking appointments."

Jackson MureithiCRM client
★★★★★

"Lovely AI Support and Appointment Calendar. Really useful."

Diana GithakaAI Support client
★★★★★

"Great customer service and awesome automations from Joel."

Eliud MainaAutomation client
Joel Muthee, founder of Essence Automations
Joel MutheeFounder · Essence Automations
Who's behind it

I built this with real Nairobi shops.

I've watched shop owners lose sales they never saw, stock that quietly walked out the door, and their best customers' numbers vanish the day a staff member left. The big POS systems were built for chains, not for a shop you run from your phone between everything else.

So I built one for that shop. Shaped with real Nairobi owners around how they actually sell, on WhatsApp, on M-Pesa, on the move, every feature earned its place solving a real problem, not one a developer imagined.

The result is a shop you can finally see from your phone, wherever you are, so you get back to growing it instead of just counting it.

Joel Muthee
Founder, Essence Automations
What it does

One dashboard for the whole shop.

Everything that used to live in your head, your notebook, and three different WhatsApp chats. In one place, on your phone.

AI product import

Already post stock on Instagram, TikTok or a WhatsApp shop? Our AI reads your posts, ignores the ones that are not products, and pulls the rest into your catalog with a name, category, sizes and price already filled in. You just check and publish.

No re-typing, ever

Live inventory

Every item, every size, every quantity. See what's in stock, what's low, and what's sold out at a glance. Restock with two taps.

Never oversell again

Every sale, logged

Record a sale in seconds, online or in the shop, cash or M-Pesa. Stock and takings update themselves. Today, this week, this month and all-time add up automatically.

Real numbers, not guesses

Branded WhatsApp receipts

Every sale, in the shop or online, turns into a clean receipt with your logo, colours and shop name. It goes straight to the buyer on WhatsApp as an image, so even a small shop looks like a proper business.

Look like a proper business

Send to a customer

A customer asks on WhatsApp, "do you have this in size 28?" One tap sends them the photo, the price and every size you have in stock, written out and ready to go.

Answer in seconds

Your customer list

Every buyer saved with what they bought and their number. Add walk-ins by hand. One tap to WhatsApp them when new stock lands.

The list stays with you

WhatsApp marketing

New drop? Message past buyers one tap at a time, each with a personal note, at a pace that keeps your number safe.

Bring buyers back

Your true profit

Log ad spend, packaging and transport, one-off or as a monthly budget. Your dashboard shows what you made after costs, not just what you sold.

Know your true profit

Who owes you

Let regulars take now and pay later? Every part-payment rolls into one running total per customer, so you always know who owes you and how much.

Get paid what you're owed

Slow stock

See what has not sold in 30, 60 or 90 days, and how much of your money is sitting in it. One tap puts it on sale, or sends it back to the top of your shop for 7 days so new shoppers see it first.

Free up your cash

Insights

See what shoppers view, save, enquire about, and search for but can't find. Note every item or size a customer asked for that you did not have. Your next stock order, decided by real demand.

Stock what people want

Deliveries

Send a customer a few items to pick from at home. Stock is held aside so you can't oversell it, and what they keep records itself as a sale.

Know what's out, kept and back

Loyalty rewards

Turn one-time buyers into regulars. Points add up on every sale, so you can reward your best customers and keep them coming back to you.

Keep them coming back

Photo check

Finds the photos that look blurry or get cut off on your shop, worst first, so you know which ones to take again.

Better photos, more sales
Pricing

Pay for the year, or pay monthly.

Every plan includes your branded shop website, and we load your stock for you. Most shops pay for the year: setup is included and the 12th month is on us.

Shop Manager Pro

For shops doing volume that want money confirmed before anything ships.

From Ksh 110,000 /year
Your shop takes M-Pesa by itself. Pay for 11 months, get 12. Not for you within 30 days? Every shilling back, no questions asked.
Or pay monthly: from Ksh 30,000 for your first 3 months, then from Ksh 10,000 a month, 6-month minimum.
Everything in Shop Manager, plus
  • M-Pesa on your shop: buyer taps Pay, enters their PIN, money goes straight to your till or paybill
  • Orders marked paid automatically. No fake payment screenshots
  • Daily report on WhatsApp every evening: takings, what sold, what's low, who owes
  • Auto debt reminders: polite WhatsApp nudges with the exact balance, until you're paid
  • Staff accounts: your helper sells and restocks without seeing your money reports, and every action is logged
  • Back-in-stock alerts: buyers who wanted an item get a message when it returns
  • Automatic Google review requests after every sale, so your shop climbs Google search
  • Monthly SEO: we read your Search Console data and re-tune your shop for what people search
  • First in line whenever you need us

Needs your own M-Pesa till or paybill. We help you set it up.

Talk to us about Pro

Our promise: your stock loaded within 3 days of paying, or your next month is on us. Pay for the year and change your mind within 30 days? Full refund, no questions asked.

Bigger shop, or more than one branch? Shop Manager Business, from Ksh 15,000 a month.

For mall shops and shops with several branches, staff and a lot of stock. Everything in Pro, set up around how your shop actually runs. We come and see your shop first, then give you one clear price.

Talk to us about Business
Only need the website? Own it outright for Ksh 20,000, once.

Your own shop website on your own web address, like yourshop.co.ke. Buyers filter by category and size, then tap to enquire on WhatsApp with that exact item ready to send. Our AI pulls your stock in from Instagram, TikTok or your WhatsApp shop, and we set it up and keep it online. No monthly fees. For the dashboard, pick a plan below.

Get my shopfront

Know another shop owner? Refer them and you get a full month of the dashboard free when they join, even on the one-off plan.

And your shop gets a website

A proper online shopfront. Every sale starts on WhatsApp.

The same catalog you manage in the admin shows up as a clean website buyers can browse. They tap an item, it opens WhatsApp with the photo and details already filled in, ready to order.

  • ✓
    Share one link, not 40 photos.

    Your whole stock, searchable, on a link you drop in your bio or a customer's chat.

  • ✓
    Buyers filter to what's actually available.

    Shoppers sort by what's in stock, on sale or new, instead of scrolling an Instagram feed full of sold-out posts. Something Instagram simply can't do.

  • ✓
    Buyers enquire with the item attached.

    No more "which one?" Every enquiry lands in WhatsApp with the exact product and price.

Your shop could be live tomorrow. I build it for you, and your stock is loaded within 3 days.

Set up my shop
For owners who aren't always there

Run the shop from your living room, your other job, or another town.

If you've hired someone to mind the counter, this is how you stay in control without standing over them.

  • ✓
    Open your phone, see today's takings.

    Live sales and stock wherever you are. No closing-time phone call to ask "how did we do?"

  • ✓
    Know every sale was entered.

    Each sale is timestamped against your stock, so the numbers and the shelf always match up.

  • ✓
    The customer list is yours, not theirs.

    Buyers are saved to your shop. If an employee moves on, your list stays right where it is.

  • Locked behind your password.

    The dashboard only opens with your password, so you decide exactly who gets in. Shoppers only ever see your storefront. Your stock, sales and customer list stay private to you.

The shop's Inventory Overview screen, showing stock levels at a glance while the owner is away
The actual dashboard

This is the real thing, not a mockup.

Real screens from shops using it today, on a phone. Names, phone numbers and figures are hidden to protect the owners and their customers.

Sales overview screen from ThriftLux's admin: takings by period and the top-selling bag types, with the figures hidden
Sales overview

Today, this week, this month and all-time takings, at a glance.

All items screen from ThriftLux's admin, listing bags with their prices
All items

Your whole catalogue with prices, and one tap to edit, sell or send an item to a buyer.

Recent sales screen
Recent sales

Every sale as it happens, with an undo if something's off.

Inventory overview screen from Jirani Fashion's admin, with stock counts and value hidden
Inventory overview

Stock value, low-stock and out-of-stock counts in one view.

Sell in store screen from Jirani Fashion's admin, with today's takings hidden
Record a sale

Log a sale in seconds and optionally save the buyer's details.

Clients screen from ThriftLux's admin, with buyer names, phone numbers and amounts hidden
Clients

Every buyer, what they bought, and a number to reach them.

Insights screen from ThriftLux's admin, showing the most viewed bags with counts hidden
Insights

What shoppers view, save, enquire about and search for.

Add stock from Instagram screen
Add stock from Instagram

Pull new posts from your feed straight into your catalogue.

Money owed screen from ThriftLux's admin, with customer names and balances hidden
Who owes you

One running balance per customer, with a one-tap WhatsApp reminder.

Expenses screen
Expenses

Log ad spend and costs, then see real profit, not just takings.

Loyalty screen from ThriftLux's admin, showing each customer's stamp progress with names hidden
Loyalty rewards

Points add up on every sale, so regulars keep coming back.

Branded receipt
Branded receipt

Every sale becomes a receipt with your logo, sent on WhatsApp.

How it works

Live in a day.

We do the heavy lifting. You get a working shop you can run from your hand.

1. We build it for you

Send your Instagram handle, or just photos and a list. We set up your catalog, shopfront and branding. No data entry on your side.

2. You get your dashboard

A private login for you, and your staff if you want. We walk you through a sale, restocking and messaging buyers.

3. You run it from your phone

Add new stock in 10 seconds, log sales as they happen, and check your numbers from anywhere. We stay on call if you need us.

Good to ask

Questions shop owners ask us.

What if it is not right for my shop?

Pay for the year and use it for 30 days. If it is not for you, tell us and you get every shilling back, no questions asked. On the monthly plan the setup fee is not refundable, because that work is already done.

What do I get for the Ksh 20,000 one-off?

Your own shop website, plus the backend to run it. Buyers filter by category and size, tap to enquire, and their WhatsApp opens with that exact item ready to send. You tap once to pull your stock in from Instagram, or add your own items and photos, and record your sales. We set it all up, keep it running online, and give you your own web address like yourshop.co.ke. No monthly fees.

Why not just keep using Instagram and WhatsApp for free?

You can, that's how most of our shops started. But on Instagram a buyer has to scroll your whole feed to find their size or style, and half the posts are already sold. On your shop they filter by category and size and see only what's in stock, then order on WhatsApp in one tap. You keep the WhatsApp selling you already do, and get the stock, sales and customer records Instagram will never give you.

What happens if Instagram bans my page or group?

Your shop stays up. It lives on your own web address, not on Instagram, so a ban can't take it down. Your customer list and sales records stay too, because they're saved on your side, not inside a page or group. You keep selling from your shop and message your buyers the same day, then rebuild your Instagram when you're ready. A ban costs you a page, not your business.

What happens if I stop paying?

A one-off shopfront stays up, it's yours. On the monthly plan, your dashboard pauses and we keep your data safe. Nothing is deleted. Pay again and everything switches back on exactly as you left it, stock, sales history and customer list included.

Is my customer list and sales data mine?

Yes, fully. Your stock, your sales records and your customer numbers belong to you. If you ever leave, we hand you everything.

Do I need a computer or any tech skills?

No. It all runs on the phone you already have, and we set everything up for you. If you can use WhatsApp, you can run this.

Can I pay the one-off in installments?

Yes. Split it into 2 installments of Ksh 10,000 each: the first to start the build, the second a month later.

Stop running your shop blind.

Send us a message on WhatsApp. We'll show you your own shop, set up live, and you decide if it's for you. No pressure.

From Ksh 75,000 for the year, setup included · or from Ksh 20,000 setup, then Ksh 5,000 a month · bigger shops from Ksh 15,000 a month

Chat with us Set up my shop. Chat on WhatsApp