Getting Started

What You Need

To use SabiBooks, you need:

• A smartphone (Android or iPhone) or a computer with a web browser
• A Nigerian phone number (starting with 080, 081, 070, 090, or 091)
• Basic internet connection for initial setup (SabiBooks works offline after that)

Sign Up and Setup

1. Open SabiBooks

   Open your phone’s web browser (Chrome, Safari, or any browser) and go to the SabiBooks website. You will see the Welcome screen.

   Tip

   For the best experience, add SabiBooks to your phone’s home screen. When prompted to “Add to Home Screen” or “Install”, tap “Yes”. This makes SabiBooks work like a regular app on your phone.

2. Create Your Account

   On the Welcome screen, tap “Get Started” or “Create Account”, then:

   • Enter your phone number in the format starting with 0 (e.g., 08012345678). SabiBooks accepts all major Nigerian networks: MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9mobile. You can also type it as +234… if you prefer.
   • Enter your full name (e.g., “Chidinma Okafor”)
   • Enter your business name (e.g., “Mama Chidi Provisions”)
   • Tap “Get Started”

   SabiBooks will send a verification code (OTP) to your phone via SMS.

   Note

   If you already have an account, tap “Sign in” instead and enter your phone number. You will receive an OTP to log in.

3. Verify Your Phone Number

   • Check your phone for an SMS from SabiBooks containing a 6-digit code
   • Enter the code in the boxes shown on screen
   • The code is valid for 10 minutes
   • If you did not receive the code, wait 30 seconds and tap “Resend Code”

   Tip

   If the SMS does not arrive, make sure your phone has network signal. Try moving to a location with better reception. If it still does not work, check that you entered the correct phone number.

4. Set Up Your Business

   After verifying your phone, you will see the “Set Up Your Business” screen. Fill in the details:

   • Business Name (required) — The name of your shop or company (e.g., “Emeka Electronics”, “Mama Chidi Provisions”)
   • Owner Name (required) — Your full name
   • Business Type (optional) — Select from the list: Retail (shops, supermarkets), Wholesale (distributors), Restaurant/Food, Services (salons, repairs), Other
   • Address (optional) — Your shop address
   • City (optional) — e.g., Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt
   • State (optional) — e.g., Lagos, FCT, Rivers

   Tap “Continue” or “Create Business” to finish.

   Tip

   You can always update these details later in Settings. Do not worry about getting everything perfect now.

5. Complete the Onboarding Checklist

   After setting up your business, you will land on your Dashboard. You will see an Onboarding Checklist card that guides you through 5 setup steps:

   1. Complete business profile — Your basic info was saved during sign-up. Done!
   2. Add your first product — Tap to go to the product creation page
   3. Add your first customer — Tap to go to the customer list
   4. Record your first sale — Tap to open the POS (Point of Sale)
   5. Explore your dashboard — Take a quick interactive tour

   Each step unlocks after you complete the previous one. A progress bar shows how far along you are.

   Tip

   You can tap “Skip for now” to dismiss the checklist and come back to it later from Settings. But we recommend completing all 5 steps to learn how SabiBooks works.

   When you complete all 5 steps, you will see a congratulations message and a celebration animation. Your business is ready to go!

6. Take the Dashboard Tour

   After completing the onboarding checklist (or when you tap “Explore your dashboard”), SabiBooks offers an interactive tour of your dashboard. This tour highlights each section and explains what it does:

   Tour Stops:

   1. Today’s Sales Card — “This shows your total sales for today. It updates in real time as you record sales.”
   2. Sales Chart — “This chart shows your sales trend over time. Use it to spot your busiest days and plan ahead.”
   3. Quick Actions — “These shortcut buttons take you to the most common tasks: New Sale, Add Product, Add Customer, and Reports.”
   4. Low Stock Alerts — “Products running low appear here. Check this daily to avoid running out of popular items.”
   5. Debtors Overview — “This shows a summary of outstanding customer credit. Tap to see who owes you money.”

   You can skip the tour at any time by tapping outside the highlighted area or pressing the “Skip” button.

   Tip

   If you want to take the tour again later, you can trigger it from the onboarding step in the Dashboard.

What to Do in Your First Week

After setting up, here is a plan for your first week with SabiBooks:

Day 1 (Monday): Add Products

• Add your 20-30 most popular products
• Set the correct prices and stock quantities
• Create 3-5 categories to organise products
• If you have many products, use CSV import (see Products section)

Day 2 (Tuesday): Add Customers

• Add your 10-20 most regular customers
• Include their phone numbers (for receipts and reminders)
• Set credit limits for customers who buy on credit

Day 3 (Wednesday): Start Recording Sales

• Use SabiBooks for every sale today
• Practice searching for products and completing sales
• Try different payment methods (cash, transfer)

Day 4 (Thursday): Try Credit Sales

• If a customer buys on credit, use the Credit payment method
• Practice selecting customers during a sale
• Check the Credit page to see the debtor list

Day 5 (Friday): Record Expenses

• Add this week’s business expenses (rent, fuel, airtime, etc.)
• Take photos of receipts

Day 6 (Saturday): Full Day of Use

• Use SabiBooks for every sale all day
• This is probably your busiest day — great practice!
• At the end of the day, check the Dashboard for your sales total

Day 7 (Sunday): Review

• Check the weekly Sales Report
• Review any credit balances
• Add any remaining products you missed
• Check that your stock numbers match reality

By the end of your first week, you will be comfortable with SabiBooks and wonder how you managed without it!