Opening your service profile

From "buyer" to "service provider" — phone verification, picking a company name, choosing a category, the live profile.

Opening a service profile takes about 10 minutes

This guide walks through the steps to create your service profile. After this, you have a live profile (in unverified state) and can start adding videos.

What you'll need

• A KampalaSnap account already (read How to sign up if you don't have one).
• Your phone number on WhatsApp.
• A company / service name idea.
• A clear sense of which category fits — Cleaning, Salon, Mechanic, Catering, etc. (You can pick from a dropdown, no free-text guessing.)
• The district where you operate.

You don't need photos, equipment lists, or a business registration to start. Those things go in later.

Why your phone has to be on WhatsApp

Buyers reach service providers via a WhatsApp tap. If your number isn't on WhatsApp, that tap dead-ends. The app blocks you from opening a service profile until the number on your account is WhatsApp-verified.

If you signed up via SMS (number not on WhatsApp), install WhatsApp on the SIM card, register, send one quick message to a friend, then come back to the app and re-verify your phone.

The 6 steps

Step 1 — Open the seller mode

In the app, tap your avatar (top-right or bottom-right). Tap Become a service provider.

If you don't see that option directly, tap Settings → Account → Become a seller → pick Open a service.

Step 2 — Pick a company / service name

Your service name is the public face of your business. It's what shows up on the directory, on videos, on review feeds.

Pick something:

• Short and memorable. Buyers type it into search.
• Clear about what you do if you can. "Bukoto Boda Mechanic" is better than "Sam's Spot."
• Not the same as another existing service. The app checks and rejects duplicates.

Examples that work: - BukotoCleanCo - NamMobileSalon - KlaPhotoStudio - SsemakulaBodaMechanic

Names that don't: - Spaces (use underscores or join words). - Names that copy a brand (Apple-Repair-Uganda will be flagged). - Symbols other than letters and numbers.

If your first choice is taken, the app suggests alternatives. You can change the name later but the profile URL includes it, so changing breaks any old links — pick something you'll be happy with.

Step 3 — Pick a category

The category dropdown shows all available service categories, organized in a tree. Major branches:

• Home services — cleaning, plumbing, electrical, gardening, painting.
• Beauty & wellness — salons, barbers, massage, makeup, nails.
• Vehicle services — boda repair, car service, washing.
• Events — catering, photography, videography, DJs, MCs.
• Professional — tutoring, translation, accounting, web work.
• Transport — delivery, moving, courier.
• Other — for anything that doesn't fit.

Pick the most specific sub-category that fits what you actually do. "Beauty & wellness → Salon → Braiding" beats just "Salon" because buyers filter by sub-category in the directory.

You can only pick one primary category. If you do multiple things (say, salon AND nails), pick whichever you do more of and mention the other in your bio.

Step 4 — Pick your location

The dropdown shows district / town. Pick where you primarily operate.

If you offer mobile services (you come to the buyer), the location is where you're based. Later, in the profile setup, you'll set a service radius — how far you'll travel.

If you have a fixed location (a salon, a workshop), this is the district your physical place is in.

Step 5 — Confirm your phone number

If your phone was WhatsApp-verified during signup, this is a one-tap confirmation: "yes, this is my number."

If the app says you need to re-verify, follow the prompts:

1. Tap Send WhatsApp code.
2. Look for a WhatsApp message from "KampalaSnap" or "Meta."
3. Type the 6-digit code into the app.
4. Tap Verify.

Step 6 — Tap "Create service"

A green button at the bottom of the screen. Tap it. The app:

• Creates your service profile with the name + category + location you chose.
• Flips your account to also include a service role (you keep your buyer role too).
• Drops you on the Service Hub — your service dashboard.

The hub has tabs: - Videos — your service videos (empty for now). - Bookings / inquiries — buyer-initiated chats (empty for now). - Profile — your service profile settings. - Reviews — your trust feed (empty until past customers post). - Insights — your views / clicks / contact stats (verified-only). - Edit — full profile editor.

You're officially a service provider 🟡

What your profile looks like right now

If someone navigates to your service profile (typing the name in search, since you're unverified and not in the directory yet):

• Your service name + a generic placeholder logo.
• The category and location you picked.
• An empty bio.
• "0 videos" and "0 reviews."
• A "Not verified" badge in place of the contact CTA — meaning the WhatsApp tap is disabled.

The empty profile is fine for day 1. The next steps fill it in.

What to do RIGHT NOW

Even before adding videos:

1. Add a logo. Profile → Logo. Upload a photo of yourself, your workspace, or a simple icon.
2. Write a one-line bio. "Mobile braider in Kampala, 5+ years experience." "Boda mechanic with 24-hour callout availability."
3. Set your service radius (mobile services) or opening hours (fixed locations).

These three details take 5 minutes and they're the foundation. The next guide, Setting up your profile, walks through them in detail.

Common questions

Can I change my category later?

Yes — Edit → Category. But moving between categories can affect your discoverability (you lose visibility in the old category, start fresh in the new one). Don't switch unless your service actually changed.

Can I list under multiple categories?

Not as a primary category. Your profile lives in ONE category. You can describe additional services in your bio and tag videos with related categories, but the directory only places you under your primary.

If you do enough of a second service to want a separate listing, consider running a second service profile for it. (You'd need a separate account; one account = one service.)

My service name was rejected. Why?

Same reasons as shop name rejections:

• Already taken.
• Looks like a known brand.
• Contains banned characters or profanity.

Try again with a different name.

I'm an individual freelancer, not a company. Do I have to use a "company name"?

No, just use your name. "SandraPhotographer" works. "JoseTheCleaner" works. Buyers don't care whether it's a company or solo — they just want to know who to call.

I have a shop AND I want to add a service. Can my service share the shop's identity?

Sort of. You can use a similar name ("ShopNameServices") and the same logo, but they're separate profiles. Buyers see them as related but distinct. The shop has its own followers; the service has its own.

If you want clear branding linkage, mention the shop in the service bio ("Service arm of @ShopName boutique").

Can I close my service profile and just go back to being a buyer?

Yes. Profile → Close service. The profile goes inactive (buyers can't find you). Your buyer account is unaffected. You can re-open later if you change your mind.

Do I need to pay anything to open the profile?

No. Opening the service profile is free. You only pay if you decide to verify (monthly subscription).

What's next

• Setting up your profile — fill in the details that make buyers want to message you.
• The path to verification — understand what verification unlocks before deciding.