Business Types
ShowCato supports two kinds of business: those that sell products, and those that sell configurable services or packages.
Your business type decides what you build in ShowCato and what your buyers do on your link. It also changes your menu, your dashboard cards and where quotations arrive.
Most sellers use Product Catalog. Choose Services / Packages only if your buyers build a bundle from options rather than pick items off a shelf.
Product Catalog
For businesses that sell physical products, such as garments, jewellery or hardware. You get categories, collections, products, variants and formula pricing. Buyers pick products and quantities.
A good fit if you
- Have a range of items, each with its own photo and price.
- Sell in quantities, such as 50 shirts or 10 boxes of tablets.
- Offer sizes, colours, purities or pack sizes of the same item.
- Share new designs or price lists with dealers and retailers.
Example
A saree wholesaler in Surat lists 300 designs in categories like "Silk" and "Georgette". She makes a "Wedding 2025" collection and shares it with 20 boutiques. Each boutique picks designs and quantities, and taps Get Quotation.
A jeweller in Jaipur uses formula pricing. When the gold rate changes, he updates the rate once and product prices follow. See Formula Pricing.
Services / Packages
For businesses that sell bundles a buyer configures, such as event packages, tours or installation services. You build packages with steps and options. Buyers choose their options and get a quotation for the full package. See Packages.
A good fit if you
- Sell a service made of several choices, not single items.
- Have options with their own prices inside each choice.
- Usually send a custom quote after asking the buyer what they want.
Example
An event planner in Pune builds a "Wedding Reception" package. It has steps such as "Venue", "Catering" and "Decoration", each with options and prices. The family taps Configure & Get Quote, chooses their options and gets a quotation for the whole event.
Side by side
| Product Catalog | Services / Packages | |
|---|---|---|
| You build | Categories, collections and products | Packages with steps and options |
| The buyer | Picks products, options and quantities | Configures a package step by step |
| Menu group | Catalog | Packages |
| Quotations arrive in | Enquiries | Pkg Enquiries |
| First dashboard card | Total Products | Total Packages |
A catalog link holds either products or packages, not both.
Choosing your type
Set it in Settings → Business Profile → Business Content. The menu changes to match your type.
The setup wizard always starts you as a Product Catalog. If you sell services, finish the wizard first, then change Business Content to Services / Packages and save.
When you switch, ShowCato also updates your team members' permissions to match the new type. Check their access in Role Manager afterwards. See Team Members.
Need both? Create a second business from Add Business in the top-right menu. Each business has its own products, buyers and links.
For example, a solar dealer can run one business for panels and inverters as a product catalog. A second business can offer rooftop installation as packages. Switch between them from the top-right menu.
Built for small and growing teams
ShowCato is designed for businesses of 1 to 50 people: an owner with a few staff, or a small sales team selling to many buyers.
The owner keeps control of settings, storage and add-ons. Staff get their own login and see only the sections you allow. A salesperson can share links while an office helper adds products.
What ShowCato is, and is not
| ShowCato is | ShowCato is not |
|---|---|
| A tool to manage and share your product catalog | A marketplace where buyers find sellers |
| A quotation generator for your buyers | A seller of goods |
| A record of your buyers and enquiries | A payment gateway between you and your buyer |
| A browser tool; buyers need no app | A shipping or delivery service |
What this means for you
- You bring the buyers. Buyers see your catalog only when you send them a link. ShowCato does not list you in a public directory.
- You agree the deal. A quotation is a request from the buyer. You confirm price, stock and delivery with them directly.
- Payment is between you and the buyer. Collect it the way you do today, such as bank transfer or UPI.
- You ship the goods. Delivery and returns stay with you.
How ShowCato earns
ShowCato is free to start. Businesses pay only for the add-ons they need, such as open links, invoicing or extra storage. See Pricing & Add-ons.
Every account includes 1 GB of storage. Extra storage costs ₹100 per GB per year. See Storage.
To switch on an add-on, open Advance Features and click Activate. This sends a support request. The ShowCato team contacts you for payment and turns the add-on on.
Common mistakes
- Choosing packages for a product range. If buyers pick items and quantities, use Product Catalog, even for large or custom products.
- Mixing two trades in one business. Use Add Business to keep products, buyers and quotations separate.
- Expecting buyers to find you. ShowCato is not a marketplace. Share your links on WhatsApp, email and your own channels.