Claude Code for business owners, no coding needed.

Normal Claude chats with you. Claude Code works on the actual files in a folder you pick.

1. You need a paid Claude plan: Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. The free plan doesn’t include Claude Code.
2. By default it asks before it changes a file or runs anything. You stay in charge.
3. It only works in the folder you open it in, so start with a folder made for it.

The desktop app is the easy way in. The terminal is there if you prefer typing.

The easy way: the Claude desktop app

1. Download the Claude desktop app from claude.com/download and install it.
2. Open it and sign in with your Claude account.
3. Click the Code tab at the top. If it asks you to upgrade, your plan doesn’t include Claude Code yet.

The other way: the terminal

1. Open Terminal (press Cmd and Space, type Terminal, press Return).
2. Copy the line below, paste it into Terminal and press Return.
3. When it finishes, close Terminal, open a new one, and type claude --version. A version number means it worked.

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Your answers write a short CLAUDE.md file. Claude reads it at the start of every session in that folder.

# About this folder

This folder holds [WHATS IN THIS FOLDER] for my business.

## My business
- [YOUR BUSINESS IN ONE LINE]
- My customers: [WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE]

## How I like things done
- Write in British English (colour, organise).
- Name files like this: date first, then a short name, e.g. 2026-03-14 Client Name invoice.pdf
- I’m not technical. Before you do anything, tell me in plain words what you’re about to do and why.
- Never delete anything. If something looks like rubbish, move it to a folder called "_to-check" and tell me.
- Before you move or rename more than 5 files, show me the plan as a table and wait for my OK.
- Save anything new you make in a folder called "_made-by-claude".
- If you're not sure what I mean, ask me one short question first.

A folder made for Claude keeps the rest of your computer out of it. Copies keep your originals safe.

1. Make a new folder somewhere easy, like your Desktop. Call it "Business with Claude".
2. Inside it, make four folders: inbox, exports, receipts and notes.
3. Copy (don’t move) some real files in: a messy pile into inbox, a CSV export from your sales or payments tool into exports, some receipts or invoices into receipts, and your rough notes into notes.
4. Download your CLAUDE.md from the last step (or from Take your downloads) and put it in the main folder. The name must be exactly CLAUDE.md.

One question tells you Claude has read your CLAUDE.md and knows where it is.

In the desktop app

1. Open the Code tab and choose Local.
2. Click Select folder and pick your "Business with Claude" folder.
3. Next to the send button, set the permission mode to Manual. Claude then asks before it edits files or runs anything.

In the terminal

1. In Terminal, type cd and a space. Drag your folder into the Terminal window and press Return.
2. Type claude and press Return. Sign in if it asks, and say yes when it asks if you trust this folder.

Read CLAUDE.md, then look around this folder without changing anything.
Tell me in five lines: what you know about my business, how I like things done, and what's in each folder.

Five jobs you’d normally do by hand. Run them one at a time and read what Claude plans before you say yes.

Look at every file in the "inbox" folder. Don't move anything yet.
1. Suggest a simple folder structure for these files, with no more than 6 folders.
2. Show me a table: file name, the folder it would go in, and why.
3. Wait for my OK. Then move them and save the table as "_made-by-claude/tidy-log.md" so I can see what moved where.

Read the CSV file in the "exports" folder. It's an export from my sales or payments tool.
1. Tell me in two lines what the file contains and the date range it covers.
2. Give me: total sales by month, my top 5 products or offers, how many customers bought more than once, and anything that looks odd (refunds, failed payments, a sudden drop).
3. Save it as a one-page summary called "_made-by-claude/sales-summary.md".
Only use numbers that are in the file. If a column is unclear, ask me before you guess.

Build a simple one-page website for [YOUR MAIN OFFER OPTIONAL].
- Who it's for: [WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE]
- Sections: a headline, three short benefits, a short "about me", and a button that says [button text] linking to [link].
- Keep it clean: lots of white space, easy to read on a phone.
- Use [FROM ME: ...] wherever you need a real fact, quote or number from me. Don't make anything up.
- Save it as one file: "_made-by-claude/page/index.html". Then tell me how to open it in my browser.

Look at the files in the "receipts" folder. Don't rename anything yet.
1. Read each file and work out the date, who it's from and the amount.
2. Suggest a new name for each one like this: 2026-03-14 Supplier Name 49.99.pdf
3. Show me a table of old name and new name. Flag any file you couldn't read.
4. Wait for my OK. Then rename them and save the table as "_made-by-claude/rename-log.md".

Read the files in the "notes" folder. They're my rough notes on how I work with clients.
Draft a client welcome document from them:
- What happens in the first week, step by step
- How and when they can reach me
- What I need from them to get started
Write it in my voice: plain, warm, short sentences. Use [FROM ME: ...] for anything my notes don't cover.
Save it as "_made-by-claude/client-welcome.md".

A few habits keep every session safe, even on your real files later.

1. Ask for the plan first. The tidy and rename prompts start with "don’t change anything yet" for a reason. Use that line on any job that moves files.
2. Keep the logs. The tidy and rename tasks save a table of what moved where, so you can always put things back.
3. Undo an edit: in the terminal, press Esc twice (or type /rewind) and pick the point to go back to. This undoes Claude’s edits to files. Moves and renames need the log.
4. Stop it any time: click the stop button in the app, or press Esc in the terminal.

Tick what you want. Each file is written from your answers in step 3.

• My CLAUDE.mdDrop it into your business folder, named exactly CLAUDE.mdCLAUDE.md
• My five Claude Code tasksAll five prompts, ready to use on your real filesmy-claude-code-tasks.md