Skip to content

Agent platform

Claude Code for small business: what it does and recipes to try

Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool. It reads your files, edits them and runs commands in the terminal, an IDE, Claude Desktop or the browser. Beyond code, it can work with documents and data in a project folder, use reusable skills and run routines on a schedule. Most ways to use it need a Claude subscription.

Last checked: · Sources

Who can use it

  • Claude subscription or Anthropic Console account
  • Terminal, IDE, Claude Desktop or web
  • Routines on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise

What Claude Code can do

  • Files and commands

    Claude Code reads the files in a project folder, edits them and runs commands to finish a task.

    Example: Turn an article into a set of illustrations with captions.

  • Skills

    Package repeatable work as a skill so Claude Code follows the same steps each time.

    Example: A sales-call review skill that checks a transcript against your checklist.

  • Routines

    Save a prompt and run it on a schedule, from an API call or on GitHub events, in Anthropic's cloud.

    Example: Every weekday morning, summarize yesterday's merged changes.

Recipes built with Claude Code

Each recipe shows what you provide, what you get, and a setup prompt to copy into Claude Code. Examples are illustrative, not recorded results.

Find covered topics and gaps in a transcript, with evidence for a coaching discussion.

You provide
One permitted call transcript, Optional company context, A discovery-call rubric
You get
Topic-by-topic review with evidence, Unclear or missing information, Two or three follow-up priorities
Build with:Claude Code
View recipe

Turn an approved article into a matching cover, illustrations and carousel, with editable artwork and PNG/PDF exports.

You provide
Final article and intended reader, Optional brand assets and required wording, Local workspace with a browser renderer
You get
One 1600×900 cover and three matching article illustrations as PNG and editable SVG files., With Full visual pack: six 1080×1350 carousel PNGs, a six-page PDF and editable SVG/HTML layouts., A contact sheet, source and alt-text manifest, review notes and a reusable local renderer.
Build with:CodexClaude Code
View recipe

Skills you can add to Claude Code

A skill is a folder of instructions that Claude Code can use for a specific task. Add it once, then ask for the task in your own words.

How to add skills to Claude Code
  • Sales call preparation

    Prepare a focused sales-call brief from meeting notes and customer history, with evidence, questions, and a realistic next step.

  • Content strategy

    Choose what to publish, improve or stop using audience evidence, existing content and production capacity.

  • Website copywriting

    Write page-specific website copy with a message map, supported claims and visible commercial terms.

  • Visual design

    Create an original, readable visual from a brief, with editable SVG artwork and optional exports when rendering tools are available.

  • Business process documentation

    Turn team notes into a repeatable process with clear owners, decisions, exceptions, and completion checks.

  • Support ticket triage

    Organize customer issues into a review queue with evidence-based priorities and draft first responses.

  • Account reconciliation

    Compare accounting records with a clear audit trail, separate uncertain matches, and explain remaining differences.

  • Research synthesis

    Combine supplied sources into a clear answer that preserves evidence, disagreement, and uncertainty.

  • Data visualization

    Turn a supplied dataset into a readable chart with reproducible steps and observations supported by the data.

  • Product roadmap planning

    Organize proposed product work into a roadmap that makes priorities, dependencies, and unanswered decisions clear.

  • Employee onboarding

    Prepare a practical new-starter plan with role-based activities, owners, and checks for missing information.

  • React performance practices

    Diagnose a slow React interaction with comparable traces, targeted fixes and behavior checks.

Browse all 71 skills

Set up your first Claude Code task

  1. Check your access: most ways to use Claude Code need a Claude subscription or an Anthropic Console account.
  2. Install Claude Code in your terminal, or open the Code tab in Claude Desktop, and sign in.
  3. Create a practice folder and start a session in it.
  4. Pick a recipe and paste its setup prompt, or add a skill from the list below by following the skills guide.
  5. Review every file change and result before you keep it.

What to check before you trust it

  • Work in a practice folder or a copy of your files first.
  • Review each file change before you keep it.
  • Remove connectors a routine does not need: routines run without stopping for approval.
  • Read a routine's run transcript. A green status only means the session ran, not that the task succeeded.

Good to know

  • Access and usage costs depend on the chosen account or billing setup.

We have not run these setups ourselves. Recipes are written from public Claude Code documentation, and their examples are illustrative.

Claude Code vs Codex vs Claude Cowork

Claude CodeCodexClaude Cowork
Where it runsTerminal, IDE extensions, Claude Desktop and the webChatGPT desktop and mobile apps, the web, the CLI, IDE extensions and Codex CloudClaude Desktop (macOS, Windows), the web and mobile
Connected appsYour project files, MCP connectors and skillsYour project files, skills and pluginsLocal folders, connectors, plugins and a browser
SchedulingYes: routines in the cloud or desktop scheduled tasksYes: scheduled tasks that run in the backgroundYes: /schedule, with scheduled tasks running in the cloud
PlanClaude subscription or Anthropic Console accountChatGPT plans or an API keyPaid Claude plans: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise
CountriesWhere Claude is availableWhere ChatGPT is available; some features are limited by regionWhere Claude is available
Compare all agent platforms

Frequently asked questions about Claude Code

Is Claude Code only for developers?

It was built for coding, but it works with any files in a project folder. The recipes here use it for business tasks such as reviewing a sales call transcript.

Is Claude Code free?

No. Most ways to use it need a paid Claude subscription or an Anthropic Console account billed for usage.

What is the difference between Claude Code and Claude Cowork?

Claude Code is the agentic coding tool for the terminal, IDE, desktop and web. Cowork brings the same agentic abilities to knowledge work without a terminal.

Can Claude Code run on a schedule?

Yes. Routines run in Anthropic's cloud on a schedule, from an API call or on GitHub events. They are available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans.

How do I add skills to Claude Code?

Each skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that Claude Code uses for a specific task. Our Claude Code skills guide shows where to put it.

Sources

Last checked:

Claude Code pricing and product details

Recipes for other agent platforms

All Categories

Find AI agents, tools, skills, and setup guides for the work you need to do.

Explore all categories