How to Use ChatGPT: A Beginner's Setup Guide for Small Business Owners
Updated: 3 days ago
To start using ChatGPT, go to chatgpt.com, create a free account and type your question. Before you use it for real business work, spend 15 minutes on three settings: privacy, custom instructions and memory. That is what turns generic answers into answers about your business.
Menu names below are as they appear on screen. ChatGPT updates often, so if a label looks slightly different, use the search box in Settings.
Where do I download ChatGPT?
You use the same account everywhere, and your chats sync across devices.
In a browser: chatgpt.com. Nothing to install.
On a computer: the Windows and macOS apps from the official page, chatgpt.com/download.
On a phone: search for "ChatGPT" in the App Store or Google Play. The developer should be OpenAI.
Tip: Copycat apps and sites use the ChatGPT name, and some ask for passwords or card details. Download only from chatgpt.com or an official app store.
Is ChatGPT free? Which plan do I need?
Yes, there is a free plan, and it includes chat, file uploads and Projects with limits. If you use ChatGPT for your business every day, the limits tend to run out exactly when you work with long files. That is the moment to consider a paid plan.
Free: everyday tasks, with limited messages, uploads and images.
Go: more messages, uploads and images. OpenAI notes this plan may include ads.
Plus: $20 per month. Stronger models, deep research and scheduled tasks.
Pro: several high-usage tiers, priced well above Plus. Few small businesses need it.
Check current prices on the ChatGPT pricing page. Choosing between tools? See Claude vs ChatGPT for small business.
First setting: stop your chats from training the model
Before you upload business numbers or files, open Settings › Data controls and turn off Improve the model for everyone. Your chats will no longer be used to train future models. What never to type into AI, and how temporary chats work: How to protect your data in ChatGPT and Claude.
How do I tell ChatGPT about my business?
Custom instructions apply to every new chat, so you explain your business once instead of in every conversation.
Click your profile picture (bottom left), then Settings.
Choose Personalization and turn on Enable customization.
Paste your instruction into the Custom instructions field (1 in the screenshot). A template is below.
If you see separate fields, fill in Nickname (2), Occupation (3) and More about you (4): your business, customers and current goal.
Click Save (5).
Template. Replace the brackets with your details:
I run [type of business, e.g. a neighborhood bakery in Tbilisi]. My customers are [who].
1. Write in plain, simple language and keep it short unless I ask for detail.
2. If my question is unclear, ask one clarifying question first.
3. Check any price, law or fact that may have changed, and cite the source.
4. If you don't know something, say so. Don't make it up.
5. Don't praise my idea just because it's mine. Tell me its weak points too.Short and specific beats long.
Memory: what should ChatGPT remember about you?
With memory on, ChatGPT keeps key details about you and your business and uses them in later chats.
Go to Settings › Personalization (1 in the screenshot).
Turn on Enable memory (2) if you want ChatGPT to remember.
Click Manage next to Memory summary to see what it saved. Delete anything wrong or unnecessary.
Memory controls vary by plan and country. If you don't see one, it may not be on your account yet.
Projects: a workspace for your business
A Project is a folder for chats and files on one topic. Upload your business description and key files once, and ChatGPT sees them in every chat inside the project. Projects are on every plan, with a 5-file limit on Free.
In the left menu, click New project and name it, for example after your business.
Click the three dots (•••) next to the project name, then Project settings.
Instructions (1): what the project is for and how ChatGPT should work in it.
Memory (2): Default lets the project use your general memory. Project-only keeps it to its own chats. If you run two businesses, project-only keeps them from mixing.
Your first business task: try it now
This prompt teaches the core habit: give context first, then ask. Fill in the brackets:
I run [type of business] in [city]. Most of my customers are [who].
This month I want [goal, e.g. more orders on weekdays].
Before you give advice, ask me 3-5 questions about my business. If data is missing, don't invent it, ask me.
Answer in a table: idea, cost, when I'd see results. Maximum 5 rows.Answer its questions honestly. The more precise you are, the more the advice fits your business. Then you decide which idea to test. For the full path from AI advice to a checked decision, see How to use AI for business decisions, and for the habits behind good prompts, How to use ChatGPT effectively.
Also using Claude? Its setup is similar: How to use Claude AI. If you read Georgian, we apply these habits to participants' own businesses in our AI course for business (in Georgian).
FAQ
Is ChatGPT free to use?
Yes. The free plan covers everyday chat, with limits on messages, uploads and images.
Do I need the app, or is the website enough?
The website is enough. The desktop and mobile apps use the same account and the same chats; they are simply quicker to open.
Does one account work on my phone and computer?
Yes. Sign in with the same account and your chats, projects and settings appear everywhere.
What should I never type into ChatGPT?
Passwords, card or bank account numbers, ID numbers and your customers' personal data. More in our data privacy guide.
Sources
About the author
Niko Tevdorashvili, founder of Azrioni. 17+ years leading marketing teams, 100+ projects across 15+ sectors, from banking to tourism. AI has been part of all his consulting and training programs for the past 4 years.
Want help fitting AI to your business? Write to info@azrioni.ai. Our courses are taught in Georgian.
Updated: October 18, 2026.
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