How to Use Claude AI: A Beginner's Setup Guide for Small Business Owners
Updated: 3 days ago
To start with Claude AI, go to claude.ai, create a free account and write your question. On day one, set up three things: privacy, instructions about you, and memory. Then Claude answers about your business, not an average one.
Claude is Anthropic's AI assistant. Like ChatGPT, it writes, analyzes files and spreadsheets and searches the web, and it handles long documents well. Menu names below match the screen; the app updates often, so if a label differs slightly, look for it in Settings.
Where do I download Claude?
In a browser: claude.ai. Nothing to install.
On a computer (Claude desktop): Windows and macOS apps from claude.com/download.
On a phone: search for "Claude" in the App Store or Google Play. The developer should be Anthropic.
You use one account everywhere, and your chats appear on every device.
Tip: Download Claude only from claude.com or an official app store. Never give a password or card details to an unknown site offering "Claude".
Is Claude free? What does Pro cost?
The free plan covers everyday work: chat, web search, files, memory and up to 5 Projects. If you use Claude for your business daily, you'll hit the limits quickly, and a paid plan starts to pay off.
Free: $0, with usage limits.
Pro: $20 per month, or $17 per month billed annually. More usage, stronger models, Research and search across past chats.
Max: from $100 per month, with 5x or 20x Pro's usage.
Team: for teams of 2 or more, with central billing and admin.
Check current prices on the Claude pricing page. Comparing tools? See Claude vs ChatGPT for small business.
On paid plans the desktop app also runs Claude Code. It is a tool for programming, and you won't need it for this guide.
First setting: privacy
Before you upload business files, open Settings › Privacy and turn off Help improve our AI models, so your chats are not used for training. What never to type into AI, and how Incognito chats work: How to protect your data in ChatGPT and Claude.
Get to know the Claude screen
On the claude.ai home screen you'll use four things:
Projects (1 in the screenshot): chats and files on one topic, kept together.
Customize (2): connectors such as Google Drive, and extra capabilities.
The plus button in the chat box (3): add a file, photo or document.
The ghost icon at the top right (4): an Incognito chat that isn't saved to your history.
How do I tell Claude about my business?
Click your name (bottom left), then Settings.
Choose Account (1).
What should Claude call you? (2): how Claude should address you.
Instructions for Claude (3): your standing instruction. A template is below.
Template. Replace the brackets with your details:
I run [type of business, e.g. a guesthouse in Kazbegi, Georgia]. My guests are [who]. My main goal right now: [goal].
1. Write in plain, simple language and keep it short.
2. If my question is unclear, ask a 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.Memory: what does Claude know about you?
With memory, Claude keeps key details about you and your work and uses them in new chats. Memory is available on the free plan; searching past chats requires a paid plan.
In Settings, open Memory (1). On some accounts it sits under Capabilities.
Search and reference chats (2): Claude can find details in past chats. Turn it on.
Generate memory from chats (3): Claude remembers what matters. Turn it on.
Switching from ChatGPT? Use the memory import (4) to bring over what it knew about you.
The same page shows what Claude remembers. Correct or delete anything that's wrong.
Projects: a folder for your business
In a Project you upload a short business description, your prices and key files once. Claude reads them in every new chat, so you stop re-explaining your business. The free plan allows up to 5 Projects. Keep separate businesses in separate Projects so information doesn't mix.
Your first business task: try it now
Claude is good with long text, so start with customer reviews. Remove names and phone numbers first, then paste:
Below are the last 15 customer reviews of my [type of business] (names removed).
1. Group them: what customers praise, what they complain about, what they ask for.
2. Quote 1-2 reviews for each group.
3. Suggest 3 small changes I can test within one week.
If anything is unclear, ask me first.
[reviews]Treat the result as a hypothesis, not a final answer, and test each change on a small scale. For the full path from AI advice to a checked decision, see How to use AI for business decisions.
Also using ChatGPT? Its setup is similar: How to use ChatGPT for beginners. If you read Georgian, we apply these habits to participants' own businesses in our AI course for business (in Georgian).
FAQ
Is Claude AI free?
Yes, there is a free plan with usage limits. Pro costs $20 per month, or $17 per month billed annually.
What is the difference between Claude desktop and the website?
Your account and chats are the same. The desktop app opens faster and, on paid plans, adds extra capabilities such as Claude Code.
Does Claude remember my previous chats?
With memory turned on, yes. Memory works on the free plan; searching and referencing past chats needs a paid plan.
What should I never type into Claude?
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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