16 Claude Prompts for Small Business Owners

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] New service: [what it is and who it is for] Time it takes me: [hours per job] Direct costs per job: [materials, software, travel] What similar businesses charge: [prices I have seen, or "not sure"] What I want to earn per hour: [amount] </context> <task> 1. Work out the minimum price that covers my costs and my target hourly rate 2. Suggest three price options (basic, standard, premium) with what each includes 3. Explain which option most customers are likely to pick and why 4. Write a one-line way to describe each option to a customer </task> <constraints> - Show the sum behind the minimum price - Do not guess competitor prices; use only what I give you - Keep it practical for a small business, not a pricing theory lesson </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] Lead: [name, company, how they found us] What they asked about: [their enquiry or what we discussed] Last contact: [date and what happened] What I want next: [a call, a site visit, a signed quote] </context> <task> 1. Write a short follow-up email that picks up where we left off 2. Remind them of the one thing they cared about most 3. Ask for one clear next step with two time options 4. Write a shorter second message for a week later if they do not reply </task> <constraints> - Under 120 words per message - No pressure tactics, no fake deadlines - Sound like a real person, not a sales template </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] Customer: [customer name and what we did for them] Where I want the review: [Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, etc.] and the link: [review link] How I am asking: [email / text message / in person] </context> <task> 1. Write a short review request that thanks them for something specific 2. Make leaving the review take one click 3. Suggest two or three things they could mention, without writing the review for them 4. Write a one-line reminder to send 5 days later </task> <constraints> - Under 80 words for email, under 40 words for a text message - No incentives in exchange for reviews - Warm and personal, not a form letter </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] Supplier: [supplier name and what they supply] What I want: [a lower price / longer payment terms / a bulk discount / faster delivery] Our history: [how long we have bought from them and roughly how much] My leverage: [other quotes, order volume, paying on time, or "none"] </context> <task> 1. Write a polite, direct email asking for what I want 2. Give one or two reasons that make it easy for them to say yes 3. Suggest a middle option in case they cannot agree to the full ask 4. Ask for a reply by a specific date </task> <constraints> - Under 150 words - Keep the relationship friendly; I still need this supplier - Do not invent competitor quotes or volumes </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] What I want to promote: [product or service] Goal: [more bookings in a quiet week / clear stock / win new customers] Budget: [amount, or "none"] Dates: [start and end] Where my customers are: [email list, Instagram, shop window, local paper] </context> <task> 1. Suggest the offer itself, and check I can afford it at my margin: [margin or cost per sale] 2. Plan what goes out and when, day by day 3. Write the main message for each channel 4. Name one number to track so I know if it worked </task> <constraints> - Keep it doable by one person alongside normal work - No fake urgency or "only 2 left" claims that are not true - Show the sum behind the offer so I can see it still makes money </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] New hire: [name, role, start date] What they need to learn: [tools, tasks, customers, rules] Who will help them: [me, a colleague] What "doing well" looks like after week one: [a few specific things] </context> <task> 1. Plan their first week day by day: what they do, who they meet, what they learn 2. Write a short welcome message I can send before day one 3. List what I need to set up before they arrive (logins, keys, kit) 4. Write five questions to ask them at the end of the week </task> <constraints> - Realistic for a small team where I am also doing my normal job - Mix learning with real, simple work from day one - Keep the plan to one page </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we sell] How I sell: [online, in person, by appointment] What I want to allow: [refund window, exchanges, store credit, conditions] What I do not refund: [custom work, used items, missed appointments] My country: [country, so the policy can note local consumer rights] </context> <task> 1. Write a clear, short refund policy customers can read in one minute 2. Cover: how long they have, what condition items must be in, how to ask, and how long refunds take 3. Note where local consumer rights may apply, and flag anything I should check with an adviser 4. Write a two-sentence version for receipts or a checkout page </task> <constraints> - Plain language, no legal jargon - Fair to the customer and to me - Do not state legal requirements as certain; flag them for me to check </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] Customer: [name and how long they have been a customer] Their complaint: [paste their message] What went wrong, as far as I know: [the facts] What I can offer: [refund, discount, redo, replacement] </context> <task> 1. Write a reply that acknowledges the problem in their words 2. Explain briefly what happened, without excuses 3. Offer a clear fix and say when it will happen 4. Suggest one change I could make so it does not happen again </task> <constraints> - Under 150 words - Warm and direct; apologise once, not three times - Only offer what I have listed </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] Month: [month and year] This month's numbers: [paste sales, costs, profit, bank balance, number of customers] Last month's numbers (or the same month last year): [paste them] </context> <task> 1. Write a plain-English summary: did we make money, and how much 2. Show what changed versus last period and the likely reason, as a question if you are not sure 3. Point out the one cost or income line that needs my attention 4. Suggest two actions for next month </task> <constraints> - Use only the numbers I give you and show any sums - Under 250 words plus one small table - If something looks wrong in the numbers, say so </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] Client: [client name and their situation] Their problem or goal: [what they want to fix or achieve] What I will do: [the work, in phases if possible] Timeline: [start date and key dates] Price: [total or price per phase] Why us: [relevant experience or past results] </context> <task> 1. Open with their problem in their own words 2. Explain my approach in clear phases with what they get at each step 3. Set out the timeline and the price 4. Add a short "why us" section with real examples I gave you 5. End with the next step to say yes </task> <constraints> - Under two pages - Use only facts, prices and results I give you - No jargon; write for the person who signs the cheque </constraints>

<context> My business: [business name and what we do] My hours this week: [days and hours I can work] Fixed commitments: [appointments, jobs, deliveries with times] To-do list: [paste everything on my mind] The one thing that would make this a good week: [goal] </context> <task> 1. Sort my to-do list into: must do this week, can wait, can hand off or drop 2. Put the must-dos into a day-by-day plan around my fixed commitments 3. Block time for the one goal early in the week 4. Leave a buffer each day for the unexpected </task> <constraints> - Do not fill more than 80% of my hours - Group similar tasks (calls, admin, emails) together - One page, easy to glance at </constraints>