The Complete Claude Code Setup Guide: MCPs, Skills, and Prompts for Business Owners

Start here: install Claude Code

Claude Code is Anthropic's AI assistant that runs on your computer rather than in a browser tab. You describe what you want in plain English — it writes code, builds tools, automates tasks, and connects your apps together. No coding required.

The desktop app is the easiest way to start. Go to claude.ai, sign in, download the app, and drag it to your Applications folder. For automation that runs in the background on a schedule, the terminal version is more powerful.

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npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude

The MCPs worth installing first

MCPs (Model Context Protocols) are plugins that give Claude Code real-world capabilities. Install them once and Claude uses them automatically. These five cover the most common business use cases.

• Playwright — lets Claude control a real browser: click buttons, fill forms, scrape pages, take screenshots. Install: run
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  npx @playwright/mcp

  in your terminal, then restart Claude Code
• Tavily — gives Claude real-time web search and content extraction. Go to tavily.com, create a free account, copy your API key, then add it in Claude Code → Settings → MCP Servers
• Context7 — pulls current documentation for any coding library so Claude always has accurate, up-to-date info. Install:
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  npx @context7/mcp

• Apify — hundreds of pre-built scrapers for Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Google Maps, and more. Go to apify.com, create an account, copy your API key, add in Claude Code → Settings → MCP Servers
• Notion MCP — connects Claude directly to your Notion workspace. Go to notion.so/my-integrations → New integration, copy the token, then run
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  npx @notionhq/notion-mcp-server

13 slash command skills for business owners

A skill is a saved set of instructions that trains Claude to do a specific job the same way every time. Trigger it with a /command. Use this prompt in Claude Code to build any of the skills below.

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Build me a Claude Code skill called /[skill-name].

This skill should: [describe what the skill does in one sentence]
Inputs it needs: [what information to ask for before starting]
Output format: [how the result should be structured]
Tone: [professional / conversational / direct — match my brand]

Create the full SKILL.md file and tell me how to install it.

The 13 skills to build

These cover business development, operations, and content — the three areas where repetitive work compounds fastest.

• /scraper — Lead Finder: finds and qualifies leads in any niche across Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok and pulls contact info
• /head-of-development — BD Strategist: identifies partnership opportunities, outreach strategies, and revenue growth levers
• /sdr — Appointment Setter: writes outreach messages, follow-up sequences, and helps book more calls
• /coo — Chief Operating Officer: reviews your systems, spots bottlenecks, and gives a prioritized action plan
• /head-of-strategy — Strategic Advisor: helps you make big decisions with a clear framework and a concrete recommendation
• /script — Video Script Writer: writes ready-to-record TikTok and Instagram scripts in your voice — hook, body, CTA
• /viral — Video Idea Generator: researches your specific niche to generate 10 viral video ideas backed by real trends
• /content-director — Content Planner: plans your full content calendar based on your business goals
• /cmo — Chief Marketing Officer: builds your full marketing strategy and tells you exactly where to focus
• /repurpose — Content Repurposer: turns one piece of content into multiple platform-native formats
• /analyze-creator — Creator Intelligence: analyzes any creator's last 20 posts and tells you what's working
• /copy — Copywriter: writes high-converting copy for any offer, platform, or format
• /skill-creator — Skill Builder: lets you build and refine your own custom skills from a description

35 prompts to copy and use right now

These prompts work directly in Claude Code — paste any one and Claude will ask the right questions before giving you something usable.

• Content: Analyze my last 10 posts and tell me exactly what's working, what's not, and what I should make more of based on engagement data
• Content: Look at the top 3 creators in my niche. Tell me what formats they're using that I'm not — and give me 5 ideas to test this week
• Content: Write me 10 hooks for short-form video that tap into a real frustration my audience has. Make them feel visceral, not logical
• Content: Turn this YouTube transcript into a 5-part Instagram carousel, a TikTok caption, and a short email. Make each native to that platform
• Content: Help me build a 30-day content plan — 70% educational, 20% behind-the-scenes, 10% promotional. Give me specific topics, not just categories
• Business: I want to start a business but I'm not sure what to build. Ask me 5 questions about my skills and experience, then give me the top 3 ideas that are the most natural fit
• Business: What's the fastest way for someone with my background to make their first $5,000 online? Give me a specific path based on what I know
• Business: I want to raise my prices. Help me reframe my offer so a higher price feels obvious — not just to clients but to me
• Scale: I want to scale. Ask me 5 questions about my business, then give me a prioritized growth plan
• Scale: I'm at a plateau — revenue flat for 3 months. Ask me everything you need to understand why, then give me 3 moves for the next 30 days

Frequently asked questions

• Which Claude plan do I need for skills? Skills require Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise. Free plan users can still copy and paste the SKILL.md content directly into any conversation.
• Do I need all the MCPs or just some? Start with Tavily and Playwright — they cover the most ground for business owners. Add Apify when you need social data at scale, and Notion MCP when you're building Notion-connected workflows.
• How long does the full setup take? Installing Claude Code and your first two MCPs takes under 30 minutes. Building your first skill takes about 10 minutes. The 13-skill library can be built over a week, one skill per day.