Claude for Small Business: what it does, which plan, what to connect
Short answer: Claude for Small Business is a free plugin from Anthropic that runs inside Claude Cowork, the Claude desktop app. It adds ready-made workflows (a Monday brief, lead replies, proposals, campaigns, month-end close) that work through 37 partner connectors such as QuickBooks, HubSpot, Shopify and Slack. It is available on every paid Claude plan; Anthropic recommends the Team plan once more than one person uses it. Tools outside the partner list, such as your own CRM or project app, can be added as a custom connector.
As of November 2026. Details come from Anthropic's own announcements and help pages, linked below, and can change. Prices are in USD. Written by Flori, which makes one of the tools you could connect; Flori is not an Anthropic partner connector.
What is Claude for Small Business?
Anthropic launched Claude for Small Business on 13 May 2026 as "a package of connectors and ready-to-run workflows". You switch it on inside Claude Cowork, connect the tools you already use and pick a job. On 15 September 2026 Anthropic expanded it to 43 workflows and added 27 integrations; it says the plugin has been installed more than 900,000 times.
Three things define how it works:
- It runs in Cowork, not in a normal chat. You install the plugin in the desktop app, then ask Claude to "help me get set up" or type `/smb-onboard`.
- Every workflow starts in approval mode. Claude drafts and stages the work, then waits for your OK before anything sends, posts or pays. You can let one workflow at a time run on its own and switch it back later.
- Your existing permissions hold. Anthropic says an employee who can't see something in QuickBooks or Google Drive can't see it through Claude either.
Which workflows are included?
Anthropic's September post walks through a week of workflows. Each runs on request or on a schedule you set.
| Workflow | Command | What it does | Partner connectors it can use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday brief | `/monday-brief` | Cash position, sales against last week, pipeline movement, overdue invoices and the three things that need you | All 37 |
| Speed to lead | `/speed-to-lead` | Qualifies a new inquiry, drafts a reply with real calendar openings and logs it to your CRM | 15, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Notion and monday.com |
| Proposal builder | `/proposal-builder` | Turns a voice memo, photos or a call transcript into a branded proposal priced from past jobs | 17, including Docusign, Google Drive, Notion and QuickBooks |
| Marketing | `/social-content-engine`, `/marketing-monday` | Drafts next week's posts and graphics and puts last week's results on one page | 16, including Canva, Mailchimp, Shopify and TikTok |
| Month-end close | `/close-month` | Reconciles books against payments, card spend and payroll, writes a plain-English P&L and builds a close packet | 14, including QuickBooks, Xero, Stripe and Gusto |
Every workflow also works without connectors: you upload a spreadsheet, statement or memo and Claude builds the report or draft from that.
Which tools does it connect to?
Anthropic lists 37 partner connectors for its workflows: Airwallex, Apollo, Atlassian, Canva, Clay, Docusign, Emergent, Expensify, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Gusto, HubSpot, Intuit Mailchimp, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft 365, monday.com, MYOB, NetSuite, Notion, PayPal, Ramp, RingCentral, Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, Square, Stripe, TikTok Ads, Trello, Wix, Xero, Zapier, Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk and Zoom.
The list leans toward money (accounting, payments, payroll) and selling (CRM, email, ads). If the system where you keep customers and projects is on it, start there.
What if your tool isn't on the list?
You have three routes, and they can be combined:
- Add it as a custom connector. Anthropic's help article says custom connectors using remote MCP work in Claude, Cowork and Claude Desktop on Free (one connector), Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise. Any tool with a hosted MCP server can be added by its URL.
- Go through Zapier. Zapier is a partner connector, so a tool Zapier supports can be reached that way.
- Ask Claude to build a connector. Anthropic describes a `/build-connector` command for systems with no connector, such as a point-of-sale app.
A custom connector is available in the same Cowork session as the plugin, so you can ask Claude to use it alongside the partner tools. Anthropic does not list custom connectors among the connectors its prebuilt workflows are designed for, so test the workflow you care about before relying on it.
Which Claude plan does a small business need?
Anthropic says the plugin is available on every paid plan and recommends Team for businesses with more than one person. Prices from Claude's pricing page:
| Plan | Price | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Trying Claude | Limited usage; one custom connector; no Cowork plugin |
| Pro | $17 a month billed yearly ($200 up front), $20 monthly | A solo owner | Includes Claude Code; more usage than Free |
| Max | $100 a month | One person who uses Claude all day | 5x Pro usage |
| Ultra | $200 a month | One person running long tasks | 10x Pro usage a week |
| Team, Standard seat | $20 a seat a month billed yearly, $25 monthly | 2 to 150 people | Shared projects, central billing, SSO, admin controls for connectors, no training on your content by default |
| Team, Premium seat | $100 a seat a month billed yearly, $125 monthly | Team members who hit limits | 5x Standard usage; seat types can be mixed |
| Enterprise | $20 a seat a month billed yearly plus usage at API rates | Larger companies | 20 seat minimum |
Is Claude Team or Pro better for a small business?
Pro is enough for one person. Choose Team once two or more people work with the same customers: projects can be shared, billing and connectors are managed in one place, and Anthropic does not train on Team content by default. On Pro, Max and Ultra, Anthropic lists model training as opt-out, so turn it off in your settings if you handle client material.
What about Claude Duet?
Claude Duet is Anthropic's newer proactive agent. Anthropic's product page says it is available on Pro, Max and Ultra in the US, and not on Team or Enterprise. It is separate from the Small Business plugin.
How do you connect your customers and projects?
Most small businesses keep customer history in one place and the work in another. Claude can only plan a job from what it can reach, so give it the record where deals turn into projects.
If that record is on the partner list, use the partner connector. If it isn't, any tool with a hosted MCP server connects the same way. Flori is one: a CRM with project management that keeps accounts, people, deals and leads next to projects, tasks, docs and a client page, behind one server at https://useflori.com/mcp.
To add it on Team, an owner opens Organization settings, Connectors, chooses Add, then Custom, then Web, and pastes the URL; members then connect their own Flori accounts under Customize, Connectors. On Pro or Max you add it yourself under Customize, Connectors, Add custom connector. At Flori's sign-in you choose a whole workspace or one project, with read-only or update access. Full steps are on the Claude connect page.
Once connected, Claude can read what was sold before planning the work, turn meeting notes into tasks, or draft the weekly client update from what actually happened. Work an assistant submits waits in a review queue where you approve it, request changes or undo it, and every save shows which assistant made it. Flori sells no AI credits, and connecting works on the free plan (pricing). The ChatGPT side is covered in ChatGPT for small business.
Where to be careful
- Approve before automating. Keep each workflow in approval mode until you've checked several runs. A confident summary is not proof that a record was saved.
- Start read-only. For a new connector, read-only access covers briefs and summaries. Grant update access only for the projects you choose.
- Check the numbers. Claude can reconcile and draft a P&L, but your accountant still signs off on the books.
- Custom connectors are unverified by Anthropic. Anthropic warns that custom connectors reach services it hasn't reviewed. Connect only servers from companies you trust.
FAQ
What is Claude for Small Business? It is a free plugin from Anthropic that runs in Claude Cowork and adds 43 ready-made workflows, such as a weekly business brief, lead replies, proposals and month-end close, working through 37 partner connectors. It launched on 13 May 2026 and was expanded on 15 September 2026.
How much does Claude for Small Business cost? The plugin itself has no separate price. Anthropic says it is available on every paid Claude plan: Pro is $17 a month billed yearly or $20 monthly, and Team Standard seats are $20 a seat a month billed yearly or $25 monthly, as of November 2026.
Should a small business choose Claude Team or Pro? Pro is enough for one person. Anthropic recommends Team for businesses with more than one person; it adds shared projects, central billing, admin controls for connectors and no model training on your content by default.
Which apps does Claude for Small Business connect to? Anthropic lists 37 partner connectors, including QuickBooks, Xero, PayPal, Stripe, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Shopify, Slack, Gmail, Google Drive, Microsoft 365, Notion, monday.com, Trello, Atlassian and Zapier. Tools outside that list can be added as custom connectors if they offer a hosted MCP server.
Can I connect my own CRM to Claude for Small Business? Yes, if your CRM is a partner connector or offers a hosted MCP server. Anthropic says custom connectors work in Cowork on every plan, with one custom connector on Free. Flori is one CRM with project management that connects this way.
Sources
- Anthropic: Introducing Claude for Small Business, 13 May 2026
- Claude: Claude for Small Business launches new workflows, integrations, and training programs, 15 September 2026
- Claude pricing, checked 2 November 2026
- Claude Help Center: custom connectors using remote MCP, checked 2 November 2026
- Claude Duet product page