Anthropic launches Claude for Small Business to automate payroll, invoices, and marketing

Anthropic courts a new kind of customer: small business owners | TechCrunch

Anthropic is looking to court smaller companies. To that end, the company announced Wednesday the launch of Claude for Small Business, a new suite of services designed for customers who less resemble Walmart and Starbucks and more resemble the local hardware store or coffee shop. So far, much of the most intensive AI adoption has occurred at the enterprise level. In the recent past, studies have shown that most companies that scaled AI systems beyond experimental or pilot-level integration tended to be large companies with expansive budgets. This appears to be changing somewhat, as smaller and mid-sized businesses are seeing greater adoption. Anthropic's new bundle of features are designed to serve those new AI converts. They are available via a newly introduced toggle within Claude Cowork, the company's task-automation platform for business users that can browse the web, manage files, and execute multi-step workflows on a user's behalf. By toggling it on, paying users gain access to a host of automated services, including bookkeeping functions, business insights, and generative tools for ad campaigns. The new suite also includes integrations between Claude Cowork and a number of software products -- like QuickBooks, Canva, DocuSign, HubSpot, and PayPal. "Small businesses account for 44% of U.S. GDP and employ nearly half the private-sector workforce, but their adoption of AI has lagged behind larger enterprises," the company said. "Tools and training are rarely tailored to the ways small businesses operate, and as a result their use often stops at the chat window." For founders and investors, the move signals that the AI platform wars are expanding downmarket and that the next major battleground for user acquisition isn't the Fortune 500; it's the 36 million small businesses that make up the backbone of the U.S. economy. Anthropic is a little behind its competitor, OpenAI, which launched Enterprise ChatGPT at the end of 2023, including an integration for smaller teams called ChatGPT Business. Anthropic is planning to aggressively promote its new features with a coast-to-coast promotional tour, starting in Chicago and hitting 10 cities in total. At each stop, the company plans to offer a free AI training workshop that will be available to 100 local small business leaders.

Anthropic butts in to small business, promises help with payroll and other core tasks

Anthropic is pushing into the small business space with a set of new plug-and-play tools designed for those without a tech team budget, but be warned: Depending on your Anthropic subscription tier, some business data might get sucked up to train Claude. Anthropic announced Claude for Small Business (CSB) on Wednesday, describing the new plugin as a way for SMB owners without AI expertise to automate the basic business tasks they're saddled with, like payroll, chasing payments, and launching campaigns, that are usually the purview of different departments at the enterprise level. Installation is designed to be dead simple, with Pro, Max, and Teams plan users able to add it as a plugin from the Cowork space in the Claude Desktop app. Skills can then be run using natural language prompts or slash commands outlined here. Users will find "a package of connectors and ready-to-run workflows" inside the CSB plugin, according to the announcement. The aforementioned capabilities of the plugin are part of 15 skills based on common repeatable business tasks, while 15 agentic workflows are also included across areas like finance, operations, marketing and the like. As for the connectors themselves, Anthropic specifically mentions seven of them included in Claude for Small Business: Intuit Quickbooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, Docusign, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365. An Anthropic spokesperson told The Register in an email that CSB isn't limited to those connectors, but the skills and workflows rolling out for the plugin were only optimized for those connectors to start. Anthropic told us it chose those products based on the results of a survey of SMB owners, but it plans to add support for more connectors in the coming months. In other words, if you're a small business owner and you rely on a platform not on that list, you'll have to keep waiting a while longer if you want to pull that info into Claude. It's logical that Anthropic is pushing into the SMB space. The company has seen a leap in business customer subscriptions this year, taking advantage of OpenAI's slip in the professional user space, and with growth comes the search for new markets to tap. As Anthropic notes in the announcement, and as many analysts have pointed out, AI adoption among SMBs has historically lagged enterprises. That's to be expected, of course: Enterprises have far more resources to invest in new, unproven technologies and the money to absorb failure when said new tech doesn't pan out as expected. Anthropic said in its CSB announcement that it specifically designed the new plugin for "those who have historically been last in line for new technology," or small businesses, in other words. The company also launched an AI fluency for small business course to help SMB owners understand what exactly they're installing when they tell Claude to install CSB. But if you're taking part, you have to be OK with the idea that Anthropic might train its AI on your business data. Anthropic points out in the announcement that it doesn't train its AI models on the data of its business customers "on our Team and Enterprise Plans." But as we noted above, Anthropic is marketing CSB to those on Pro, Max, and Teams plans, and the privacy policy page for Pro and Max says something quite different: "We will use your chats and coding sessions (including to improve our models)," the page states. "Chat and coding session data we may use for improving our models includes the entire related conversation, along with any content, custom styles or conversation preferences, as well as data collected when using Claude for Chrome." Raw content from connectors isn't included, the page explains, "though data may be included if it's directly copied into your conversation with Claude." This only applies to users who, under regular circumstances, have chosen to allow Anthropic to use chats to improve Claude, but it likely won't shock any El Reg readers to learn that permission is on by default - Anthropic told us that it's on users to turn it off. If you're copacetic with all this, you can start using CSB today - there's no extra cost associated with installing the tool for anyone on a Pro, Max, or Teams plan. ®

Anthropic's latest Claude release turns your Mac into a small business powerhouse - 9to5Mac

If you run a small business from your Mac, you'll want to pay attention to Anthropic's latest Claude release. Anthropic is making it easier for small business owners to take advantage of modern AI tools with its new Claude for Small Business solution. Claude for Small Business is "a package of connectors and ready-to-run workflows that put Claude inside the tools small businesses depend on," says the company. The new collection of AI tools for small businesses runs on the Claude desktop app. Mac users can easily take advantage of the new package from Anthropic. "Claude for Small Business is a toggle install that puts Claude to work inside the tools small business owners already use: Intuit Quickbooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, Docusign, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365," Anthropic says. "From these tools, it can plan payroll, close the month, run a sales campaign, chase invoices, and more." Anthropic details every connector that works with Claude for Small Business on its solutions page here. The company also offers a free AI fluency course for small business owners. The course includes 14 lectures with over an hour of video. You can learn more about the new Claude for Small Business package here. It looks like a great starting point for small business owners who want to learn how to use AI on the Mac and improve operations.

Anthropic wants small businesses to use Claude Code

Why it matters: After spending years chasing enterprise contracts and consumer adoption, AI labs are now racing to win over small businesses -- a challenging and largely untapped market defined by limited staffs and little time to experiment. Driving the news: Claude for Small business, launching Wednesday, connects Claude to common business tools including QuickBooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, Docusign, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. How it works: The product runs through Claude Cowork and includes built-in workflows across finance, operations, sales, marketing, HR and customer service, according to Anthropic's announcement. What they're saying: Lina Ochman, Anthropic's head of SMB, told Axios the company is targeting businesses that have largely been left out of the AI boom. * "Historically, the software industry has been built for enterprises or VC-backed startups and consumers," Ochman said. "But not for the 15-person HVAC company or the 30-person landscaper or the 50-person real estate brokerage." * Ochman said many small business owners know AI could help them, but have struggled to turn a chat window into something useful for payroll, invoices, marketing or month-end close. * Anthropic built the workflows after surveying and interviewing small businesses about which tasks slowed them down most, Ochman says. Reality check: Small businesses may be an appealing market, but they're also a tough one. * Many owners are price-sensitive, short on time and skeptical about handing sensitive business data to AI systems. * Anthropic says its small business survey found half of owners named data security as their biggest hesitation about AI. Yes, but: Anthropic says Claude does not just run wild inside a business. * Users initiate each workflow, approve the plan and sign off before anything gets sent, posted or paid. * Existing account permissions also carry over, so Claude can only access what the connected account is already allowed to access. * Anthropic says it does not train on customer data by default on Team and Enterprise plans. Between the lines: Anthropic says there is no extra charge for Claude for Small Business beyond the cost of Claude licenses and whatever partner tools a business already pays for, such as QuickBooks, PayPal or HubSpot. Fun fact: Starting May 14, Anthropic is launching a 10-city tour in Chicago, Tulsa, Dallas, New Jersey, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Salt Lake City, Baltimore, San Jose, and Indianapolis to offer free half-day live AI fluency training and hands-on workshop for 100 local small business leaders per stop. What we're watching: The challenge will be to get busy small business owners to trust Claude, learn how to use it and actually put it to work.

Anthropic courts mom-and-pop shops with Claude for Small Business

Anthropic on Wednesday launched Claude for Small Business, a new package of agentic workflows, skills, and connectors designed to automate business tasks common to smaller companies. Claude for Small Business includes workflows for payroll planning, month-end close, business performance monitoring, and marketing campaign management. It also includes skills, or reusable capability packages for AI agents, focused on cash-flow forecasting, invoice chasing, contract review, lead triage, content strategy, and more, Anthropic says. Users get connectors, or integrations, to commonly used platforms including QuickBooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, DocuSign, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, and others. Small business owners can start using the product by installing a plug-in for Claude CoWork, Anthropic's general digital platform. Anthropic believes small businesses are increasingly interested in AI but have been underserved by the tech industry. "The software industry has been built for enterprises, for VC-backed startups, and consumers, but not the 50-employee HVAC contractor or the 25-person landscape company," says Lina Ochman, Anthropic's head of U.S. Small and Medium-Sized Businesses. "No one has really shown up with something designed for how small businesses actually work."

Anthropic's Newest Claude Feature Is Here to Help Small Business Owners With Their Pain Points

Small business owners wear a lot of hats, and Anthropic's latest release aims to lighten the load with 15 ready-made skills that allow Claude to handle tasks like planning payroll, balancing the books, and onboarding new employees. The company is releasing Claude for Small Business, a new program designed to help smaller enterprises and solo founders run their companies with a combination of AI-powered tools and custom education. The company is also kicking off a nationwide tour to demonstrate how small business owners can make the most of the new product, with the first event happening tomorrow. Lina Ochman, Anthropic's head of U.S. SMB and product-led growth GTM at Anthropic, says that the central piece of Claude for Small Business is the addition of a new plugin for Claude Cowork, the company's tool for using AI agents to assist with knowledge work. Ochman says that all Claude subscribers with access to Cowork will be able to use the plugin. Plugins are small packages that contain what Anthropic calls skills, which are simple text files that contain detailed instructions for how Claude should complete a specific workflow, and connectors, which enable users to connect Claude to their external applications and data sources. Anthropic has already released plugins for a wide variety of job types, including design, marketing, product management, sales, and legal.

Anthropic Launches Claude AI Agents for Small Business Finance | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Anthropic launched Claude for Small Business this week, a package of prebuilt agentic workflows and connectors that puts Claude inside QuickBooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, DocuSign, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. The system handles payroll planning, invoice chasing, month-end reconciliation, sales campaigns and contract routing. Owners approve before anything sends, posts or pays. Anthropic also announced a free AI fluency course built with PayPal and a 10-city roadshow beginning in Chicago. Small businesses account for 44% of U.S. GDP and employ nearly half the private-sector workforce. Their AI adoption has lagged, but the gap is closing faster than any prior technology cycle. The SBA Office of Advocacy found that large businesses used AI at 1.8 times the rate of small firms in early 2024. By August 2025, that ratio had narrowed to 1.2 times, a compression that took broadband internet years to achieve. A five-person business running lean doesn't need a governance committee to deploy a bookkeeping workflow. It needs the tool to work the first week. Investment in AI among SMBs increased to 57% in 2025, up from 42% in 2024, a 58% rise over two years. The businesses moving fastest are the ones where every automated task frees up capacity that didn't exist before. Anthropic isn't the first to this market. Podium, which builds AI software for local businesses including HVAC providers, auto dealers and medspas, has deployed OpenAI-powered agents across more than 10,000 businesses, with agents responding to customer inquiries in under a minute and delivering 24/7 service, OpenAI reported. Podium's agents focus on lead capture and conversion at the front of the funnel. Anthropic's push goes further back into operations, into the financial workflows and administrative tasks where time accumulates. The architecture reflects that. QuickBooks handles cash position, payroll forecasting and reconciliation. PayPal manages settlements, invoicing, disputes and refunds. HubSpot runs lead triage and campaign attribution. The system doesn't replace any of those tools. It connects them. PYMNTS reported last year on an earlier version of this shift, in which founders were manually building automated back offices using AI coding tools and no-code platforms. Greg Schwartz, founder of Household.tv in Manhattan, scripted his own invoice automation after spending hours each week on manual billing. Claude for Small Business turns the same workflows into toggle installs. Half of the small business owners Anthropic surveyed named data security as their single biggest hesitation about AI. The company built its response into the product. Existing permissions in QuickBooks or Google Drive carry over: If an employee can't see something today, they can't see it through Claude. Every workflow is owner-initiated. Anthropic doesn't train on business data by default on its Team and Enterprise plans, the company said. Agentic tools that touch payments and financial data require a different trust threshold than a chatbot that drafts marketing copy. Anthropic and PayPal are running a free nine-lesson AI fluency course alongside the product launch, taught by owners who've already built AI into their own operations. The Claude SMB Tour hits 10 cities this spring, starting with Chicago and running through Indianapolis. The product ships with 15 ready-to-run workflows and 15 skills built around the tasks owners cited as most time-consuming. Anthropic plans to add more categories in the fall.

Anthropic Scales Claude AI Across 7 Small Business Apps | PYMNTS.com

Introduced Wednesday, Claude for Small Business is a package of connectors and ready-to-run workflows that put Anthropic's Claude AI assistant inside those tools, Anthropic said in a press release. "Claude for small business runs inside the tools owners already rely on, like QuickBooks, PayPal, and HubSpot, and takes on the work that piles up after hours, like planning payroll, chasing invoices, or kicking off a marketing project," Anthropic Co-founder and President Daniela Amodei said in the release. "People run the business, and Claude helps take the late-night work off their plates." Claude for Small Business currently integrates with seven tools. Canva said in a Wednesday press release that the integration of its Canva Design Engine into Claude for Small Business will enable small business owners to quickly develop branded campaign assets such as Instagram posts, Facebook posts and custom ads. PayPal said in a Wednesday press release that its integration with Claude for Small Business will enable Claude to handle tasks such as invoicing and refunds, while requiring approval before anything is sent or paid. As PYMNTS reported, PayPal also partnered with Anthropic to offer a free online course called AI Fluency for Small Business. Intuit QuickBooks' integration of its agentic AI capabilities into Claude for Small Business will allow small businesses to "remove the complexities of managing their finances, accelerate payroll workflows, and generate data-backed insights," Joe Preston, vice president, product management at Intuit QuickBooks said in Anthropic's press release. HubSpot's integration with Claude for Small Business will enable go-to-market teams to access their HubSpot context wherever they work, which means "getting tailored answers, summaries, and visualizations directly from their customer platform so they can segment smarter, run better campaigns and drive more leads," Angela DeFranco, general manager and vice president product, marketing hub at HubSpot, said in Anthropic's release. Docusign's integration with Claude for Small Business will enable sending contracts out for signature, tracking status and filing the executed copy where it belongs, according to the Anthropic release.