What is Claude?
Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic. Think of it like a really smart helper that can answer questions, write things, research competitors, and help automate tasks, all by having a conversation.
For your event rental business, Claude can help you find potential clients on Instagram, write personalized outreach messages, and figure out if Google Ads is worth your time and money.
Chat
Type a question, get an instant answer. No setup needed. Start here.
Cowork
Connect your tools so Claude can do bigger tasks automatically. Use this for outreach and ads.
Code
Advanced custom programs. Skip this for now. Focus on Chat and Cowork first.
Get Started
Sign up for Claude Pro. It's $20/month and gives you more messages per day and access to the features you'll need.
Setting Up Cowork
Cowork is where Claude connects to your tools. Google Drive, Outlook, Excel, Word, Instagram, Google Ads. It automates your work. Think of it as giving Claude access to your files and accounts so it can research, write, and take action without you asking every time.
Your Folder Structure
Create a folder on your computer called Claude Workspace. Inside, set it up like this:
📁 context-files/ ← your business info
📁 skills/ ← task instructions
📄 claude.md ← master instruction file
This keeps things organized and secure. Claude only accesses files you put in this folder. You can also store this folder inside Google Drive so it's backed up and accessible anywhere.
The Four Building Blocks
Context Files
Your business blueprint. Include your brand voice, products, competitor info, and pricing. Set this once and Claude uses it for everything.
Connectors
Bridges to your tools. A Google Drive connector lets Claude access your files. A Gmail connector lets Claude draft emails. Each tool needs its own connector.
Skills
Pre-built tasks that use connectors to do work. A skill might research Instagram profiles or analyze Google Ads data. Use pre-built skills or create your own.
Agents
Workers that combine multiple skills and connectors together. One agent handles your Instagram outreach. Another handles Google Ads. More on this at the end.
Creating Your Context Files
Context files tell Claude everything about your business so you never have to repeat yourself. Gather these five things before you start:
- What is your company? (Name, what you do, how long you've been around, who you serve)
- Who are your competitors? (List 3-5 companies doing similar work)
- What makes you different? (Why should clients pick you over competitors?)
- Do you have brand guidelines? (Upload a PDF if you have one)
- What's your brand voice? (Share writing samples: emails, social posts, blog posts)
Create four separate files in your context-files folder. The fastest way is to let Claude interview you — paste a prompt, answer out loud using Whispr Flow, and Claude writes the file. Do one per sitting.
Set up Whispr Flow first (5 min)
Whispr Flow is a free Mac app that turns your voice into text anywhere — including Claude. Hold a key, talk, release. Download at wisprflow.ai, set Right Option as your push-to-talk key, and you're ready.
Interview prompts — one per file
company-overview.md ~15 min
Paste into Claude. Answer by voice. Claude writes the finished file at the end.
Cover: business name, what we do, who we serve, key rental inventory, service area, and anything else that shapes how we work.
Start with: What's the name of your business?
competitive-landscape.md ~15 min
Paste into Claude. Answer by voice. Claude writes the finished file at the end.
Cover: 3-5 competitors in my market, what they offer, their strengths and weaknesses, and any gaps — things clients ask for that nobody delivers well.
Start with: Who are the other event rental companies in your area that you compete with or keep an eye on?
differentiators.md ~10 min
Paste into Claude. Answer by voice. Claude writes the finished file at the end.
Cover: what makes my business different from competitors, why clients choose us, and our core value proposition in one or two sentences.
Start with: When a client picks you over another rental company, what do you think is the real reason?
brand-voice.md ~15 min
Paste into Claude. Answer by voice. Claude writes the finished file at the end.
Cover: how I like to sound (formal, casual, warm, direct), words or phrases that feel like "me", what I avoid, and ask me to share 1-2 real writing samples — an email or social post I've actually sent.
Start with: How would you describe the way you come across to clients — professional, casual, warm, something else?
Templates (for reference)
If you prefer to write instead of speak, use these as your starting point.
company-overview.md
## Company Name
[Your company name]
## What We Do
[Brief description: what do you offer?]
## Who We Serve
[Event planners, venues, both?]
## Key Products & Services
[Linens, plates, chairs, etc.]
## Service Area
[GTA, Toronto, etc.]
## Related Files
- See: competitive-landscape.md
- See: differentiators.md
- See: brand-voice.md
competitive-landscape.md
## Competitor 1: [Name]
- What they offer:
- Their strength:
- Their weakness:
## Competitor 2: [Name]
- What they offer:
- Their strength:
- Their weakness:
## Market Gaps
[What are clients asking for that nobody offers?]
## Related Files
- See: company-overview.md
- See: differentiators.md
differentiators.md
## What Makes Us Different
### Differentiator 1
[What it is and why clients care]
### Differentiator 2
[What it is and why clients care]
### Differentiator 3
[What it is and why clients care]
## Why Clients Choose Us
[One or two sentences: your core value proposition]
## Related Files
- See: company-overview.md
- See: brand-voice.md
brand-voice.md
## How We Sound
[Friendly? Professional? Casual? Formal?]
## Key Phrases We Use
[Words or phrases that feel like "you"]
## What We Avoid
[Anything that doesn't fit your brand]
## Writing Sample 1
[Paste an email, social post, or website copy]
## Writing Sample 2
[Paste another example]
## Related Files
- See: company-overview.md
- See: differentiators.md
Setting Up Connectors
Connectors give Claude access to your tools. Once connected, Claude can read your files, draft emails, and pull data without you copying and pasting everything manually.
Have Claude walk you through it
Paste this into Claude and it will guide you through each connector one at a time.
1. Google Drive
2. Outlook
3. Microsoft Word & Excel (Microsoft 365)
4. Instagram via Apify
5. Google Ads
6. Google Calendar
Start with Google Drive.
Recommended Connectors - Install in This Order
How to Install a Connector
Browse plugins by category
After your core connectors, go to Cowork → Skills → Add Skills to browse plugins by category and expand what Claude can do for different parts of your business.
- Small Business
- Human Resources
- Design
- Operations
- Sales
- Data
- Productivity
- Marketing
- Finance
- Legal
Skills
Skills are pre-built instructions that tell Claude how to do a specific task. Think of them like apps on your phone: someone already built them, you just install and use them.
Install these two first
Apify - For Instagram Research
To find event companies on Instagram, you need a scraping tool. Apify connects directly to Claude and does the heavy lifting.
Outbound Sales System
This is a full sales pipeline that finds event companies and planners in the GTA, researches them, and reaches out with personalized messages. Claude does most of the work.
List Building
Use Apify to scrape Instagram for event companies, venues, and planners in the GTA. Claude finds them, pulls their contact info, and builds your prospect list.
Example prompt: "Find 50 event planning companies in Toronto on Instagram. Return their name, handle, website, and follower count."
Lead Scoring
Not every lead is worth your time. Claude scores each one based on how well they match your ideal client: activity level, event types, size, and fit.
Research & Personalization
Before sending anything, Claude visits each lead's Instagram, website, and Google profile. It pulls recent posts, event types, and tone so your messages feel personal, not like spam.
Campaign & Outreach Drafting
Claude drafts personalized outreach messages in batches using your brand voice. You review and approve before anything gets sent.
Warming & Follow Ups
Most deals don't close on the first message. Claude tracks who responded, who didn't, and when to follow up. It drafts messages that add value rather than just checking in.
Booking Meetings
When a lead responds, Claude drafts a reply that naturally moves toward a call and connects to your calendar to offer available times.
Google Ads - Starting From Scratch
You don't have Google Ads yet. That's fine. Before spending anything, use Claude to figure out if it's even worth it for your business. Then if it is, set it up and let Claude help you run it.
Strategy - Is It Worth It?
Before spending a dollar, paste this into Claude. Fill in your numbers and it will tell you whether Google Ads makes sense for your business.
Business: [what you sell, B2B or B2C]
Average deal/order value: [$X]
Customer lifetime value: [$X]
Target customer: [who they are, what they'd search]
Current channels: [what's already working]
Monthly budget I'd consider: [$X]
Evaluate: (1) Is there active search demand for this? (2) What would CPCs likely be and what's the implied CAC? (3) Does the math work given my deal size? (4) What's the conversion path from click to close, and is it realistic? (5) What's your verdict — Search, Display, neither, or something else first?
Research - Keywords & Audience
Once you decide to test it, Claude finds the right keywords, estimates costs per click, and identifies high-intent searches vs. low-intent browsing.
Writing - Your First Ads
Claude writes your headlines, descriptions, and ad variations using your brand voice context file. Google requires 15 headlines and 4 descriptions per ad. Claude generates all of them.
Setup - Creating Your First Campaign
Step-by-step walkthrough for creating your Google Ads account and first campaign, with Claude connected to your account via MCP.
Reporting - Know What's Working
Once your ads are live, Claude turns your data into plain-English summaries so you're not staring at confusing dashboards.
Optimization - Cut Waste, Improve Results
After a few weeks of data, Claude finds what's wasting money and tells you exactly what to fix: keywords, bids, budgets, and ad copy.
Agents - Putting It All Together
Agents are where everything connects. An agent combines your context files, connectors, and skills into one automated worker that runs a full task from start to finish, without you having to manage each step.
Outbound Sales Agent
Finds leads on Instagram, scores them, researches each one, and drafts personalized messages. All in one go.
Google Ads Agent
Researches competitors, drafts your ads, and pulls a weekly performance report automatically.
Build These Together
Don't worry about agents yet. Get comfortable with Chat and Cowork first. We'll build these on our call.