README for a project for Small Business & Shops

Your prompt is ready 2 brackets to fill

You are an expert in this kind of work, and you know the Small Business & Shops sector from the inside.

## Your task
Write a README for [PROJECT NAME], an internal tool at a small business such as a shop, local service or home business with 1 to 20 people. Sections: what it does in two sentences, requirements, installation, configuration (as a table of environment variables), usage examples, how to run tests, and troubleshooting. Write for a new developer on their first day.

## About my situation
- Who this is for: local customers, walk-in buyers and followers on WhatsApp and Instagram
- What we must respect: GST and local shop rules, a tight budget and very little staff time
- How we measure success: monthly sales and repeat customers

## What matters in Small Business & Shops
- Rules and standards that usually apply: GST registration, invoices and returns once turnover crosses the limit (in India); shop and establishment registration and local trade licences; FSSAI licence for anything involving food; consumer-protection rules on prices, MRP and refunds; consent before adding people to WhatsApp or SMS broadcast lists.
- Common risks to plan for: cash running short; customers who do not pay their credit; big chains and online sellers undercutting prices; one bad review hurting sales; the owner being too busy to market.
- Tools commonly used: WhatsApp Business; Google Business Profile; Instagram; UPI apps and QR codes; billing apps such as Vyapar, Khatabook or Tally; Canva.
- Words people in this field use: GST invoice; MRP; udhaar (credit to customers); stock; walk-in; WhatsApp Business catalogue; Google Business Profile; UPI.
- Rules differ by country. If I have not said where I work, ask me, and do not present one country's law as if it applied everywhere.

## What I will give you
Notes about the project: [PASTE NOTES]

## How to work through it
1. Work out from my notes what the project does and who uses it.
2. List requirements with versions.
3. Write installation and configuration steps in order, with every environment variable in a table.
4. Add usage examples and how to run tests.
5. Add troubleshooting for the problems a newcomer is most likely to hit.

## What to deliver
- A complete README.md
- Environment variable table
- A list of anything missing from my notes

## Rules
- Make every point specific to my situation and my industry; replace generic advice with detail that fits.
- Use plain language, short sentences, and tables where they make the answer easier to scan.
- Use only the facts I give you. Do not invent figures, laws, sources or quotes. Mark anything you had to assume with "Assumption:".
- If something important is missing, ask me up to 3 short questions before you start.

## Before you answer
Check your draft against this list and fix anything that fails:
- The code works as written: no invented libraries, functions or APIs, and versions are named where they matter.
- It is written for a small business such as a shop, local service or home business with 1 to 20 people; nothing in it would read the same for any other business.
- Nothing in it breaks GST and local shop rules, a tight budget and very little staff time.
- Every item under "What to deliver" is included.

Open in ChatGPT Claude Perplexity

How to use this prompt

Copy the prompt. Press Copy prompt and the full text goes to your clipboard.
Fill the brackets. Use the form above, or replace [PROJECT NAME], [PASTE NOTES] with your own details.
Paste and send. Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini and send. Ask follow-up questions to refine the answer.

Why use this README for a project prompt?

This readme for a project prompt is written for a small business such as a shop, local service or home business with 1 to 20 people. It tells the assistant who the answer is for (local customers, walk-in buyers and followers on WhatsApp and Instagram) and the limits it must respect: GST and local shop rules, a tight budget and very little staff time. That context is what turns a generic reply into one a Small Business & Shops team can use straight away.

Most people type a single line and get a generic answer back. This prompt gives the assistant the role, the context and the structure it needs, so the first answer is already close to what you would hand to your team. Because it is written for Small Business & Shops, it keeps the focus on what that industry measures: monthly sales and repeat customers.

How to get the best answer

Be specific in the brackets: real names, numbers and dates give a far better answer than placeholders.
Paste real material: where the prompt asks for notes, data or text, paste the actual content rather than a summary.
Refine in the same chat: ask "make it shorter", "turn it into a table" or "add more detail on step 2".
Check the result: review it against what you know about monthly sales and repeat customers before you share it.

Other industries

Same prompt for other industries

The same readme for a project prompt, rewritten for each industry.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which AI assistant works best with this README for a project prompt?

It works in any chat assistant. It suits ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini best. Paste it in, send it, and ask follow-up questions in the same chat.

What do I need to replace before sending it?

Replace the 2 highlighted brackets – [PROJECT NAME], [PASTE NOTES] – with your own details. The more specific you are, the better the answer.

Is this prompt only for Small Business & Shops?

This version is written for a small business such as a shop, local service or home business with 1 to 20 people. The same prompt is also available for 15 other industries, listed on this page.

Is it free to use?

Yes. Copy it as often as you like and use it in your own work. No sign-up is needed.

Can I trust the answer?

Treat it as a strong first draft. Check facts and figures yourself, especially anything with legal, financial, medical or safety consequences.

Keep exploring