Build a Claude Project as Your Store Knowledge Base

In Claude, click Projects in the left sidebar (or the folder icon). Click Create project. Name it "Store Management" or "[Your Store Name] Manager."

What you should see: A project workspace with a chat interface and a "Project knowledge" section on the left sidebar.

Troubleshooting: If you don't see Projects, verify you have Claude Pro — this feature requires it.

Click the Instructions field at the top of the project and paste:

I'm the store manager at a [store type] with approximately [X] employees, mostly part-time hourly. I report to a district manager. My primary AI tasks are: writing HR documentation (coaching notes, PIPs, warning letters), weekly district manager summaries, job postings, customer complaint responses, and team briefings from corporate policies.

Key context:
- My store does approximately $[X] in weekly sales
- Scheduling system: [Homebase / When I Work / etc.]
- Chain or independent: [describe]
- Common issues I deal with: attendance, scheduling gaps, performance documentation, online reviews

For all HR documents: use formal, legally appropriate language referencing specific observable behaviors and dates. For all customer communications: empathetic and professional. For all team communications: plain language, action-focused. Be direct and concise — I'm usually in a hurry.

Click Add content in the Project knowledge section. Upload:

1. Your coaching note template — Copy from your HR portal and paste into a text file, or screenshot + save as PDF
2. Your PIP template — Same process
3. Weekly summary format — If your DM has a preferred format, document it here
4. Key corporate policies (return policy, call-out procedures, progressive discipline steps)

Claude will reference these documents when you ask it to write something, matching your templates and referencing your actual policies.

Start a new chat within the project. Ask: "What format does my weekly summary use?" Claude should reference the template you uploaded. Then ask: "Write a coaching note for an employee who was late twice this week." It should match your uploaded template.

What you should see: Outputs that match your templates and reference your uploaded policy language.

Troubleshooting: If Claude ignores your uploaded templates, re-upload them and add to your instructions: "Always use the templates in the Project knowledge when writing HR documents."

Bookmark the Project URL. Whenever you need to write a work document, open this project — not a regular Claude chat. The project context loads automatically.