Claude Skills are folders of instructions, scripts and resources that Claude loads when a task needs them. For a small business, that means you can save reusable know-how, such as brand guidelines or a proposal format, and Claude applies it on demand. Ergora goes further by pairing twelve AI specialists with connected business tools and shared company memory, which is why it is usually the stronger fit for a lean team that wants sales, ecommerce, finance and legal help in one workspace.
What are Claude Skills and how do they work?
Anthropic announced Agent Skills on 16 October 2025. A skill is a folder of instructions, scripts and resources that Claude loads only when they are relevant to a task. Anthropic describes skills as composable, portable and efficient, and they can include executable code. The same format works across the Claude apps, Claude Code and the Claude Developer Platform API.
Skills are available on the Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, and they require code execution to be turned on. Anthropic provides ready-made skills for creating Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations and PDFs. Businesses can create their own skills, for example to follow brand guidelines.
Anyone can create a simple skill by writing instructions in Markdown. A skill-creator skill helps build the folder and the SKILL.md file. On Team and Enterprise plans, organisation owners can provide skills to all users and set them on or off by default.
Three practical Claude Skills for business
Small businesses tend to reuse the same formats and rules every week. A skill turns those into a small package Claude can load when the job matches.
- Brand guidelines: write a SKILL.md file with tone of voice, colours, logo rules and preferred phrases. Claude loads it when drafting marketing copy, emails or proposals.
- Proposal format: include your standard sections, pricing language, terms and common objections. Claude uses the format when you ask for a proposal draft.
- Weekly report format: include the sections, metrics, length and audience. Claude turns raw notes into a report that follows the same shape each week.
These are ideas for what a small business could build, not measured results.
Claude Skills vs Ergora specialists: what actually changes
A Claude Skill is know-how you write and maintain for a general assistant. An Ergora specialist comes with its pack's tools, connected business data and shared company memory. Ergora is an AI business suite for small businesses and lean teams, made by a UK company and available in the UK and internationally. It gives a business twelve AI specialists across Ecom, Sales, Local, Ads, Content, HR, Finance, PR, Community, Creator, Developer and Legal, with 194 tools across the 12 packs. You brief one chat, and an orchestrator hands each job to the right specialist, which can use that pack's tools and your connected data. Ergora keeps a private memory for each seat and a shared company memory for the team, covering brand voice, pricing, customers and processes. It runs in the browser at ergora.cloud, including on a phone with no app needed. See the full list of 194 tools across the 12 specialist packs.
| Job | Claude Skills | Ergora |
|---|---|---|
| Reusable writing instructions | You write a SKILL.md file with brand voice and formatting rules; Claude applies it on request | The Content pack has Brand Voice, Content Calendar, Campaign Planner and Email Sequence Writer, with shared company memory for brand voice |
| Document creation | Anthropic provides skills for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and PDF files | Design Studio drafts store pages, email templates and proposals; Image Studio makes images; the Legal pack has a mutual NDA template |
| Sales CRM | Not a core focus | Sales pack has Pipeline, Contacts, Prospect Research and Call Prep |
| Ecommerce store data | Not a core focus | Ecom pack connects to Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce; Store Analytics, Customer Segments, Abandoned Carts and Competitor Pricing |
| Ad creative | Not a core focus | Ads pack has Ads Studio, Ad Copy Generator and UGC Scripts |
| Contracts and NDAs | Not a core focus | Legal pack has Contract Scanner, Clause Library and a mutual NDA template you can send for e-signature |
| Finance with Xero | Not a core focus | Finance pack connects to Xero; Live Forecasting shows burn, runway and three scenarios from Xero data |
| Team seats | Skills can be shared by organisation owners on Team and Enterprise plans | Seat plans from $99 a month include 10 million AI tokens; specialist packs added from $59 a month |
| Pricing | Pro $17 a month billed annually or $20 monthly; Max from $100 a month; Team standard seats $20 a seat a month billed annually or $25 monthly; Enterprise $20 a seat a month billed annually plus usage at API rates, as listed on 13 October 2026 | Seat plans from $99 a month; one pack adds $59 a month, so $99 a month for a seat plus $59 a month for a pack; 50% off first month and 30-day money-back guarantee |
For a fuller comparison of Ergora and Claude as general assistants, see Ergora vs Claude: which AI assistant is better for running a business. If you are weighing Claude against other general assistants, Claude vs ChatGPT vs Muse for small business covers that.
Plans and pricing compared
Claude's prices, as listed on 13 October 2026, are Pro at $17 a month billed annually or $20 monthly, Max plans from $100 a month, Team standard seats at $20 a seat a month billed annually or $25 monthly for 2 to 150 people, premium seats at $100 billed annually or $125 monthly, and Enterprise at $20 a seat a month billed annually plus usage at API rates. Check the vendor for current prices.
Ergora's seat plans start at $99 a seat a month. Solo is one seat and one project, Team is 2 to 9 seats, Growth is $79 a seat for 10 to 49 seats, and Agency is $99 a seat for 10 or more seats across client projects. Specialist packs are added from $59 a month each, with 3 for $149, 6 for $249 and all 12 for $449. When comparing with one pack, that is $99 a month for a seat plus $59 a month for a pack. Every seat includes 10 million AI tokens a month, and Solo includes 300 creative credits a month. The only offer is 50% off the first month plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. There is no free plan or free trial, and prices exclude VAT.
Using Claude Skills and Ergora together
The two work well side by side. A team can keep Claude, with a few skills for brand voice and document formats, for general drafting, and use Ergora for the jobs that depend on business tools and data, such as the sales pipeline, store analytics, contracts and Xero finance. If you are still getting to grips with the terms, this plain-English guide to AI agents explains how assistants and agents differ.
The verdict: Claude Skills make a general assistant better at your formats and rules, but for a small business that wants specialist tools across sales, ecommerce, finance and legal, connected to its own data, Ergora is the better fit.
Getting started with specialist AI for your business
Write down the three jobs that take most of your week. If they are writing tasks with a fixed format, a Claude Skill is a quick win. If they depend on your CRM, your store or your Xero accounts, start with one Ergora seat and the pack that matches the job. See Ergora's plans and the first-month offer.
For a plain-English overview of Ergora, see what Ergora is and how its specialists work.
Frequently asked questions
What are Claude Skills?
Claude Skills, which Anthropic calls Agent Skills, are folders of instructions, scripts and resources that Claude loads when they are relevant to a task. Anthropic announced them on 16 October 2025. They work across the Claude apps, Claude Code and the Claude Developer Platform API.
How do I create a Claude Skill?
Anyone can create a simple skill by writing instructions in Markdown. Anthropic also provides a skill-creator skill that helps build the folder and the SKILL.md file. Skills need code execution to be turned on in Claude.
Which Claude plans include Skills?
Anthropic's support page says Skills are available on the Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. On Team and Enterprise plans, organisation owners can provide skills to all users and set them on or off by default.
How can a small business use Claude Skills?
Common ideas are a brand guidelines skill for tone and wording, a proposal format with standard sections, and a weekly report format. Claude loads the skill when a task matches, so the output follows the same rules each time. Anthropic also provides skills for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and PDF files.
Are Claude Skills the same as AI agents?
Not quite. A skill is a package of know-how that Claude loads when it is relevant, while an agent is software that carries out tasks towards a goal. Skills give an assistant the know-how for specific jobs, which an agent can then use.
Should I use Claude Skills or Ergora?
Use Claude Skills if you mainly want a general assistant to follow your formats and rules. Choose Ergora if you want specialist tools for sales, ecommerce, ads, finance and legal, connected to your own data, in one workspace. Many small businesses can use both.