🐇 The Plain-English MCP Starter Kit

Everyone's talking about "MCP." Here's one you can actually use — in 5 minutes, with your own business.

You've probably heard that AI can now "connect to your tools." That connection has a name: MCP (Model Context Protocol). It's how an AI assistant stops guessing and starts answering with your real business data — your hours, your prices, your FAQs.

This kit is a tiny, working MCP server. You edit one file with your info, run one command, and connect it to your AI. Then you can ask your AI things like:

"How much for 3 lattes and a pastry platter?" "What are your Saturday hours?" "What times are open this week?"

…and it answers correctly, every time — because it's reading your data, not making it up.

💬 Want the link to this kit? Comment "MCP" on the post and we'll send it over.

---

What's an MCP, in one sentence?

An MCP server is a safe translator between your AI and your stuff. The AI can only do the specific actions you allow — nothing else on your computer.

See the picture: docs/diagram.md

This kit allows exactly four safe, read-only actions:

Action	What it does
get_business_info	Shares your hours, contact, and address
price_quote	Calculates a price from your service list
lookup_faq	Answers common customer questions
check_availability	Lists your open booking slots

---

Set it up in 5 minutes

You need: Node.js (the free "LTS" download) and a free AI app that supports MCP, like Claude Desktop. You do not need to know how to code.

1. Download this kit

Click the green Code button above → Download ZIP → unzip it.

2. Add your business info

Open business.json in any text editor and replace the example (Maple Street Coffee) with your own name, hours, services, prices, and FAQs. Save it.

3. Install + test it

Open Terminal, go into the folder, and run:

npm install
npm run check

You should see ✅ Your kit looks good!

4. Try it in your browser first (the fun part) 🎮

Before touching any AI app, run:

npm run play

Then open http://localhost:4321. You'll get a simple page where you can:

• Edit your business info in a form (no JSON, no code) and Save
• Try the tools live — ask "What are your hours?", get a price quote, look up an FAQ — and see the exact answers your AI will give

This is the same logic the AI uses, so if it works here, it works there. Press Ctrl+C in Terminal to stop the playground.

5. Connect it to your AI

In Claude Desktop: Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and add this (change the path to where you unzipped the folder):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-business": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/full/path/to/mcp-starter-kit/server.js"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. You'll see your business tools appear. Now ask it a question about your business — and watch it use the real answer. 🎉

---

The 5 questions to ask before you connect AI to anything

Before you wire AI into your real tools (email, CRM, calendar, payments), ask:

1. What can it actually do? — Read-only, or can it change/delete things? (This kit is read-only on purpose.)
2. What data does it touch? — And is any of it sensitive?
3. Where does that data go? — Stays on your machine, or sent to a company?
4. Who can use it? — Just you, or your whole team / your customers?
5. What happens if it's wrong? — What's the worst-case, and can you undo it?

If you can't answer these for a tool someone's trying to sell you — slow down.

---

Make it yours

Everything lives in business.json — no coding needed to update your info. Want it to do more (real bookings, live inventory, connect to your CRM or email)? That's exactly the kind of thing we build.

---

🐇 Built by Rabbithole

We help small and medium businesses put AI to work — safely, and in plain English. This is Day 1 of our 30-day series of free, working AI kits.

Want this set up for your business, with your real tools connected? 👉 Reach out to Rabbithole (add your link)

Free to use under the MIT License. Built to be opened, edited, and run by real business owners.