# Businesses

Create and manage **business accounts** (brands, companies, franchises).

**Menu:** Administration → **Businesses**  
**URL:** `/dashboard/businesses`

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## What is a business?

A business is a customer organization in Cuppa. Each business can have:

- **Locations** (branches / sites)
- **Franchises** (regional groups)
- **Staff** (owner, managers, workers)
- **Business roles** (permissions inside that business)

The **business owner** is a user with account type **Business**.

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## Add a business

1. Go to **Administration → Businesses**.
2. Click **Add business**.
3. Fill in sections:
   - **Identity** — name, slug, logo
   - **Contact** — email, phone
   - **About** — short description
   - **Status** — active or inactive
4. Click **Create**.

**Slug tips:** lowercase, numbers, hyphens only. Used in URLs.

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## Open a business

Click a business row to open its **detail page**. From there you can:

- Edit business info
- Manage franchises, locations, members, roles
- **Impersonate** the business (super admin)

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## Business staff vs platform users

| Person | Manage here |
|--------|-------------|
| Business owner | Created with the business or added as member |
| Branch manager | Business detail → Staff / Members |
| Cuppa admin | **Employees** page (not here) |
| App customer | **Users** page (not here) |

Business staff get **business roles**, not global admin roles (unless they are also Cuppa employees).

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## Impersonate a business (super admin)

1. Open the business detail page.
2. Click **Impersonate business** (or similar action).
3. Optionally pick a **staff member** to view as.
4. The sidebar switches to the **business panel**.
5. Exit via the blue banner at the top.

See **[Impersonation](./08-impersonation.md)** for details.

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## Active vs inactive

Inactive businesses may be hidden from customer-facing features. Keep **Active** checked unless the business is suspended.

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## Permissions needed

| Action | Permission |
|--------|------------|
| View | `BUSINESSES_VIEW` |
| Create | `BUSINESSES_CREATE` |
| Update | `BUSINESSES_UPDATE` |
| Delete | `BUSINESSES_DELETE` |
| Impersonate | `BUSINESSES_IMPERSONATE` |

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## Common mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Added owner on Users page | Owner should be linked via **Business → Staff** |
| Confused global role with business role | Global = admin panel; Business = inside one business |
| Staff not showing in business panel | Add them under business **Staff**, assign a **business role** |

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## Related guides

- [Business panel](./06-business-panel.md)
- [Who is who?](./02-who-is-who.md)
- [Impersonation](./08-impersonation.md)