Create First Company

Step-by-step guide to creating your first company in TheCompanyApp.

Overview

Creating a company is the foundational step in TheCompanyApp. As the company owner, you'll have full control over the company data, settings, and the ability to invite team members.

Prerequisites

Before creating a company, ensure:

• ✅ TheCompanyApp is installed

• ✅ You're signed in to iCloud

• ✅ You have internet connection (for initial sync)

• ✅ You're using the company's primary Apple ID (recommended)

Company Creation Flow

Step 1: Launch Quick Start

1. Open TheCompanyApp

2. On the welcome screen, tap "Create Company"

3. The Quick Start Guide appears

Step 2: Review Quick Start Information

The Quick Start screen (QuickStart.swift) explains:

Data Privacy

• Your company data is stored in your private iCloud

• Only people you explicitly invite can access it

• Apple encrypts all data in transit and at rest

Required Information

• Company name

• Country (for regional settings)

• Contact information

Optional Setup

• Company logo

• Tax ID

• Business policies

Important Notes:

• Use the company's primary Apple ID for the owner account

• Ensure stable internet for initial sync

• You can edit all information later

Tap "Continue" to proceed.

Step 3: Choose Subscription Tier

The Choose Version screen presents three tiers:

Free Tier

• Price: Free forever

• Users: Solo owner only (no team members)

• Features: Full access to all core features

• Best For: Solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, small side businesses

Business Tier

• Price: (Subscription pricing)

• Users: Up to 10 team members

• Features: Everything in Free + team collaboration

• Best For: Small to medium teams, growing businesses

Enterprise Tier

• Price: (Custom pricing)

• Users: Unlimited team members

• Features: Everything in Business + AI, advanced analytics

• Best For: Large organizations, multi-location businesses

Select Your Tier and tap "Continue".

Step 4: Enter Company Details

The Create Company screen collects:

Required Fields:

• Company Name: Your business name (e.g., "TechStart Inc.")

• Country: Select from dropdown (used for address defaults)

Optional Fields:

• Company Address: Full address including street, city, state, postal code

• Phone Number: Primary business phone

• Tax ID: Business tax identifier (for invoicing)

• Company Logo: Tap to upload logo image (optimized automatically)

Tips:

• Use your legal business name for professional invoices

• Logo should be square (will be resized to 1024x1024)

• Address is used as default for orders and dispatches

Tap "Create Company" when ready.

Step 5: Company Creation Process

The app performs:

1. Generate Unique Company ID

   companyID = UUID()

2. Create Companies Entity

   • Saved to Core Data Private Store

   • CloudKit syncs to Private Database

3. Set Owner Information

   • ownerID = your iCloud user identifier

   • ownerName = your iCloud account name

4. Assign Tier

   • Tier saved to Companies entity

   • Determines feature availability

5. Initialize Company Scope

   • All future data will be scoped to this companyID

Progress Indicator: You'll see a loading spinner during creation.

Step 6: Create User Password

After company creation, the Create User Password screen appears.

Why a Password?

• Provides company-level access control

• Allows multiple users to have individual credentials

• Required for login on this and other devices

Create Your Credentials:

1. Username: Choose a unique username for this company

2. Password: Create a secure password

3. Confirm Password: Re-enter to verify

4. Email (optional): Your email for this company

Password Requirements:

• Minimum 6 characters (recommended 12+)

• Consider using a password manager

• Each company should have a unique password

Visual Profile (optional):

• Tap camera icon to add profile picture

• Used in team member displays

Security Note: UserPass data is stored only in your private iCloud database and is never shared with team members.

Tap "Create" to save credentials.

Step 7: AccessControl Creation

The app automatically creates an AccessControl entity:

AccessControl {
    userID = [Your UUID]
    companyID = [Company UUID]
    isOwner = true
    displayName = [Your Name]
    deptMask = 0
    managerMask = 0
    createdAt = [Current Date]
}

This grants you owner-level access to the company.

Step 8: Completion

Success! You've created your first company.

The app:

• Saves all data to Core Data

• Initiates CloudKit sync to Private Database

• Sets this company as your selected company

• Navigates to the main dashboard

Understanding What Was Created

Entities in Core Data

After company creation, the following entities exist:

Companies (1 record)

{
    companyID: UUID
    name: "TechStart Inc."
    country: "United States"
    ownerID: [Your iCloud UUID]
    ownerName: "John Doe"
    tier: "Business"
    timestamp: 2026-02-25T10:30:00Z
    // ... other fields
}

UserPass (1 record)

{
    userID: UUID
    companyID: [Company UUID]
    userName: "johndoe"
    password: "••••••••"
    companyName: "TechStart Inc."
    isSuperUser: true
}

AccessControl (1 record)

{
    userID: [Your UUID]
    companyID: [Company UUID]
    isOwner: true
    displayName: "John Doe"
}

CloudKit Sync

In CloudKit Private Database, you'll see:

Private Zone: com.apple.coredata.cloudkit.zone

• 1 CD_Companies record

• 1 CD_UserPass record

• 1 CD_AccessControl record

These sync to all your devices automatically.

Next Steps

After creating your company:

1. Add Inventory

• Navigate to Warehouse tab

• Tap + (Add) button

• Create your first inventory item

• See Inventory Guide

2. Set Up Contacts

• Navigate to Contacts tab

• Add customers and suppliers

• Import from Excel if available

• See Contacts Guide

3. Invite Team Members (Business/Enterprise Only)

• Navigate to Settings tab

• Tap "Share Company"

• Follow the sharing flow

• See Sharing Company

4. Configure Notifications

• Navigate to Settings → Reminders

• Enable notification types you want

• See Notifications Guide

5. Create Your First Order

• Navigate to Orders tab

• Tap + (Add) button

• Process your first sales order

• See Orders Guide

Common Questions

Can I create multiple companies?

Yes! You can create unlimited companies. Each operates independently with separate data.

Can I change the company name later?

Yes. Go to Settings → Company Info → Edit to modify any company details.

What if I chose the wrong tier?

You can upgrade tiers at any time in Settings → Subscription. Downgrading may restrict features.

Can I delete a company?

Yes. Settings → Company Info → Delete Company. This is permanent and cannot be undone.

Do I need internet to create a company?

Yes, for initial CloudKit sync. After creation, the app works offline and syncs when connection restores.

Can I transfer ownership?

Currently, ownership transfer is not supported. The owner is tied to the iCloud account that created the company.

Troubleshooting

"Unable to Create Company"

Cause: CloudKit sync issue Solution:

• Check internet connection

• Verify iCloud is signed in

• Wait 30 seconds and try again

"Company Name Already Exists"

Cause: You already have a company with this name Solution:

• Use a different name (duplicates are allowed but confusing)

• Check your company list in Settings

"Failed to Save UserPass"

Cause: Core Data save error Solution:

• Return to previous screen

• Try creating password again

• Restart app if issue persists

Company Not Appearing on Other Devices

Cause: CloudKit sync delay Solution:

• Wait 1-2 minutes for sync

• Pull down to refresh on other device

• Check iCloud connection

Technical Details

For developers reviewing the implementation:

Files Involved:

• QuickStart.swift: Quick start guide UI

• ChoosVersionView.swift: Tier selection

• CreatCUOC.swift: Company creation form and logic

• CreatePassWordCView.swift: UserPass creation

• Persistence.swift: Core Data container setup

Flow Summary:

1. User navigates through creation wizard

2. createCompany() in CreatCUOC.swift creates Companies entity

3. App saves to viewContext (Private Store)

4. Core Data + CloudKit sync to Private Database

5. AccessControl created automatically

6. User creates UserPass credentials

7. Company becomes selected company

8. Navigation to dashboard

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Next: Create User Password (detailed guide) Related: Sharing Company, Login Flow