diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cee6d132cf..0dace9771f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,12 +1,27 @@
 ###
-# All-in-one build command.
+# All-in-one commands
 ###
-build: build-yarn-dependencies build-protocol-definitions
+init: init-secrets
+install: install-homebrew-dependencies install-yarn-dependencies
+start: build-protocol-definitions start-backends start-frontend
+stop: stop-backends
+
+###
+# Setup secrets
+###
+init-secrets:
+	cp secrets.env.example secrets.env
+
+###
+# Install any Homebrew dependencies specified in Brewfile
+###
+install-homebrew-dependencies:
+	brew bundle
 
 ###
 # Download dependencies from the Frontend using Yarn.
 ###
-build-yarn-dependencies:
+install-yarn-dependencies:
 	yarn --cwd ${PWD}/frontend install
 
 ###
@@ -22,3 +37,18 @@ build-protocol-definitions:
 ###
 scaffold-new-frontend-plugin:
 	${PWD}/tools/cookiecutter/init.sh frontend/packages/plugins/_template --output-dir frontend/packages/plugins
+
+###
+# Run the backend services
+###
+start-backends:
+	${PWD}/docker-compose.yaml up --build --detach
+
+stop-backends:
+	${PWD}/docker-compose.yaml down
+
+###
+# Run the frontend services.
+###
+start-frontend:
+	yarn --pwd ${PWD}/frontend start
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dac98d9f28..5819d80994 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,12 +8,22 @@ Backstage is an open platform for building developer portals.
 
 ## Getting started
 
+### Install Dependencies with Homebrew and Yarn
+
+Run the following to install relevant dependencies (such as Git, Docker, etc):
+
+```bash
+# If you don't have Homebrew, run the following command:
+# $ /usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
+$ make install
+```
+
 ### Secrets
 
 To setup secrets, copy the `secrets.env.example` to `secrets.env` as such:
 
 ```bash
-$ cp secrets.env.example secrets.env
+$ make init-secrets
 ```
 
 ### Protobuf Definitions
@@ -28,6 +38,7 @@ See [proto/README.md](proto/README.md) for more information.
 
 ## Running Locally
 
+<<<<<<< HEAD
 First step is to set up a `secrets.env` file in the root of the repo. Use the following template but fill in your own values (without quotes!):
 
 ```bash
@@ -45,12 +56,12 @@ $ ./docker-compose.yaml up --build
 
 And finally install all dependencies and start serving the frontend using `yarn`:
 
+=======
+
+> > > > > > > f7ec4a6... Polishes
+
 ```bash
-$ cd frontend
-
-$ yarn install
-
-$ yarn start
+$ make start
 ```
 
 ## Plugins
diff --git a/secrets.env.example b/secrets.env.example
index c83bd2158b..bac99824e0 100644
--- a/secrets.env.example
+++ b/secrets.env.example
@@ -1,4 +1,19 @@
+###
+# The environment you want to run the frontend (running using create-react-app) in.
+# In production, these should be `production` and false respectively.
+###
 NODE_ENV=development
 NODE_DEBUG=true
+
+###
+# This is the full HTTP endpoint to the GraphQL API you'll want to point to.
+# For example (in development): http://localhost:8080/graphql
+###
 REACT_APP_GRAPHQL_API=""
+
+###
+# A valid GitHub access token.
+# To create one, visit https://github.com/settings/tokens in your browser.
+###
+BOSS_GH_USERNAME=""
 BOSS_GH_ACCESS_TOKEN=""