diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dbb4a61..6afc311 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -49,14 +49,13 @@ def count(request):
 Save that as ``counter.py``, then set up your database and run it locally with:
 
 ```sh
-nanodjango run counter.py makemigrations counter
-nanodjango run counter.py migrate
-nanodjango run counter.py createsuperuser
-nanodjango run counter.py
+nanodjango start counter.py
 ```
 
 It will create your database in a ``db.sqlite3`` file next to your ``counter.py``, with
-the appropriate migrations in ``migrations/``.
+the appropriate migrations in ``migrations/``. Alternatively you could run each of these
+commands manually with the ``run`` command, eg
+``nanodjango run counter.py runserver 0:8000``
 
 Run it in production using WSGI:
 
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ gunicorn -w 4 counter:app
 or automatically convert it to a full Django project:
 
 ```sh
-nanodjango counter.py convert /path/to/project --name=myproject
+nanodjango convert counter.py /path/to/project --name=myproject
 ```
 
 and with a [couple of extra
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 7f41579..33cb7e6 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -2,6 +2,19 @@
 Changelog
 =========
 
+0.6.0 - 2024-05-17
+------------------
+
+Feature:
+
+* Add ``start`` command to create and initialise the database
+
+Thanks to:
+
+* Chris Beaven (SmileyChris) for suggesting a lower effort start (#4)
+* Lincoln Loop for supporting this release
+
+
 0.5.0 - 2024-05-14
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/docs/get_started.rst b/docs/get_started.rst
index b9cd728..6d7e60c 100644
--- a/docs/get_started.rst
+++ b/docs/get_started.rst
@@ -34,10 +34,16 @@ Create a new file, ``counter.py`` with the following:
         CountLog.objects.create()
         return f"<p>Number of page loads: {CountLog.objects.count()}</p>"
 
-Now create the migrations, apply them, and run your project:
+Now use the ``start`` command to create the migrations, apply them, and run your
+project:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
+    nanodjango start counter.py
+
+or you could run each step manually:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
     nanodjango run counter.py makemigrations counter
     nanodjango run counter.py migrate
     nanodjango run counter.py createsuperuser
diff --git a/nanodjango/__init__.py b/nanodjango/__init__.py
index ec23954..4ef7708 100644
--- a/nanodjango/__init__.py
+++ b/nanodjango/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 from .app import Django  # noqa
 
 
-__version__ = "0.5.0"
+__version__ = "0.6.0"
diff --git a/nanodjango/app.py b/nanodjango/app.py
index 2e1b89b..bd09b2a 100644
--- a/nanodjango/app.py
+++ b/nanodjango/app.py
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 from django import setup
 from django import urls as django_urls
 from django.contrib import admin
+from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
+from django.db.models import Model
 from django.views import View
 
 from . import app_meta
@@ -21,7 +23,12 @@
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from pathlib import Path
 
-    from django.db.models import Model
+
+def exec_manage(*args):
+    from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
+
+    args = ["nanodjango"] + list(args)
+    execute_from_command_line(args)
 
 
 class Django:
@@ -110,24 +117,6 @@ def _config(self, _settings):
         # Ready for Django's standard setup
         setup()
 
-    def _prepare(self):
-        """
-        Perform any final setup for this project after it has been imported:
-
-        * register the admin site
-        """
-        admin_url = self.settings.ADMIN_URL
-        if admin_url or self.has_admin:
-            if admin_url is None:
-                admin_url = "admin/"
-            if not isinstance(admin_url, str) or not admin_url.endswith("/"):
-                raise ConfigurationError(
-                    "settings.ADMIN_URL must be a string path ending in /"
-                )
-            urlpatterns.append(
-                django_urls.path(admin_url.removeprefix("/"), admin.site.urls)
-            )
-
     def route(self, pattern: str, *, re=False, include=None):
         """
         Decorator to add a view to the urls
@@ -219,13 +208,14 @@ def wrap(model: type[Model]):
         # Called without arguments, @admin - call wrapped immediately
         return wrap(model)
 
-    def run(self, args: list[str] | tuple[str] | None = None):
+    def _prepare(self):
         """
-        Run a Django management command, passing all arguments
+        Perform any final setup for this project after it has been imported:
 
-        Defaults to:
-            runserver 0:8000
+        * detect if it has been run directly; if so, register it as an app
+        * register the admin site
         """
+
         # Check if this is being called from click commands or directly
         if self.app_name not in sys.modules:
             # Hasn't been run through the ``nanodjango`` command
@@ -239,18 +229,58 @@ def run(self, args: list[str] | tuple[str] | None = None):
             # Run directly, so register app module so Django won't try to load it again
             sys.modules[self.app_name] = sys.modules["__main__"]
 
+        # Register the admin site
+        admin_url = self.settings.ADMIN_URL
+        if admin_url or self.has_admin:
+            if admin_url is None:
+                admin_url = "admin/"
+            if not isinstance(admin_url, str) or not admin_url.endswith("/"):
+                raise ConfigurationError(
+                    "settings.ADMIN_URL must be a string path ending in /"
+                )
+            urlpatterns.append(
+                django_urls.path(admin_url.removeprefix("/"), admin.site.urls)
+            )
+
+    def run(self, args: list[str] | tuple[str] | None = None):
+        """
+        Run a Django management command, passing all arguments
+
+        Defaults to:
+            runserver 0:8000
+        """
         # Be helpful and check sys.argv for args. This will almost certainly be because
         # it's running directly.
         if args is None:
             args = sys.argv[1:]
 
         self._prepare()
-        from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line
+        if args:
+            exec_manage(*args)
+        else:
+            exec_manage("runserver", "0:8000")
+
+    def start(self, host: str | None = None):
+        """
+        Perform app setup commands and run the server
+        """
+        # Be helpful and check sys.argv for the host
+        if host is None:
+            print(sys.argv)
+            if len(sys.argv) > 2:
+                raise UsageError("Usage: start [HOST]")
+            elif len(sys.argv) == 2:
+                host = sys.argv[1]
+        if not host:
+            host = "0:8000"
 
-        if not args:
-            args = ["runserver", "0:8000"]
-        args = ["nanodjango"] + list(args)
-        execute_from_command_line(args)
+        self._prepare()
+        exec_manage("makemigrations", self.app_name)
+        exec_manage("migrate")
+        User = get_user_model()
+        if User.objects.count() == 0:
+            exec_manage("createsuperuser")
+        exec_manage("runserver", host)
 
     def convert(self, path: Path, name: str):
         from .convert import Converter
diff --git a/nanodjango/commands.py b/nanodjango/commands.py
index 4db6578..5301fb0 100644
--- a/nanodjango/commands.py
+++ b/nanodjango/commands.py
@@ -68,9 +68,31 @@ def cli():
 @click.argument("app", type=str, required=True, callback=load_app)
 @click.argument("args", type=str, required=False, nargs=-1)
 def run(app: Django, args: tuple[str]):
+    """
+    Run a management command.
+
+    If no command is specified, it will run runserver 0:8000
+    """
     app.run(args)
 
 
+@cli.command()
+@click.argument("app", type=str, required=True, callback=load_app)
+@click.argument("host", type=str, required=False, default="")
+def start(app: Django, host: str):
+    """
+    Start the app on the specified IP and port
+
+    This will perform a series of setup commands:
+
+        makemigrations <app>
+        migrate
+        createsuperuser
+        runserver HOST
+    """
+    app.start(host)
+
+
 @cli.command()
 @click.argument("app", type=str, required=True, callback=load_app)
 @click.argument("path", type=click.Path(), required=True)