diff --git a/labscript_profile/create.py b/labscript_profile/create.py
index cf91b53..38a6773 100644
--- a/labscript_profile/create.py
+++ b/labscript_profile/create.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from subprocess import check_output
 from labscript_profile import LABSCRIPT_SUITE_PROFILE, default_labconfig_path
+import argparse
 
 _here = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 DEFAULT_PROFILE_CONTENTS = os.path.join(_here, 'default_profile')
@@ -21,7 +22,15 @@ def make_shared_secret(directory):
     raise RuntimeError("Could not parse output of zprocess.makesecret")
 
 
-def make_labconfig_file():
+def make_labconfig_file(apparatus_name = None):
+    """Create labconfig file from template
+    
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    apparatus_name: str, optional
+        Overrides the default apparatus name with the provided one if not None
+    """
+
     source_path = os.path.join(LABSCRIPT_SUITE_PROFILE, 'labconfig', 'example.ini')
     target_path = default_labconfig_path()
     if os.path.exists(target_path):
@@ -47,16 +56,88 @@ def make_labconfig_file():
         '%(labscript_suite)s', shared_secret.relative_to(LABSCRIPT_SUITE_PROFILE)
     )
     config.set('security', 'shared_secret', str(shared_secret_entry))
+    if apparatus_name is not None:
+        print(f'\tSetting apparatus name to \'{apparatus_name}\'')
+        config.set('DEFAULT', 'apparatus_name', apparatus_name)
 
     with open(target_path, 'w') as f:
         config.write(f)
 
+def compile_connection_table():
+    """Compile the connection table defined in the labconfig file
+    
+    The output is placed in the location defined by the labconfig file.
+    """
+
+    try:
+        import runmanager
+    except ImportError:
+        # if runmanager doesn't import, skip compilation
+        return
+
+    config = configparser.ConfigParser(defaults = {'labscript_suite': str(LABSCRIPT_SUITE_PROFILE)})
+    config.read(default_labconfig_path())
+
+    # The path to the user's connection_table.py script
+    script_path = os.path.expandvars(config['paths']['connection_table_py'])
+    # path to the connection_table.h5 destination
+    output_h5_path = os.path.expandvars(config['paths']['connection_table_h5'])
+    # create output directory, if needed
+    Path(output_h5_path).parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    # compile the h5 file
+    runmanager.new_globals_file(output_h5_path)
+
+    def dummy_callback(success):
+        pass
+
+    runmanager.compile_labscript_async(labscript_file = script_path,
+                                       run_file = output_h5_path,
+                                       stream_port = None,
+                                       done_callback = dummy_callback)
+    print(f'\tOutput written to {output_h5_path}')
+
+def create_profile_cli():
+    """Function that defines the labscript-profile-create command
+
+    Parses CLI arguments and calls :func:`~.create_profile`.
+    """
+
+    # capture CMD arguments
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog='labscript-profile-create',
+                                     description='Initialises a default labscript profile'
+                                     )
+
+    parser.add_argument('-n', '--apparatus_name',
+                        type=str,
+                        help='Sets the apparatus_name in the labconfig file. Defaults to example_apparatus',
+                        )
+    parser.add_argument('-c', '--compile',
+                        action='store_true',
+                        help='Enables compilation of the default example connection table',
+                        default=False)
+    
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    create_profile(args.apparatus_name, args.compile)
+
+def create_profile(apparatus_name = None, compile_table = False):
+    """Function that creates a labscript config profile from the default config
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    appratus_name: str, optional
+        apparatus_name to define in the config.
+        If None, defaults to example_apparatus (set in default config file)
+    compile_table: bool, optional
+        Whether to compile to example connection table defined by the default config file
+        Default is False.
+    """
 
-def create_profile():
     src = Path(DEFAULT_PROFILE_CONTENTS)
     dest = Path(LABSCRIPT_SUITE_PROFILE)
+    print(f'Creating labscript profile at {LABSCRIPT_SUITE_PROFILE}')
     # Profile directory may exist already, but we will error if it contains any of the
-    # files or directories we want to copy into it:
+    # sub-directories we want to copy into it:
     os.makedirs(dest, exist_ok=True)
     # Preferable to raise errors if anything exists before copying anything, rather than
     # do a partial copy before hitting an error:
@@ -71,4 +152,16 @@ def create_profile():
         else:
             shutil.copy2(src_file, dest_file)
 
-    make_labconfig_file()
+    print('Writing labconfig file')
+    make_labconfig_file(apparatus_name)
+
+    # rename apparatus directories
+    if apparatus_name is not None:
+        print('\tRenaming apparatus directories')
+        for path in dest.glob('**/example_apparatus/'):
+            new_path = Path(str(path).replace('example_apparatus', apparatus_name))
+            path.rename(new_path)
+
+    if compile_table:
+        print('Compiling the example connection table')
+        compile_connection_table()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 3863a26..707944c 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -69,4 +69,4 @@ docs = [
 ]
 
 [project.scripts]
-labscript-profile-create = "labscript_profile.create:create_profile"
+labscript-profile-create = "labscript_profile.create:create_profile_cli"