01
A solo freelancer
The pitch
Cheapest path. Fast if they're good.
The trade
You own the playbook. If they disappear, so does the knowledge. No guarantee on the build. Usually no acceptance tests.
Three services. Two published bands. One scoped retainer.
Audit and sprint bands are published on this page. Managed is scoped on the call because deployed surface area and SLA needs actually change the monthly fee. Fixed scope either way. No retainer creep.
Free. No obligation. Written quote inside 48 hours if we are a fit.
The pricing principle.
Hourly billing rewards slow work. Fixed pricing rewards results.
Every engagement has a scope, a price, and a delivery date agreed before we start. If it takes us longer than planned, that is our problem. If it takes less, you still get the full deliverable.
We publish the audit and sprint bands on this site because price transparency is a buying signal, not a leak. Managed is scoped in writing before kickoff because deployed surface area and SLA needs actually change the fee.
Service 01
AI Readiness Audit
Diagnostic, not a sales pitch.
Map your workflows, score your AI readiness across 8 dimensions, and deliver a prioritized roadmap with ROI projections. 2 to 4 weeks.
- 012 weeks$3,500Single workflow5 to 20 people · one focused workflow
- 023 weeks$5,500Multi-workflow, single entity20 to 60 people · ops-heavy
- 034 weeks$8,500Multi-entity / high complexity60 to 100+ · multi-location, regulated
Service 02
AI Implementation Sprint
You know what to build. We build it.
Custom AI agents, workflow automation, integrations, and team training. Weekly demos. Acceptance tests written before kickoff. 4 to 12 weeks.
- 014 to 6 weeks$12,000Single workflow, single entity5 to 25 people · 1 workflow · light integrations
- 026 to 9 weeks$25,000Multi-workflow or integration-heavy20 to 60 people · 2 to 3 workflows
- 039 to 12 weeks$45,000Multi-entity / regulated / complex60 to 100+ · multi-location · regulated data
Service 03
AI Managed Services
AI does not stand still.
Monthly retainer. Monitoring, optimization, and 1 to 3 new automations per quarter inside the fee. Month to month. 30-day exit.
- 01MonthlyScoped at callStarter retainer1 to 3 deployed workflows · 1 new automation / qtr
- 02MonthlyScoped at callOperator retainer4 to 8 deployed workflows · 2 new automations / qtr
- 03MonthlyScoped at callEnterprise retainerMulti-entity or regulated · up to 3 new automations / qtr
How the three stack.
Most clients move Audit → Sprint → Managed over 6 to 18 months. Each one stands alone. Together they are a full implementation program.
No.PhaseServiceQuestion it answersTypical durationInvestment
No.01
PhaseDiagnose
ServiceAI Readiness Audit
Question it answers“What should we build, in what order?”
Typical duration2 to 4 weeks
Investment$3,500 to $8,500
No.02
PhaseBuild
ServiceImplementation Sprint
Question it answers“How do we make it real?”
Typical duration4 to 12 weeks per workflow
Investment$12,000 to $45,000
No.03
PhaseMaintain & expand
ServiceManaged Services
Question it answers“How do we keep it working and keep adding?”
Typical durationOngoing monthly
InvestmentScoped retainer
Credit policy / Audit → Sprint
Audit fee credits 100% against your first Implementation Sprint within 90 days of delivery.
Credit policy / Sprint → Managed
Sprint fees do not credit against the Managed retainer. It is a different unit of value and we price it that way.
Us vs. a typical Big-Four engagement.
Big Four AI implementation work typically requires a $500,000 minimum. We deliver the same strategic rigor at 50 to 70% less because the cost structure is different.
DimensionTypical Big FourB:Side Advisors
DimensionMinimum engagement
Typical Big Four~$500K
B:Side Advisors$3,500 audit · $12K sprint
DimensionTime to kickoff
Typical Big Four6 to 12 weeks
B:Side Advisors1 to 3 weeks
DimensionPrice visibility
Typical Big FourUnder NDA
B:Side AdvisorsPublished or scoped upfront
DimensionWho's on your account
Typical Big FourRotating partners + juniors
B:Side AdvisorsSame senior advisor end to end
DimensionTermination
Typical Big FourQuarterly commits
B:Side AdvisorsMonth to month · 30-day exit
"Big Four" figures are directional, drawn from public engagement minimums and RFP patterns. Your mileage varies by firm, region, and scope. What we can commit to is our side of the table.
What about cheaper options?
There are three honest ways to buy AI implementation in 2026. We are one of them. Here is the trade you make with each.
02
A generic AI agency
The pitch
Full team, discovery process, retainer.
The trade
Retainer creep. Frequently juniors on your account after kickoff. Often a reseller for specific vendors, so recommendations are not neutral.
03You are here
B:Side Advisors
The pitch
Fixed price, senior advisors, vendor-neutral.
The trade
Not the cheapest. Not the biggest. We turn down engagements that are not a fit. We might tell you to wait a quarter.
Credits and guarantees.
Two credits policies and two guarantees. Written into every engagement. No small print.
Audit rebuild guarantee
If the Audit roadmap is not actionable, we rebuild it at no cost.
"Cannot act on it" means the roadmap contains no opportunities with a positive ROI projection, or the recommended vendors are not feasible in your environment. If either is true after delivery, we redo the work. You do not pay twice.
See the Audit pageSprint scope guarantee
If we miss the sprint acceptance tests, we keep building.
Acceptance tests are written together at kickoff, in plain English. Either the sprint passes them or we stay on until it does. You do not pay twice for the same deliverable.
See the Sprint pageCredit · Audit → Sprint
100% audit fee credits against your first sprint within 90 days of delivery.
Credit · Sprint → Managed
Sprint fees do not credit against Managed. Different unit of value, priced as such.
Pricing questions.
Eight questions that come up on every pricing conversation.
01How much does AI implementation cost for a small business?
Our published bands: AI Readiness Audit from $3,500 to $8,500 (2 to 4 weeks). Implementation Sprint from $12,000 to $45,000 (4 to 12 weeks). Managed Services is a scoped monthly retainer. Big Four firms typically require a $500,000 minimum. We deliver equivalent strategic rigor at 50 to 70% less.
02Why fixed price instead of hourly?
Hourly billing rewards slow work. Fixed pricing rewards results. Once 'done' is defined in writing and priced, your risk is capped. If the work takes us longer than planned, that is our problem. If it takes less, you still get the full deliverable.
03Do you ever do hourly engagements?
No. We do not bill hourly. Audit and sprint are fixed price against a defined scope. Managed is a scoped monthly retainer with the coverage set in writing before kickoff. If the work you have in mind cannot be scoped in writing up front, it is not a fit for us yet.
04What is not included in the fixed price?
Third-party software costs (OpenAI, Anthropic, SaaS subscriptions, etc.) are yours and paid directly to the vendor. On-site travel beyond Denver or Phoenix is billed at cost. Anything outside the signed scope is a new sprint, not a change order.
05Can I pay in installments?
Yes. Audit: 50% at kickoff, 50% at delivery. Sprint: 50% at kickoff, 25% at midpoint acceptance, 25% at final acceptance. Managed: monthly in advance. All invoices are net-15.
06What if scope changes mid-sprint?
Small in-scope adjustments are absorbed. Medium ones are deferred and scoped into a second sprint. Large ones are quoted separately, in writing, before work starts. You always see the trade in writing, never a surprise invoice.
07How is the Managed retainer scoped?
Based on the surface area of what is deployed: number of workflows monitored, response SLA tier, and how many new automations per quarter you want inside the fee. Reviewed every quarter. Moves with your business.
08Are there industry discounts?
No. We price the work, not the industry. Published bands apply equally to law firms, HVAC contractors, and everyone in between. What the work takes is what it takes.
Price lives in a 30-minute call.
We tell you which band fits, where your scope lands, and what the exact number is. Written quote inside 48 hours if we are a fit.
Senior advisor on the call. No sales rep. Free, no pitch.
What the call produces
- 01Recommended serviceAudit, Sprint, Managed, or a clean 'not yet'.
- 02The exact band you land inBased on headcount, surface area, and complexity.
- 03Written quote in 48 hoursFixed price, written scope. You sign or you walk.