AI consulting firm, or a small team?
A big firm starts with a strategy. A small team starts with the job that slips every week, and sets it up in the tools you already use.
What happens next
- Big consulting firm
A discovery phase and a strategy deck
Month 2 
Small teamOne job set up in your own tools
30 days- Freelancer
Freelancers build what you spec, you manage it
Depends on you
What an AI consulting firm does
| Big consulting firm | Small team | Freelancer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it's built for | Companies with IT teams and big budgets | Owner-run shops, one job at a time | Whoever writes the spec |
| Where it starts | Strategy, workshops, a roadmap | The job that slips every week | Your list of what to build |
| What you end up with | A plan, sometimes a build | One working job inside your tools | What you asked for, if you asked right |
| Who sends to customers | Depends on the build | You or your team, every time | Depends on the build |
| After setup | A new engagement | Care, or you keep it and walk away | Whoever you can find |
How to hire an AI consultant | |||
| What moves it | Ask the same questions of everyone, so the quotes compare like for like. We tell you what it costs on the fit call, before you agree to anything. | ||
Big firm or small partner: how to tell | |||
| Fits if |
|
| When you can write the spec and manage the build yourself. |
Looking for an AI agency near me?
- The fit call, on video.
- Setup, inside your own accounts.
- Check-ins, on a call each week.
Nothing goes out before a yes.
- Someone on your team says yes at each step.
- Your team sends every message.
- You keep the logins and the work.
What an AI implementation partner should hand you
Not a deck. A job that runs in your tools, a log of what it did, and a person on your team who says yes before anything goes out.
- MonIn
- TueIn
- WedIn
- ThuIn
- FriIn
Six days, no reply on the repipe. Want me to send this?
Hi Mr. Ortiz, it's Rosa. Just checking in on the repipe quote from Monday. Any questions I can answer?
Yes, send itWhich should you choose?
I need a company-wide plan
Hire a big firmWhen you need a plan across a big company and have a team to run it.One job working this month
Work with a small teamWhen you want one job set up in your tools, with a person sending.Book a fit call →I know exactly what to build
Hire a freelancerWhen you can write the spec and manage the build yourself.
Questions.
Something else on your mind? Ask us on the fit call. No pitch, and we'll say if it isn't a fit.
Book a fit callAn AI consulting company helps a business decide where AI fits, plans the work, and often builds it. Large firms focus on strategy and big systems for big companies. For a small business, look for a team that will set up a specific job and stay until your people use it.
It ranges widely. Large firms price for big projects and long engagements. Smaller teams usually price per job set up, plus optional ongoing help. Ask for a written plan of the work, what is included after launch, and whether you own the setup when the project ends.
A reasonable fee is one tied to a clear result you can check, like a job set up and used by your team, not hours of meetings. Compare what you would pay to keep losing that work by hand. If the consultant can't name the result, the fee isn't reasonable.
Search locally, but don't limit yourself to nearby firms. Most AI setup work happens over screen share. What matters more is whether they know businesses like yours. Ask to see a working setup for a similar shop and talk to that owner.
Write down the one job you want fixed, then ask each consultant how they would set it up, who on your team approves the output, how long until it runs, and what you keep. Pick the one who asks about your week more than they talk about tools.
Start with one job.