A short, structured assessment that gives you a personalised picture of how AI could realistically help your business. You complete an 8-minute assessment and get your readiness score instantly. We then talk through it together on a free 30-minute call and deliver a written report within 24 to 48 hours.

How much does the AI audit cost?

Nothing. The assessment, the call, and the written report are all free. No payment details, no trial, no fine print.

There isn't one. Some of the businesses we audit ask us to implement what the report finds, and that paid work is how we keep the audit free. If you take your report and act on it yourself, that outcome works for both of us.

Am I obligated to hire you afterward?

No. There's no pitch built into the call, and we hold nothing back in the report. Some owners run with the report themselves, some ask us to help implement it. Both are normal.

Who is the AI audit for?

Small and mid-sized service businesses, typically two to fifty people. Any industry. You don't need any technical background.

How long does the whole process take?

Under a week in most cases. The assessment takes about 8 minutes. The discovery call is 30 minutes. The written report lands within 24 to 48 hours of the call.

Do I need any technical knowledge?

No. The process reads like a conversation with a knowledgeable friend, in plain English throughout.

What happens during the discovery call?

We walk through your business, workflows, bottlenecks and customer journey in detail. The assessment gives us the starting point.

What will my report include?

A written document covering the specific opportunities we identified, tools that fit your stack, an implementation path, and next steps. You're free to take it anywhere.

Is my business information kept confidential?

Yes. We don't share or resell your responses, and the report is yours alone.

What if I'm already using AI in my business?

That's common. The audit maps where you are against where you could be, and surfaces gaps that experienced users miss.

Pricing

How much does an AI consultant cost in 2026?

Daksham BugrejaJuly 5, 20266 min read

In 2026, AI consultants charge $100 to $300 per hour. Standalone AI audits run $250 to $2,500, single-workflow automation projects $3,000 to $10,000, larger operations buildouts $10,000 to $25,000 and up, and retainers $1,000 to $5,000 per month. A growing number of implementation firms now offer the diagnosis stage free.

Those ranges match the public quotes of automation consultancies in markets like Toronto. Averages still hide the detail that decides your bill: the stage of work you are paying for.

The three stages of AI consulting with 2026 small-business price ranges. Opesera gives the diagnosis stage away.

The three stages you can be charged for

Stage 1: Diagnosis (audits, assessments, roadmaps)

The consultant reviews your workflows and tells you where AI fits, which tools to use, and in what order. Small-business market price: $250 to $2,500. Enterprise consultancies charge five figures for the same stage.

The market shifted on this stage. Implementation firms find their projects through diagnosis, so more of them give it away. Opesera is one of them. The Opesera AI audit, from readiness score through 30-minute call to written report, costs nothing, and we state the model in the open: some audited businesses hire us to build what we find, and you could implement most recommendations yourself. When a paid audit and a free audit produce the same artifact, a written and prioritized plan, pay for the difference between them. Our guide to what an AI audit includes lists what that artifact should contain.

Stage 2: Implementation (the building)

Implementation is the stage worth paying for. Someone builds, connects, and tests real systems:

Project type	Typical 2026 price
Single workflow automation (intake, scheduling, invoicing)	$3,000–$10,000
AI voice agent or support chatbot, trained on your business	$5,000–$15,000
Multi-workflow operations buildout	$10,000–$25,000+
Hourly specialist work	$100–$300/hr

Complexity, the number of connected systems, and the state of your data drive the price. A competent diagnosis should precede any implementation quote.

Stage 3: Ongoing support (retainers)

The consultant monitors, maintains, and improves what they built. Expect $1,000 to $5,000 per month at small-business scale. The retainer earns its cost once automations carry business-critical load, and wastes it before then.

Red flags that inflate the bill

An implementation quote before a diagnosis. A consultant who prices the project before mapping your workflows picked the number for their own benefit.
Tool-reseller consulting. If the consultant resells the software they recommend, you are paying a sales commission.
Enterprise process at small-business scale. Multi-month discovery phases fit 5,000-person companies. A 15-person business needs one call and a week.
Vague deliverables. Ask for a written plan with named tools, sequenced steps, and estimated returns. Decline "AI strategy."

What you should pay first: nothing

Our position, and our business model: the diagnosis stage should cost you nothing in 2026. Run the self-audit checklist on your own, or take our free AI readiness assessment. It takes 8 minutes, scores you on the spot, and leads to a written report after a free 30-minute call. If implementation makes sense after that, you will negotiate with a plan in hand and numbers you understand. That order of operations also makes Stage 2 cheaper to buy.

Frequently asked questions

Are AI consultants worth it for a small business?

For diagnosis, free options now match paid ones at small-business scale. For implementation, run the payback math: a $5,000 intake automation that recovers 20 hours a month repays itself inside a year at any believable labor cost.

Why do prices vary so much between consultants?

Overhead and positioning explain more of the spread than skill does. A solo specialist and a mid-size agency may build the same workflow. One of them funds an office and a sales team.

Can I implement AI myself instead?

In many cases, yes. Vendors build modern automation tools for non-developers. The scarce ingredient is knowing what to build in what order, and the diagnosis stage exists to produce that.