Using basic AI tools like ChatGPT may simplify certain operations, but it's not what companies are truly seeking. To make a tangible impact, AI-powered software must be integrated into core business workflows and operate with a high level of autonomy, requiring only human supervision.

For enterprise-level companies, digital transformation may be easier to achieve due to substantial resources they own. Small businesses must be more agile, finding a balance between available budgets and AI capabilities with the highest return on investment.

If you have limited experience with AI implementation, AI consulting for small businesses can make your investment choices more data-driven. External AI implementation consultants will analyze your workflows and recommend which AI tools can bring the maximum benefit and where.

Learn how small business IT consulting can benefit your company and what to expect from potential collaboration in our post.

What is AI Consulting for Small Businesses About?

AI consulting for small businesses involves engaging an experienced third-party vendor to get help with AI implementation and optimization. It focuses on finding practical and cost-effective ways to enhance low-efficiency business operations through AI.

The AI business consulting process usually involves the following services:

• Gathering feedback from stakeholders
• Current business workflows assessment
• Evaluating data quality and availability
• AI readiness assessment and preparation roadmap
• Prioritizing AI opportunities based on business goals with ROI estimates
• Tool selection (e.g., virtual assistants, AI-powered CRMs, document automation solutions, etc.)
• Data cleanup and preparation
• Assistance in integrating the selected tools with existing systems
• Training staff on AI tools and ongoing support
• Tracking the impact and ROI of AI implementation

As a result, you receive such deliverables as an AI strategy roadmap, recommended tools, implemented AI systems, training materials, and performance reports.

The scope of IT consulting services for small businesses varies depending on your actual needs and available budget. It may be more feasible to build a lightweight custom AI software trained on company data than to implement a third-party system. A consultant will evaluate your needs and opportunities to offer an optimal approach.

When to Invest in AI Consulting for Small Businesses

The recent report on SME digitalization for competitiveness by OECD discloses a considerable gap in SMEs' digitalization, showing that a large share of companies are lagging behind. 16% of small and medium businesses use basic tools such as email and office software, and 29% have websites, social media, and digital payments only. Less than a fifth of the respondents use AI capabilities and more advanced solutions to support digital innovations in their business strategy.

How do you know if your company needs small business technology consulting? The obvious signs are legacy software systems that slow down your business operations. Below are other signs that you would benefit from AI consulting for small businesses.

Difficulties in Automating Repetitive Tasks

If you have lots of tasks that involve data entry, manual scheduling, and standardized communications, but don't know how to automate them, AI consulting for small businesses can help. An external consultant can recommend affordable tools to streamline repetitive operations and reduce the load on your staff, letting them focus on more critical tasks.

Lack of Understanding of How to Manage and Use Data

Small businesses usually don't have data engineers on board, and, therefore, they often cannot collect valuable data properly. It results in lots of unstructured data from different sources, which is not ready to be used for business insights and automation. Engaging an AI consultant at this point enables you to make sense of raw information and prepare it for AI systems.

Limited Resources to Implement AI

If the budget for digital transformation is limited, hiring an AI integration consulting specialist can help you find low-cost solutions or evaluate your current expenses to find resources. With AI consulting for small businesses, you will also prioritize short- and long-term AI implementation goals based on real ROI and potential gains.

Inconsistent Customer Experience and High Churn Rates

SMEs that operate in B2C niches and suffer from slow response times, low customer satisfaction, and frequent complaints should consider implementing an AI system for CRM automation. An experienced consultant will recommend automation solutions to implement and help your team connect them. If you collaborate with a larger consulting agency like Scalors, they usually also provide engineering help with integrating and customizing AI solutions.

You Have AI Tools, but They Don't Deliver Expected Results

Companies that have already attempted to automate operations with AI, but haven't achieved the expected KPIs and ROI, can enhance their approaches by turning to an AI consultancy. A third-party specialist will recommend how to optimize the use of existing AI tools or replace them with more suitable alternatives that will help reach the set goals.

An IT consultant for small businesses can also help you achieve regulatory compliance, which often becomes challenging with AI use. They will guide you on what data can be processed and how to ensure AI use is ethical and responsible. Another reason to consider IT consultants for small businesses is when competitors from the same niche start to outperform you with smarter digital solutions, and you need to keep up.

Be Better Prepared for AI Consulting Sessions

Before investing in hiring an AI business consultant, you should clarify your expectations, evaluate the resources, and prepare your team for the change. This way, your collaboration will deliver maximum results and help achieve specific business goals. Here are some recommendations based on our experience on how to start.

• Audit existing business workflows and prepare documentation. List your core workflows and describe what happens within each of them step by step. It will allow you to detect automation opportunities and see which operations are suitable for AI-powered automation.
• Talk to employees to detect bottlenecks. Send a survey and organize interviews with your team members to gather complaints about the main issues affecting their performance. If several employees face the same problem, it may be worth considering this process for optimization.
• Clarify your business goals and expectations from cooperation. Decide what you want to achieve with AI implementation (e.g., optimize expenses, speed up customer support, improve marketing, etc.). This will make your communication with the AI consultant more transparent and help you understand whether you can reach these goals with the allocated budget and timeframe.
• Check what data you currently have. Analyze your data sources if you gather any information from customers, as well as sales, marketing, and operational data. Even messy data can be further cleaned and used for AI implementation. 
• Know your budget range. Consult with stakeholders to determine budget constraints and projected investment. It will guide AI business consultants and allow both parties to manage expectations from the start.

These simple steps will make you better prepared for the start of consulting and allow you to implement the practical changes much faster. By outlining expectations at the start, you can also estimate the results of collaboration more accurately to know the real value of the investment.

Scalors for Small Business Technology Consulting

Scalors is a custom software development company with strong AI expertise and multiple projects across industries, from healthcare to e-commerce. We have built an LLM-based legal advisor for law firms, AI assistant for a knowledge base, and other solutions for SMEs and large businesses.

 

Our agency provides AI consulting for small businesses and helps with AI implementation. Tell us what business goals you'd like to achieve with AI for professional analysis and advice. Schedule a free meeting to learn more about our expertise and discuss your project.