AI consulting services for small businesses ready to put AI and automation to work.
For owner-operated businesses in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County that want an AI roadmap, a specific task automated, a messy process cleaned up, or ongoing AI leadership when there are too many moving parts to manage alone.
This could be a report that takes half a day every week, follow-up that keeps slipping, or a team already using AI without clear rules. We start by understanding how the work gets done, then determine where AI or automation can help.
No hard sell. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you.
Transparent pricing
See the starting price, general timelines, and best fit for each service before booking a call.
Decision-ready roadmap
The Diagnostic helps you decide what to do first, what to avoid, and whether AI, automation, or a different fix makes sense right now.
Operator background
The work is led by Derek Weaver, an operator turned AI consultant with 20+ years across small businesses, family-owned companies, and private equity environments.
Governance and adoption built in
Privacy, software access, team use, accuracy, human review, and change management support are part of the work from the start.
You don't need to know everything about AI and automation. You just need to know what's not working, or what could work better or faster.
Most business owners don't start with a complete AI plan. Instead, they have a problem they want to solve, or something they know could be easier. Use the guide below to find the best starting point.
We know AI could help, but we're not sure where to start.
Start with the AI Diagnostic. It gives you a decision-ready roadmap before you commit to any software, automations, or larger implementation work.
Recommended: AI DiagnosticWe have a single annoying task wasting time every week.
Start with the AI and Automation Quick Start. It's made for one narrow, well-defined issue that can be scoped, built, tested, and handed off.
Recommended: Quick StartWe have a problematic process that touches several people or systems.
Start with the AI Efficiency Sprint. It's made for one end-to-end process where the problem is clear, but the fix has more moving parts.
Recommended: Efficiency SprintFour ways to get started.
Different starting points. Same outcome: better workflows and stronger results.
AI Diagnostic
Get clarity on opportunities, risks, and the right first moves before committing to any build.
- Opportunity map
- Readiness visual
- Governance snapshot
- Prioritized roadmap
$3,500, one-time
AI and Automation Quick Start
One narrow task or process fix. Scoped, built, tested, and handed off with training.
- Scoping and build
- Team training
- Written guide
- 2-week post-launch support
From $3,000, one-time
Not sure where to start? Book an AI Strategy Call and we'll help you decide.
Clarity before commitment. A roadmap before any software, build, or change.
Not sure if your business is ready for AI, or if now is even the right time? That's exactly what the Diagnostic answers. Once it's complete, you'll know where you stand across six critical areas that matter for successful AI and automation, and whether it's worth pursuing now or something else should come first. The goal is focused effort, not guesswork, since guessing wrong can be costly in time, effort, and business impact.
The AI Diagnostic is built to give you a complete written assessment of where AI fits in your business, what is worth doing first, what to avoid, and what the right next step should be.
It is the recommended first step for most businesses because it removes the guesswork from a decision that is easy to get wrong.
Delivered within 10 business days. You own the roadmap whether or not we work together afterward.
Start With the Diagnostic$3,500 one-time
Payment due at engagement start.
- A comprehensive, structured interview with you and other key stakeholders as needed, to find where AI and automation pay off the most
- Readiness assessment across six critical dimensions, shown across several easy-to-read visuals so you see exactly where things stand at a glance
- Opportunity map showing where AI can help and where it cannot
- Governance and privacy risk snapshot covering the software you already use, and how those risks shape what gets recommended next
- Prioritized roadmap with a clear starting point and what to avoid
- A full written report that explains what each finding means and what to do about it
- 60-minute working session to go through findings together
See how we uncover what matters and where to start.
The AI Diagnostic gives you a clear, objective view of your organization's strengths, gaps, and highest-impact opportunities.
AI readiness visual
A snapshot across several critical domains. Shows where the business is ready to move and where gaps exist before any build begins.
Opportunity map
A prioritization matrix that shows where AI and automation are likely to have the most impact relative to how difficult they are to implement. Helps rank what to build first.
Prioritized roadmap
A clear set of recommended next steps ordered by business value, effort, risk, and timing. Answers: what should we do first, what should we avoid, and what kind of help makes sense?
Governance and privacy snapshot
A review of the software and platforms currently in use. Identifies where data is flowing, what is at risk, and what rules should be in place before moving forward.
Sample view only. The full Diagnostic includes additional domains, detailed findings, and prioritized recommendations.
The Business Interview
A structured conversation with you and other key stakeholders as needed, covering your processes, your data, and your team. This is where the real findings come from.
60-Minute Working Session
A working call to review the findings together, answer questions, and talk through the right next step. You walk away knowing exactly what to do and why.
Choose the right size build for the problem you already know needs attention.
Both services are for businesses that already know what they want to improve. The difference is size and complexity.
One automation
AI and Automation Quick Start
From $3,000 one-time
Generally 1 to 2 weeks
One narrow task or process fix. Scoped up front, built and tested, handed off with a written guide and two weeks of support after launch.
- Scoping call to confirm the right problem to solve first
- Automation built, tested, and configured
- Team training and a written guide
- Two weeks of support after launch
Best when:
The problem is already clear. The task is narrow enough to define up front. Only a small number of people or systems are involved.
One end-to-end workflow
AI Efficiency Sprint
From $9,500 one-time
Generally 6 to 8 weeks
A more complex process touching multiple people, systems, or handoffs. Mapped before anything is built. Handed off with step-by-step guidance your team can use.
- Full process design before any build begins
- Workflow built and tested across connected systems
- Team testing before go-live
- Step-by-step guide and handoff notes
- Change management and adoption support
- 30-day check-in and one refinement within scope
Best when:
The problem is clear but the fix has more moving parts. Several people, systems, approvals, or handoffs are involved.
Ongoing AI direction without hiring a full-time leader.
For businesses that need help deciding what to build, what to avoid, how to guide the team, and how to keep AI efforts from spreading in too many directions.
All three tiers include the Diagnostic in the first 10 days, so the work starts with a clear roadmap instead of guesswork. Not sure whether monthly leadership makes sense? Start with the Diagnostic.
Choose Advisor if your team can execute, but needs AI direction, roadmap ownership, and guardrails.
Choose Strategist if you want direction plus one defined priority process or automation carried through planning, build, testing, training, and handoff.
Choose Principal if AI and automation touch enough of the business that the work needs to be led across teams, systems, and priorities.
Advisory only
Fractional AI Advisor
$5,500 / month
Roadmap ownership and governance guidance. Your team handles implementation.
- Diagnostic in the first 10 days
- AI roadmap ownership
- Monthly strategy session
- Regular advisory and working sessions
- Governance guidance
- Software and vendor guidance
- Priority setting
- Async guidance between sessions
Advisory and implementation
Fractional AI Strategist
$7,500 / month
Leadership, roadmap ownership, and one priority process carried through implementation.
- Everything in Advisor
- One defined priority process or automation from the roadmap the Diagnostic produces
- Planning, build, testing, training, and handoff
- Pilot planning and coordination
- Change management and adoption support
- Monthly progress review
- Two onsite visits when appropriate
Broadest scope
Fractional AI Principal
$10,000 / month
Executive-level leadership across teams, systems, and up to two priority workflows.
- Everything in Strategist
- Up to two defined priority processes or automations
- Broader roadmap and implementation leadership
- More frequent working sessions
- Deeper governance and adoption support
- Vendor and platform evaluation
- Monthly executive summary
- Additional onsite involvement when appropriate
I know what 50 sticky notes on a monitor looks like.
I've led teams. I've dealt with the pressure, the overwhelm, and the work that never seems to get off the list. That's why I help business owners cut through the noise and use AI and automation in ways that make life easier.
Derek Weaver brings 20+ years across small businesses, family-owned companies, private equity environments, and larger operating teams. He holds credentials in AI strategy, governance, AI applications in marketing, finance, and people management, and change management for generative AI.
Meet DerekNot all AI consulting is the same.
There is no shortage of AI consultants right now. Here is what tends to separate different approaches.
| Common Consulting Approach | Strategence AI |
|---|---|
| Software recommendations first, strategy second | Business first. Technology only where it helps. |
| Generic advice not specific to your business | Everything is built around how your business works. |
| Pricing is hard to find before the sales call | Real prices published before any conversation. |
| May have affiliate relationships with recommended software | No affiliate relationships or software commissions. |
| May or may not consider the human element | Change management and adoption support built in. |
Strategence AI gave us the AI tools and insights we needed to approach selling our business with confidence. It was like having expert support at every step.
AI risks are easier to manage when they're part of the plan from the start.
Privacy, accuracy, and team use are part of the work from the beginning. That means looking at what information is being used, where it might go, who should have access, and what needs human review.
It also means being clear about where AI should not be used at all. Sometimes the right answer is to wait or to use a simpler fix before bringing AI into a process.
This is general governance and AI safety guidance, not legal advice. If your business operates in a regulated environment, consult your legal or compliance team. We can work with them as part of the engagement.
A clear conversation before any project, roadmap, or proposal.
The first call is not a software demo or a hard sell. It is a short conversation to understand what your business is trying to fix, what is slowing the work down, what your team is already doing, and whether AI or automation is the right next step. If it is not the right fit, I will tell you.
What we'll talk through
- What problem you are trying to solve
- Where the work is getting stuck now
- Who is involved in the process
- What systems, spreadsheets, or software are part of the work
- Whether your team is already using AI
- Any privacy, accuracy, or approval concerns
- What kind of help would make the most sense
What happens next
Frequently asked questions
How much does this cost, and how long does it take?
It depends on where you start. The AI Diagnostic is $3,500 and takes about 10 business days. An AI and Automation Quick Start starts at $3,000 and usually takes 1 to 2 weeks. An AI Efficiency Sprint starts at $9,500 and usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. Fractional AI Leadership runs $5,500 to $10,000 a month, with a 90-day minimum. If you're not sure which one fits, the Diagnostic is the best place to start, and its full fee credits toward Fractional AI Leadership if you sign on within 30 days.
Do I need to know which AI app or automation system I want?
No. You do not need to choose software first. If you already have an idea, we can talk it through.
We start with the business problem, how the work happens now, and where things slow down, get missed, or take too much time. From there, we decide whether AI, automation, a cleaner process, or no new software is the right next step.
How do I know if my business is ready for AI, or if now's the right time?
You don't need to guess. The AI Diagnostic gives you a real, specific answer, scored across six critical areas of your business that successful AI and automation deployment depends on. If the timing isn't right yet, or something else needs fixing first, we'll tell you that too. That's the whole point of doing this before you spend money on software or automation.
Can't I just figure this out myself with ChatGPT?
You can ask an AI system for general advice, and that's a fine place to start. What it can't do is sit down with your team, watch how your process actually runs, or catch the gap between what you think is happening and what's really happening. That gap is where most AI projects go wrong. The Diagnostic exists to catch it before you spend money building the wrong thing.
Why pay for an AI Diagnostic instead of doing it myself?
You can do this yourself, and some businesses do.
The risk is spending time and money on the wrong starting point. It is usually better to have a roadmap before you build, change systems, or ask your team to use something new.
The AI Diagnostic looks across six critical areas: your business fundamentals, how things get accomplished, your data and systems, any AI you're already using, privacy and risk, and how ready your team is for change. You get a decision-ready assessment and plan that puts all of that in order, so you know what should happen first.
What if I pay for the Diagnostic and don't move forward?
That is okay. The Diagnostic is designed to stand on its own. You receive the roadmap, priorities, opportunity map, readiness view, and risk snapshot whether or not you continue with Strategence AI.
If you decide to move into a Fractional AI Leadership engagement within 30 days, the full Diagnostic fee is credited toward that engagement. If you decide to build on your own, the Diagnostic can still help you see where to start and what to avoid.
Who owns what you build for us?
You do. Anything we build together, whether that's an automation, a workflow, or a custom system, is yours outright.
You'll typically set up your own accounts for any software or systems required, with guidance, so you're never handed a to-do list with no help, like a specific platform or the API access an AI system needs. That way there's never a question of who owns it, who's paying for it, or what happens if we ever stop working together. If you'd rather we handle that setup for you, we can, and you'll be given the costs and fees in the proposal and service agreement. No surprises.
If you want ongoing support after launch, in case something changes, has an outage, or needs an adjustment, that's available separately as an optional maintenance arrangement. Staying independent afterward never requires it.
Can we start small?
Yes, and that is often the right move. Starting small can help avoid disruption to the business and give the team a chance to get comfortable before taking on something larger.
If there is one narrow task or workflow issue that is already clear, the AI and Automation Quick Start may be enough. If the problem touches several people, systems, approvals, or handoffs, the Efficiency Sprint is usually a better fit. The first call is used to sort that out before anything is scoped.
What if my team is new to AI?
That is normal. Many businesses are interested in AI but do not yet have shared rules, habits, or comfort around using it. The work can include clear guidance, team training where needed, and written instructions so the solution does not live only in someone's head.
The goal is to make the next step easier for the team, not add another confusing system or process.
How do you handle privacy and risk?
Privacy, accuracy, and team use are part of the work from the beginning. That means looking at what information is being used, where it might go, who should have access, and what needs human review. It also means being clear about where AI should not be used at all.
This is general governance and AI safety guidance, not legal advice. If your business operates in a regulated environment, you should consult your legal or compliance team. We can also work with them as part of the process.
What happens after I book a call?
We use the call to understand what you are trying to fix, what is happening now, and whether Strategence AI is the right fit.
There is no hard sell. If the right next step is a Diagnostic, a small build, a larger workflow sprint, or ongoing leadership, I will explain why. If AI is not the right move yet, I will say that too.
Ready to find the right starting point?
You do not need to know which software to use, what to automate, or whether AI is the right move yet. We can start with what is slowing the business down, what your team needs, and what would make the next step worth taking.
Book an AI Strategy CallNo hard sell. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you.