Introductory call
Free
A 20-minute conversation about your business and where AI might help.
- Phone, video or in person
- A straight answer on whether I'm a good fit
Small Business AI Implementation & Training
AI doesn't have to be complicated.
I help small businesses around the Susquehanna Valley figure out where AI fits, set it up, and learn to use it on their own. Less busywork, and more time for the parts of the business that actually need you.
Big AI ideas. Small business solutions.
Why bother
What AI is actually good for
Not replacing people. Taking the tedious parts off their plate so they can spend time on the work that matters.
Get hours back
First drafts of emails, posts and documents in minutes instead of an evening.
Less repetitive work
The same questions, the same replies, the same copy and paste. Much of it can be handled faster.
More done with the same team
Your people already know the business. AI helps them get through the routine stuff quicker.
Simpler day to day
Notes, schedules, checklists and records that stay organized without someone babysitting them.
Use what you already pay for
Some of the software you already have may include AI features you haven't tried yet.
Spot places to trim costs
Help sorting through bills, invoices and sales numbers so you can see where the money goes.
Real examples
What could AI do for a business like yours?
A few ideas by type of business. Every business is different, which is why we start by looking at how yours runs.
Restaurants and cafes
- Draft the weekly specials post and menu descriptions
- Answer catering and event questions faster with ready replies
- Turn supplier invoices into a simple cost sheet
Retail shops
- Write product descriptions for your website
- Plan a month of social posts in an afternoon
- See which items are actually moving
Contractors and service businesses
- Turn job-site notes into clean written estimates
- Send follow-ups after a quote without starting from scratch
- Keep checklists the same from crew to crew
Real estate
- First drafts of listing descriptions
- Quick summaries of a neighborhood or town
- Keep client follow-ups organized
Small offices
- Summarize long documents and meeting notes
- Draft letters, policies and procedures
- Clean up messy spreadsheets
Local professional services
- Explain complicated topics to clients in plain English
- Build better intake forms and checklists
- Draft routine correspondence, carefully, with privacy in mind
Hospitality
- Guest messages, house guides and check-in instructions
- Thoughtful replies to reviews
- Faster answers to event and booking inquiries
Independent entrepreneurs
- A first draft of a business plan
- Research on competitors and pricing
- A second set of eyes on your ideas before you spend money
How it works
Three steps, and then you run with it
- 01
Discover
We talk about your business: how it runs, where the time goes and what's been bugging you.
- 02
Implement
We pick the few AI tools and workflows that are worth it for you, and set them up.
- 03
Empower
I teach you and your team to use and maintain them with confidence.
The goal is for you to get better at this, not to need me forever. You should come out of it able to keep going on your own.
Services and pricing
What I do
AI business consultation
I learn how your business runs, find the repetitive tasks and bottlenecks, and tell you honestly what AI can and can't do about them. You get recommendations you can act on.
AI education and training
Hands-on lessons with tools like ChatGPT and Claude, for you or your whole team: emails, marketing, customer service, research, documents, data, better prompts, and the limits and privacy rules that matter.
AI workflow setup
We put AI to work: handling routine admin, answering common customer questions, producing marketing material, tidying internal documents and scheduling, and connecting the tools you already use where it makes sense.
Custom AI tools
When nothing off the shelf fits, I build a small tool around the job: an internal utility, a dashboard, a document processor, a reporting tool or a simple web app. No enterprise software required. See a couple of live demos.
Rates
Not sure where to start? The free call and the assessment are the usual first steps.
Start here
AI opportunity assessment
$199
A 75-minute working session on how your business runs today.
- A review of your current processes and tools
- A written, prioritized list of AI opportunities within 3 business days
- Credited toward the starter package if you book it within 30 days
AI starter package
$599
A hands-on start for an owner and one key person.
- Includes the opportunity assessment
- Personalized training on the tools that fit your business
- Accounts set up and 2 to 3 simple AI-assisted workflows put in place
- A one-page how-to for each workflow
- A 30-minute check-in two weeks later
Team AI training
from $399
A 90-minute interactive workshop for up to six people.
- Examples built around your business
- Prompting basics, privacy and the limits of AI
- A take-home cheat sheet for everyone
- Larger groups quoted separately
Custom AI tools and automation
from $950
Built around a specific problem in your business.
- A short scoping conversation first
- A fixed written quote before any work starts
- Handoff, a walkthrough and 30 days of fixes
Additional consulting
$125/hour
For ongoing support, more training, troubleshooting and implementation.
- Billed in half-hour increments
- No retainer required
Rates are introductory. AI tool subscriptions, if you need any, are paid directly to the tool company and aren't included. In-person visits around the Susquehanna Valley are included; farther trips may add travel.
Will it pay for itself?
Here's a rough way to think about it. If a new workflow saves you three hours a week and your time is worth $40 an hour, that's about $520 a month back. Your numbers will be different, and some of the payoff is just fewer late nights at the desk. We'll estimate it together before you spend money, and I won't promise savings I can't point to.
Who you'd be working with
Hi, I'm Don.
For nearly a decade I directed the photo studio at Saks Global, leading the creative team and running the production behind a steady stream of e-commerce images. A big part of that job was workflow: finding the steps that wasted time, bringing in new technology and training people to use it.
Lately I've been building tools with AI, including a ranking tool that helped a residency program's reviewers agree on a list, a builder that turns a topic into a print-ready puzzle book, and the websites for my own businesses. I also co-host short-term rentals, so I know what it's like to run a small operation where every hour counts.
I'm not a big consulting firm, and I'm not here to sell you enterprise software. I'll sit down with you, learn how your business works and show you what's worth trying.
More about me →Questions business owners ask
Do I need to know anything about AI?
No. If you can write an email, you can learn this. We start from wherever you are, and I explain things in plain English.
Is AI expensive to use?
Usually not. Many AI tools have a free version, and paid plans for one person often cost around $20 a month. I'll tell you which ones are worth paying for and which you can skip. Tool subscriptions are billed by the tool company, separate from my fees.
Can AI really help a small business?
In specific places, yes: writing, answering the same questions over and over, organizing information and summarizing long documents. It isn't magic and it makes mistakes, so a person always stays in charge. The assessment is how we find the spots where it would actually pay off for you.
Will you teach my employees?
Yes. Team training is built for that, using examples from your own business. It also covers what not to paste into AI tools, so customer information stays private.
Can you work with the software I already use?
Usually. We start with what you already have, since some of it may already include AI features. Where tools can be connected, I'll connect them. Where they can't, I'll tell you plainly.
Can you build something specifically for my business?
Yes. If an off-the-shelf tool doesn't fit, I can build a small custom one around the job, like a dashboard, a document tool or a simple internal web app. You get a fixed quote before any work starts.
Do you offer in-person consultations?
Yes, around the Susquehanna Valley. Video calls work too if that's easier.
How do we get started?
Send a short note through the form below. We'll set up a free 20-minute call to talk about your business and whether I can help.
Free introductory call
Let's talk about your business.
Tell me a little about what you do and what eats up your week. I'll get back to you within a day or two to set up a free 20-minute call.
