Read the taskip.net guide for agencies. "Most AI automation agencies charge $500-$1,500/month for small business retainers, $1,500-$4,000/month for mid-market clients, and $3,000-$8,000+/month for enterprise engagements."
Is that a wide range? Look at the scope behind each number before you react. Is it a single workflow or a whole stack? Is it a build, a retainer, or both? Ask the agency for that answer in writing before you compare quotes.
Treat any number in this post as a starting point for a conversation, not a quote.
What does a small business usually get?
Check the taskip.net guide for hiring an agency. "Small businesses automating two or three workflows should budget $1,000 to $3,500 per month."
Read the taskip.net guide for agencies again on the warning for small shops. "A small business does not need a $25,000 AI infrastructure build."
Does that sound steep for a small shop? Ask the owner what the manual version eats. Check the call log for misses. Check the inbox for unanswered messages.
Start with the dullest job on the list. Get that job working. Watch it for a while. Add the next job once the last job holds up.
Do not let a vendor sell a small shop on a giant system with a slide deck to match.
Why do quotes swing so much?
Is the job connecting modern apps, or wrestling with an ancient system? Is the agency writing custom logic, or adapting something it already built for somebody else? Ask the agency to answer both questions before you look at its number.
Ask for a list of every system the build touches. Ask about the oldest system on that list. Ask the agency how it plans to test the workflow before it goes live.
Ask to see the template behind the custom work. Ask for a list of the new parts of the build.
How do you compare quotes from different agencies?
Put the quotes next to each other. Compare the quotes by line item, not by the bottom line. Ask the lower bidder about the missing pieces. Ask the higher bidder to justify the gap.
Check each quote against the same scope. Ask for a rewrite of any vague line.
Look for the retainer in the fine print. Is it a separate line, or folded into the build? Ask the agency to split it out.
Ask for a reference from a client in your line of work. Call the reference yourself.
What should you ask before you sign?
Ask for a scope down to the tool and the trigger. Ask for a finish line in writing. Ask about support at midnight on a weekend.
Get a named person, not a shared inbox. Get the handover notes in writing. Get your own login to every tool in the stack.
Ask for a breakdown by milestone if the statement of work feels vague. Go through it with the agency until every line makes sense.
Watch for pressure. Is the agency pushing you to sign today? Ask yourself why.
Is the agency agreeing with everything you say? Pick a fight over a small detail and watch the reaction.
What happens after launch?
Does the work stop when the workflow goes live? Put that question to the agency before launch.
Ask about the process for app updates. Ask the agency about failure alerts. Ask for a response time in writing. Ask for fresh handover notes after every change.
Ask about the account behind the AI usage. Look at the usage data yourself.
Ask for a plain failure report. Keep an eye on the workflow even after it settles down. Check the outputs yourself from time to time.
How should a new agency set its number?
Pick a niche before you pick a number. Pick a service from the list of AI automation business ideas before you build anything. Check the AI receptionist business page for a narrow example. Look at the ideas for a solo AI business if you work alone.
Write the scope first. Set the number after the scope. Change the number when the scope changes.
Swap the clock for the outcome. Ask the client about the problem before you mention a number.
Keep the build separate from the retainer on paper. Write each deliverable as a checkbox for the client. Do not give the build away to win the retainer.
Track your time on each build before you quote the next build. Track the support time on each client too. Fix the retainer if the gap is big.
Frequently asked questions
Is the build separate from the retainer?
Check the taskip.net guide for hiring an agency. "Most agencies charge a build fee for initial workflow development, separate from the ongoing retainer."
Should you build it yourself with a DIY tool instead?
Build it yourself if the job is small enough to fix at night. Check the taskip.net guide for hiring an agency on the tool side. "Zapier and Make cost $50 to $500 per month in tool fees."
Should you hire a solo builder instead of an agency?
Pick a solo builder for a small job with a short tool list. Get the handover notes in writing. Go with an agency when the work touches the systems that keep the doors open.
Who owns the automations when you leave?
Keep every workflow on accounts in your own name. Say no if the automations only run inside the agency's own platform.