The right calculation does not start with the price, but with the hours the agent gives back to you each week.
You pay for an AI agent that acts, not a chatbot that answers
A chatbot answers questions in a chat window, often from a fixed script. An AI agent finds the answer in your own information, then acts in your tools.
It books an appointment or fills in your CRM, the software where you keep track of your clients.
Example
A client writes at 9 p.m. to book a visit on Thursday. The chatbot says to call during business hours. The agent checks your calendar, books the chosen slot and creates the record in your CRM.
Acting takes more setup than answering: rules, tests and a handoff to you when the agent is unsure. Our page on AI agents for small businesses shows what an agent can take on.
Our projects: $999 to $4,999 to start, $199 to $999 a month
Our projects usually fall between $999 and $4,999 to start, then between $199 and $999 a month. Your exact price is fixed in writing after the free 30-minute diagnostic, before any work starts.
Four factors place you high or low in the range
| Factor | Low in the range | High in the range |
|---|---|---|
| Number of tasks | Answers frequent questions | Answers, books, qualifies and follows up |
| Tools to connect | One modern calendar | CRM, calendar, email and older software |
| Volume of conversations | A few dozen a week | Several hundred a day |
| Confidentiality | Public information only | Health, legal or financial data |
The low end often looks like this: for a real estate brokerage, an agent could be limited to two tasks, for example answering listing inquiries and booking visits.
Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar and QuickBooks Online have ready-made connectors, on Zapier for example. Other tools connect through an API, the door a program opens to exchange information. Software with neither takes longer.
A private AI runs on servers you control rather than at a large provider. Under Law 25, sending personal information outside Québec first requires a privacy impact assessment, according to the Commission d'accès à l'information.
See our article on ChatGPT and Law 25 and our private AI page.
The monthly cost follows the number of conversations
Most AI models are billed per use, a little for every message. Twenty conversations a week do not cost the same as two thousand.
The monthly cost also covers hosting, meaning the servers the agent runs on. It covers follow-up too: updating your prices, checking answers, fixing a connection. Before signing anywhere, ask for an estimate at your current volume and at double.
Live in 1 to 4 weeks, after a plan delivered in 3 days
- Free AI diagnostic (30 minutes)We look at your tasks, tools and inquiries together.
- Plan and fixed price (3 days)In writing, before any work starts.
- Build and testing (1 to 4 weeks)More tasks and tools bring you closer to four weeks.
- Launch and follow-upWe adjust the agent as your business changes.
The agent pays off when your hours are worth more than its monthly cost
Count the hours you get back, at the value of your own hour. Compare them with the monthly cost, not with a salary.
Example
The agent saves you 3 hours a week, or about 13 hours a month.
If your hour is worth $60, those 13 hours are worth about $780 a month.
An agent at $199 a month leaves you about $580 ahead. An agent at $999 a month costs more than those 3 hours: to pay off, it would also need to bring you new clients.
A fast reply wins clients you would have lost
A 2011 American study in the Harvard Business Review audited 2,241 companies. 37% replied to a web inquiry within an hour, and 23% never replied. Among those replying within 30 days, the average delay was 42 hours.
Firms that contacted a lead within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify it, according to a separate analysis. To qualify an inquiry means a real conversation with the person who decides.
Check whether an agent pays off for you
Nothing is sent: the calculation happens in your browser.
Net gain per month = (hours × value of your hour × 52 ÷ 12) + (clients × client value) − monthly cost.
Use your margin per client, not your revenue. If the result is close, a simpler automation sometimes does the job for less.
One task first keeps the bill low
Start with the task that costs you the most hours, such as answering quote requests. Measure for a few weeks, then add the next one.
For ideas, see the 7 admin tasks to automate first. If your client records are scattered across inboxes, a CRM first makes the agent simpler to build.
An open-source model is an AI model whose code is public: it runs on your own servers, with no per-message fee.
Frequently asked questions
Can the agent speak French and English?
Yes. Current AI models write both languages, and the agent replies in the client's language. We test the French answers with Québec vocabulary, such as "courriel" and "soumission".
What happens if the AI makes a mistake?
A person takes over. The agent only answers from information you approved and hands you the conversation when it is unsure. Sensitive actions, such as a refund, can require your approval.
Does an AI agent replace a receptionist?
No, not in most small businesses. The agent takes the repetitive part: frequent questions, bookings, inquiries at night. You keep the conversations that need judgment or negotiation.
Do I need technical knowledge?
No. We handle the setup, the connections and the testing. You give us your prices, services and frequent questions, then approve the answers before launch.
Will you tell me if an agent is not worth it?
Yes. If AI is not worth it for your business, we tell you plainly during the diagnostic. Sometimes putting your tools in order is enough.