What Is AI Consulting? A Plain-English Explanation for Business Owners

Somebody told you to "get an AI consultant." Maybe a competitor hired one. Maybe you read an article about it. Now you are Googling the term and finding a lot of jargon and not many straight answers.

Here is what AI consulting actually is, what it is not, and how to figure out if you need it.

What an AI Consultant Actually Does (Step by Step)

An AI consultant looks at how your business runs, figures out which AI tools would save you time or money, sets those tools up, and trains your team to use them. That is the whole job.

In practice, it breaks down into six phases:

Phase 1: Operations audit. Before recommending anything, a good consultant needs to understand your actual day-to-day. What does your team spend time on? Where do things slow down? Which tasks happen the same way every time? This typically takes 2 to 5 hours depending on your business size.

Phase 2: Opportunity mapping. Not everything should be automated. Some tasks need human judgment. A good consultant will rank opportunities by ROI and tell you which 2 or 3 changes will make the biggest difference. If someone suggests automating everything, that is a red flag.

Phase 3: Tool selection. This is where it gets specific. You should hear exact tool names, monthly costs, and how each one connects to your existing software. Example: "Use Make.com ($16/month) to connect your CRM to ChatGPT, so every new lead automatically gets a personalized follow-up email drafted and queued for your review."

Phase 4: Setup and integration. Recommending a tool is easy. Getting it configured correctly, connected to your CRM or scheduling software, and actually producing useful output? That is where most DIY attempts fail. A consultant handles the technical wiring.

Phase 5: Team training. This is not a one-hour webinar with slides. Good training means hands-on walkthroughs where each team member practices with the actual tools on real tasks. It means written cheat sheets they can reference later. It means a follow-up session two weeks in to answer questions that only come up after real use.

Phase 6: Ongoing tuning. AI tools update constantly. New features ship monthly. Better alternatives appear. Your business changes. A retainer relationship keeps your AI stack current without you having to track every product update yourself.

What AI Consulting Is NOT

The term covers a huge range of services. Most of what you will find online does not apply to businesses under 500 employees.

It is not building custom AI models from scratch. That requires millions in R&D. Small businesses get 90% of the value from existing off-the-shelf tools like ChatGPT ($20/month), Make.com ($16/month), Jasper ($49/month), or Otter.ai ($17/month). No custom code needed.

Take our AI readiness checklist to see if you're ready.

Wondering about budget? See our guide on how much AI consulting costs.

It is not hiring data scientists. If someone pitches you a team of machine learning engineers for your 15-person company, they are solving a problem you do not have.

It is not a PDF that collects dust. Some firms charge $10,000 for a strategy document and then disappear. If the consultant does not help you actually implement the recommendations, the report is expensive decoration. Always ask: "Is implementation included?"

Do You Actually Need One?

Honest answer: not everyone does.

You probably do NOT need a consultant if: You have fewer than 5 employees, your operations are straightforward, and you are comfortable experimenting with new software. Sign up for ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), watch some YouTube tutorials, and start testing. You will figure it out in a few weeks.

You probably DO need a consultant if:

Your team spends 10+ hours per week on repetitive tasks. Data entry, scheduling, customer follow-ups, report generation. AI can typically cut 30% to 60% of that time. But picking the right tools and connecting them to your existing systems takes expertise that is not worth building in-house.

You tried an AI tool and it did not stick. This happens constantly. The tool was probably fine. The implementation was the problem. Bad prompts, no integration with existing workflows, and no training usually kill adoption within a month.

You are in a regulated industry. Healthcare, finance, legal, and real estate all have compliance rules that affect which AI tools you can use and how data flows through them. A consultant who understands HIPAA, SOC 2, or state bar guidelines can prevent expensive mistakes.

You do not have time to research 5,000+ AI tools. New tools launch daily. A consultant who tracks this space full-time can save you months of trial-and-error by pointing you to the 2 or 3 tools that actually fit your workflow and budget. Our best AI tools for small business guide is a good starting point.

How to Vet an AI Consultant (5 Questions to Ask)

The market is young. There is no standard certification. Some "AI consultants" were social media managers six months ago. Here is how to separate signal from noise:

1. "Can you name the specific tools you would recommend for a business like mine?" If they give vague answers about "AI-powered solutions" instead of tool names and prices, move on.

2. "Is implementation included or just strategy?" Strategy-only engagements are fine if you have a technical team to execute. If you do not, you need implementation baked in.

3. "Do you have a financial relationship with any of the tools you recommend?" Tool-agnostic consultants recommend what is best for you. Ones getting affiliate commissions might not.

4. "What does your pricing look like?" If they will not give you a range before a sales call, that is a yellow flag. Pricing should be transparent.

5. "Can I talk to a past client?" References matter more than case studies on a website. Anyone can write a case study. Not everyone can produce a happy client willing to take your call.

Typical Price Ranges (So You Know What to Expect)

Quick reference so you are not walking in blind:

• Free or low-cost audit: $0 to $500. High-level review of your operations with top-line recommendations.
• Detailed audit with roadmap: $500 to $3,000. Specific tool recommendations, ROI projections, and a prioritized action plan.
• Implementation: $2,000 to $10,000. Tool setup, integrations, workflow automation, and team training.
• Ongoing advisory: $500 to $5,000/month. Optimization, new tool evaluation, and team support.

Big consulting firms (McKinsey, Deloitte) start at $150,000+. That is a different world. For small businesses with 5 to 100 employees, you should be looking at $2,000 to $10,000 total for audit plus implementation.

What Working With Us Looks Like

At Aslan Intelligence, we work with small and mid-size businesses - mostly in San Diego and across Southern California. Our focus is practical: existing AI tools, real implementation, and measurable results.

We start with a free strategy session where we review your operations and identify where AI would have the highest impact. No pitch deck. No 45-minute sales presentation. Just a straightforward conversation about what is possible and what is not.

If there is a fit, our paid engagements include a detailed audit ($997), implementation ($2,000 to $5,000), and optional monthly advisory ($1,000 to $3,000/month). Every price is fixed before we start. No surprises.