AI & Automation, Built With As Little AI As Possible
That’s not a typo. Most “AI automation” being sold to small businesses right now is AI bolted onto a problem that didn’t need it. I build practical automations and tools for small businesses, using AI only where it genuinely helps, and I’ll tell you honestly when it doesn’t.
“AI” is being used for three different things, and that’s why it’s confusing
Most of the confusion isn’t about AI itself. It’s one word getting used for three different things.
One is drafting and rewriting: a tool that tidies up an email, turns rough notes into something presentable, or rewrites a description so it doesn’t sound stiff. Low risk, easy to check before you send it, and honestly one of the most useful entry points there is. If the only “AI” you’ve ever used is something that rewrites your emails, you’ve used a real one. It’s just a small one, and that’s fine.
Then there’s judgement-assisted work: AI reading something and making a first call, summarising a long enquiry, drafting a reply, flagging what needs your attention versus what doesn’t. This is where it starts earning its keep properly, but it still needs a human checking it rather than blind trust.
And then there’s workflow automation: moving information between systems without anyone doing it by hand, an enquiry into your CRM, a booking into your calendar, a review request going out once a job’s marked complete. Most of this doesn’t need AI at all. It needs n8n or Zapier and twenty minutes of setup, and I’ll tell you that straight rather than sell you a language model you don’t need.
Working out which one you actually need is most of the job. Sell someone the third option when they only needed the first, and that’s how they end up paying for an expensive subscription to do what a free automation could.
Proof it works
A medical aesthetics client was paying $300 a month for a bloated loyalty and rewards platform that did far more than they actually used. I built a custom WordPress plugin that replaced it in around three days. It’s saved the client roughly $3,600 a year, paid for itself inside four months, is still running over two years later, and has since been rolled out to their sister brands. No AI in it at all, just the right tool for the actual job.
“I tried ChatGPT and it was rubbish” is a fair complaint
Plenty of people who talk to me have already tried this themselves, typed a question into ChatGPT, got something generic or wrong back, and reasonably concluded AI isn’t for their business. That reaction makes sense. A general-purpose chatbot with no knowledge of your business, your customers, or your past enquiries is never going to sound like you or know your answers, because it isn’t built to.
That’s a different thing to what I build. A tool set up around your actual business, fed your actual information and asked to do one specific job, behaves nothing like typing a cold question into a chat window. If your only experience of AI is that, you haven’t seen what it does when it’s set up properly, and that’s the real difference between a general tool and a built one, not a sales line.
Who this is for
- Businesses who know AI or automation could help somewhere but don’t know where to start
- Businesses already using a tool or two who want an honest read on whether they’re using it properly
- Anyone who wants a straight answer, not a sales pitch dressed up as a strategy session
- Anyone ready to act within a few weeks, not just browsing
Who this isn’t for
- Anyone just curious with no real problem to solve yet. Read the newsletter instead, it costs you nothing.
- Anyone wanting ongoing hands-on building rather than a clear plan they can act on themselves or hand to someone else.
- Anyone wanting a guaranteed list of “the best AI tools” with no context for their specific business. The right tool depends on the actual problem, and I won’t pretend otherwise.
If that’s you, no hard feelings, but we’re probably not the right fit. I’d rather tell you now than waste your time later.
n8n and Zapier: the unglamorous automation that actually pays for itself
Connecting the tools you already use so information moves between them without someone doing it by hand: enquiries into your CRM, reviews into your marketing, bookings into your calendar. No AI required for most of it. This is often the highest-value, lowest-risk starting point, and it’s usually cheaper than whatever you’re currently paying to do the same job manually.
Security and your customers’ data
This is a fair question and I’d rather address it directly than skip past it. Any time AI touches customer information, that’s a legitimate thing to be careful about, and I don’t treat it as a footnote. Practically, that means being deliberate about which tool sees what.
Not every job needs identifiable customer data anywhere near a public AI tool, and I design a lot of automation work specifically to avoid that being necessary at all. Where AI genuinely does need to see real information, we agree what that involves before it happens.
We’ve helped businesses generate millions in revenue, provided years of reliable technical support, and rescued companies from digital disasters. But don’t take our word for it – here’s what our clients have to say.
At Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center, we’ve had Kane as our web developer for one year and we’re so grateful for him! In addition to providing excellent website/WordPress support and maintenance, he goes above and beyond – truly caring about helping with design to boost conversion rates and strengthen your brand’s online reputation. Very highly recommended.
Kane has been such an asset to our organisation. He has developed a fantastic website for us and continues to support our company in all the new services we continue to introduce in our ever growing private clinic. He is always responsive and reactive to any given task. Thanks Kane for the amazing support over the last 4 years.
Have questions or need more details?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is my customers' data safe if I use AI tools in my business?
It’s worth asking before you start rather than after. Most automation work doesn’t need customer data anywhere near an AI tool in the first place, and where it genuinely does, we agree what’s involved before anything happens.
I've already tried ChatGPT for my business and it was useless. Why would this be different?
Because a general chatbot with no knowledge of your business, your customers, or your past enquiries was never going to sound like you. Something built around your actual business and set up to do one specific job behaves completely differently.
Do you help with an AI policy for my team?
There’s no off-the-shelf template I’ll hand you, because a policy that doesn’t reflect how your team actually works isn’t worth much. It’s something we talk through as part of getting your automation set up.
Do I need to already be using AI to get value from this?
No. Plenty of clients start from knowing nothing beyond what they’ve read in the news. The starting point is your actual business problem, not your current tool stack.
What if I don't need AI at all?
Then I’ll tell you that. The CSLC project above wasn’t really an “AI project”, it was a straightforward custom tool that replaced an overpriced subscription. Plenty of automation work has little or no AI in it, and that’s fine.
How much does this cost?
It depends entirely on what you need. A subscription audit or a short consultation is a small, fixed cost. A custom tool or workflow build is priced per project, the same way a website build is, based on what it actually involves rather than a generic package.
Can you just automate my whole business?
Probably not all at once, and I wouldn’t recommend trying to. The businesses that get the most value start with one genuine bottleneck, fix it properly, and build from there.
What tools do you use?
n8n and Zapier for workflows, Airtable for structured data, and AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT where drafting or judgement genuinely helps. I’m not tied to one platform when advising you on what to use.
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