Writing.
Short, practical pieces. Each one gives you something to use today, before you hire anyone. You get the value whether we ever talk.
Working out if you need one at all.
-
When to hire an expert vs vibe-code it yourself.
You can now describe a tool in English and get a working app back the same afternoon. Some tools you should build that way. Some you absolutely should not. Five lists and a middle path.
-
How to know when you actually need a build.
I would rather tell you “not yet” than sell you a build you will regret. Two short lists, one test you can run yourself this week.
-
The first helper most small businesses should build.
If you want one and don’t know where to start, start here. A specific first build, with reasons, that works for most professions.
-
Your database might just be a spreadsheet.
Most small businesses already use Google Sheets or Excel. A builder worth hiring uses what you have, instead of selling you a stack you do not need. When a spreadsheet is enough, when it is not, and what to watch for.
-
Boring tech is usually the right tech.
AI builders often reach for the newest, shiniest tools. They are fast to start and painful to run. Why older, duller tools usually outlast them, and how to tell which kind your build uses.
-
What working together actually looks like.
A plain-English walk-through from your first email to a helper on your computer. Weeks, meetings, decisions, what is asked of you, what is not.
Three copy-paste templates to use with any builder.
-
A workflow description template.
Copy this into a document. Fill in the bracketed bits. Send it to any builder before your first call. Ten minutes of writing saves three weeks of back-and-forth.
-
A brief you can send any builder.
An email template for evaluating anyone who offers to build a personal AI for your business. Copy it, paste it, use it on me. Plus what good and bad replies look like.
-
A discovery call agenda.
Copy this. Send it to the builder an hour before your first call. Keeps the call on track, keeps you in charge, half an hour beats an hour of drift.
Running it, measuring it, protecting your data.
-
What a personal AI actually costs to run.
The build price is a one-off. The running costs are forever. Three buckets, rough ranges, the hidden costs nobody mentions. Numbers you can put in a spreadsheet.
-
How to know your helper is earning its keep.
Three numbers. Five minutes a week. After a month you will know whether you built the right thing. The cheapest insurance policy on a software investment.
-
Where your data should actually live.
The question most owners get nervous about. Three buckets, one rule, five questions to ask your builder, three red flags. You do not have to understand encryption to protect your clients.
More coming.
New pieces will land here, one at a time. If there is something specific you wish somebody would write about personal AI for small business, email me and I will consider it.