For small businesses & manufacturers · No system access required
A practical AI Efficiency Assessment built around your challenges. I find where your business is losing time — or you bring me a specific problem — and you get a practical plan to fix it with AI and automation.
One-time payment. No subscription. No software access required for the assessment.
The real problem
Most small businesses don't need a massive AI project to get started. They need to find the repetitive work, missed follow-ups, manual reports, and disconnected workflows that are already costing time every week.
The approach
Most people don't struggle with AI because it's too hard — they struggle because it's buried in complex, technical language. That's the gap I close.
I take the deep technical side, figure out which tools genuinely fit your business, and translate it into plain English. In most cases you can set things up yourself with a bit of guidance — or hand the build to me. Either way, you're in control.
No jargon, no hype. I cut through the technical noise and point you to the few tools that actually fit your workflow — explained simply.
Most clients can put the recommendations in place themselves with a little guidance. Prefer it handled for you? I can build it. Your call.
How the assessment works
The assessment can go two directions. We can do one, or both — whatever actually moves the needle for your business.
Most businesses lose time in the same handful of places — missed follow-ups, slow quoting, manual scheduling, hand-built reports, and tools that don't talk to each other. I draw on the patterns I see again and again and point you to the highest-impact fixes for your business.
Already know what's eating your week? Bring me the bottleneck — a clunky process, a manual report, a scheduling headache, a quality or inventory issue — and I'll engineer a practical solution, using the same problem-solving approach I've applied on the plant floor.
The AI Efficiency Assessment
A short intake form and a 45-minute call where we map your real workflow. You walk away with a clear report on where AI and automation can take the repetitive work off your plate — and what it would take to get there.
One-time $500 CAD. Implementation is optional.
What you walk away with
The deliverable
Quick Wins
High Impact
Low Effort
Major Projects
High Impact
High Effort
Fill-Ins
Low Impact
Low Effort
Thankless Tasks
Low Impact
High Effort
Effort
How it works
Pay the one-time $500 fee through secure Stripe checkout. No subscriptions, no surprises.
After payment, fill out a short questionnaire about your business and the work that eats up your time.
We talk through your workflow, your bottlenecks, and where the repetitive work hides.
You get a clear, practical report with your top opportunities, recommended tools, and a priority roadmap.
Want help building the recommended systems? I'll quote that separately. The report is yours either way.
Your video goes here
Record a short intro and paste a YouTube or Loom embed link in config.ts.
Example recommendations
Here are three common opportunities we look for. Your report includes a simple do-it-yourself option and a recommended system for each item we find.
Problem
Leads come in through phone, email, website forms, Facebook, and referrals. Follow-up is inconsistent and some inquiries slip through the cracks.
Simple DIY option
Use a shared lead tracker with status and next follow-up dates so nothing gets forgotten.
Recommended system
Build a lead intake and follow-up system that captures inquiries, summarizes them with AI, sends notifications, tracks status, and drafts suggested replies.
Problem
Quotes are manually built from old emails, spreadsheets, or memory. It takes too long and details get missed.
Simple DIY option
Use a structured quote request form and a set of standard email templates.
Recommended system
Create a quote intake workflow that captures customer details, summarizes the request, flags missing information, and helps draft a quote response.
Problem
Weekly updates, job notes, customer follow-ups, or shift summaries are written by hand every week.
Simple DIY option
Use a standard form to collect updates consistently so the raw information is in one place.
Recommended system
Use AI to summarize form entries into weekly reports, action items, and follow-up reminders automatically.
Beyond the assessment
The assessment finds the opportunities. When you're ready to fix them, I can build just about any reasonable custom solution — designed around exactly how your business works, at a price that makes sense.
Not a one-size-fits-all template. Whatever the repetitive problem is, the solution is shaped to exactly how your business already runs.
Custom automation usually costs far less than enterprise platforms and big SaaS tools — no per-seat fees, bloated features, or long contracts you don't need.
We begin with the highest-impact win and expand only when it's clearly worth it. You never pay for complexity you don't use.
Full software platforms are powerful, but they're built for everyone — so you pay enterprise prices for features you'll never use. A focused custom build does the job your business actually needs, for far less.
Success stories
Proof beats promises. Here's a recent project where a custom build did more than the off-the-shelf option — for a fraction of the price.
A client bought a vertical lift module to store their components — but the machine's manufacturer wanted $40,000 for closed, basic software. We built a fully custom, web-based system wired into the machine for $2,500, with analytics and AI built in.
$40,000
VLM maker's software
$2,500
Our custom build
Who it's for
From local service businesses to machine shops and small plants — if your team spends hours each week on follow-ups, quoting, scheduling, reporting, or shift and job notes, this is for you.
Why work with me
Most AI advice is generic. My background is in engineering and manufacturing — automation, process improvement, OEE, downtime reduction, and lean operations. I've spent my career making complex operations run smoother.
The assessment applies that same problem-solving discipline to the repetitive work in your business. The focus is on practical systems that solve real workflow problems — not buzzwords.
What that means for you
Run a shop or plant?
I speak your language. Ask about shift handoffs, downtime and OEE tracking, quality and defect logs, maintenance issues, and min/max inventory reviews — the same operational headaches I've solved on the floor, now made simpler with AI and automation.
FAQ
No. The AI Efficiency Assessment does not require access to your email, CRM, accounting software, website, or internal systems. The assessment is based on your intake form and a 45-minute discovery call. We review your workflow, identify repetitive tasks, and recommend practical AI/automation opportunities. If you choose to move forward with implementation later, we will clearly define what access is needed before any work begins.
You're taken to a thank-you page with two links: a short intake form and a booking link for your 45-minute discovery call. Fill out the form, book a time, and I'll review everything before we talk. After the call, you receive your written report.
No. The $500 assessment identifies opportunities and gives you recommendations and a roadmap. If you want help building the recommended systems, that's quoted separately. You're never obligated to buy implementation.
Small businesses with repetitive admin work: contractors, service businesses, repair shops, small manufacturers, machine shops, ecommerce sellers, and more. If your team spends hours each week on follow-ups, quoting, scheduling, or manual reporting, this is for you.
Yes — that's my background. Beyond the usual admin and follow-up wins, I can help with shift handoffs, downtime and OEE tracking, quality and defect logs, maintenance issues, and min/max inventory reviews. If you run a shop or small plant, the assessment is a strong fit.
That's completely fine — most clients don't. You don't need any technical knowledge. I translate your workflow into plain-English recommendations. The goal is to save you time, not to make you learn new software.
Not necessarily. Many recommendations start with simple, low-cost or free tools. Where a custom system makes sense, a focused build usually costs far less than enterprise platforms and big SaaS subscriptions — and the report explains what it would do and roughly what it would cost so you can decide.
Yes. If you want help implementing the recommendations, I'll provide a separate quote. I can build just about any reasonable custom solution — tailored to exactly how your business works — and it usually costs a fraction of what off-the-shelf software would. The assessment gives you the roadmap first, so any implementation work is clearly scoped.
No. The goal is to remove repetitive, low-value work so your team can focus on the work that actually grows the business. It's about giving your people their time back, not replacing them.
The intake form takes about 10–15 minutes. The discovery call is 45 minutes. You'll typically receive your written report within a few business days of the call.
That's perfectly fine. Many clients use the report as a do-it-yourself roadmap. Implementation is always optional.
The report will explain what a custom system would do, why it helps, and the likely level of effort. From there, I can provide a separate implementation quote whenever you're ready.
Start with a clear, practical roadmap. No system access required, no subscription.
Not ready to buy?
Send a quick message and I'll get back to you. No pressure, no sales pitch — just a straight answer.
Prefer email? Reach me at alex@yourtimebackai.com.