Step one
$5,000 one-off · 2-3 weeksAI Operating Audit. Diagnose before you build.
Discovery, ops mapping, AI opportunity scoring, and a prioritised roadmap. The audit is the entry point to every engagement we run, and the only way to get a fixed-price pilot proposal.
The scoping call is free. The audit itself is paid.
Why paid
Free discovery is theatre. This is not.
We do not sell speculative pilots
If we cannot make a clear case from the audit, we will not pitch a pilot. The audit forces a real diagnosis before anyone signs anything bigger.
You walk away with a real artefact
Even if you do not proceed, you keep the audit report, the prioritised recommendations, and a scoped pilot proposal. Yours to act on, with us or anyone else.
It proves both sides are serious
Free discovery attracts tyre-kickers. A paid audit means we both commit time and attention to a real piece of work, not a sales call dressed up as strategy.
What you get
Four deliverables. All written.
Audit report
20-30 page written diagnosis of the operation, written for the owner, not the consultant.
Prioritised recommendations
Two implementation recommendations, scored and ranked by operational payoff and effort.
Pilot proposal
A scoped pilot quote with fixed price, timeline, acceptance criteria, and integration map.
Readout call
A 90-minute walkthrough with you and your leadership team, recorded if useful.
Three weeks
Discovery, mapping, delivery.
Discovery
- 2-3 working calls with you and key staff
- Tooling and stack review (CRM, calendar, comms, finance)
- Half-day ops shadow or recorded walkthrough
Mapping
- Process diagrams for the workflows in scope
- Opportunity scoring matrix (impact vs effort vs risk)
- ROI estimates for each scored opportunity
Delivery
- Written audit report (20-30 pages)
- Top two recommendations with rationale
- Scoped pilot proposal
- 90-minute readout call
Who this is for
Built for the mid-market.
Good fit
- Australian service businesses
- $2-20M annual revenue
- 10-30 staff
- Owner wants to step back from day-to-day
- Heavy admin, repeated handoffs, or compliance load
Not a fit
- Solo operators
- Pre-revenue or pre-customer
- Looking for a single chatbot widget
- Need someone to write a strategy deck
After the audit
Three paths. You choose.
Pilot
From $15,000Build and ship the highest-scoring opportunity from the audit. Fixed scope, acceptance criteria, 4-6 weeks. 50% of the audit fee credits toward the pilot if signed within 60 days.
See pilot detail →Retainer
From $3K/moSkip the pilot, go straight into a retainer. Best for businesses where the audit reveals an ongoing operations need rather than a single net-new build.
See retainer pricing →Walk away
No further feeTake the audit, the recommendations, and the pilot proposal. Implement internally, hand it to another vendor, or shelve it. Your call, no follow-up pressure.
FAQ
Common questions. Direct answers.
Why is the audit paid?
We do not run speculative discovery. A paid audit forces both sides to take it seriously, lets us spend real time inside your operation, and gives you a real artefact at the end whether you proceed or not.
What if we do not want to proceed after the audit?
You walk away with the report, the recommendations, and the pilot proposal. The work is yours to act on, with us or anyone else.
Can the audit fee be credited toward a pilot?
Yes. 50% of the audit fee credits toward a pilot if signed within 60 days of the readout call.
Who runs the audit?
Chris Nicolaou leads every audit personally. No junior handoff, no offshore subcontracting. You work with the founder for the full engagement.
What industries do you specialise in?
Australian service businesses across trades, accounting, mortgage broking, financial advisory, law firms, real estate, automotive, HVAC, and builders. Heavy-admin operations are the sweet spot.
How is this different from a free consultation?
A free scoping call is 30 minutes to decide if we fit. The audit is 2-3 weeks of real work with calls, ops shadowing, written diagnosis, scored opportunities, ROI estimates, and a pilot proposal you could hand to anyone.
Next step
Ready to commission the audit?
Book a free 30-minute scoping call. We will confirm fit, walk through the audit scope, and send the engagement letter the same week if it makes sense.