Answers to the questions I get asked most often about AI consulting, automation projects, pricing and how we’d work together. If you can’t find what you’re after, get in touch and I’ll answer directly.
What does Stuart Cole Consulting actually do?
I help small teams and founders turn AI into practical, working systems rather than experiments that never ship. That covers three main areas: voice AI that answers calls and books appointments, AI agents that handle research, monitoring and repetitive tasks, and private local AI systems that run on your own computer instead of a third-party cloud. I also run shorter AI strategy sprints for businesses that aren’t sure where to start.
How much does Stuart Cole Consulting cost?
My consultation fee is a maximum of £400 — often less, depending on scope. I back this with a 100% money-back guarantee: if the savings or improvements I deliver don’t outweigh my fee, or you’re not satisfied with the work, I refund it in full. Ongoing build or integration work is scoped and quoted after an initial discussion, so there are no surprise costs. Full details are on the Pricing page and Money Back Guarantee page.
Do I need to be technical to work with you?
No. Most of the businesses I work with aren’t technical, and that’s fine — you don’t need to understand how the AI works, only what problem you want solved. I handle the design, setup, testing and ongoing tuning, and explain everything in plain English along the way rather than jargon.
How does the process work once I get in touch?
It’s a five-step process: an initial discussion to understand the tasks you’d like automated, system design of the automation or AI workflow, installation and setup (voice AI, local AI environment, or agent), testing against real scenarios, and then ongoing improvements as your needs evolve. You can start by booking a free intro call or filling out the contact form.
What is voice AI and how could it help my business?
Voice AI answers your business phone line 24 hours a day, books appointments straight into your calendar, collects job details, answers common questions and transfers to a human when needed — so calls aren’t missed while you’re on a job, driving, closed for the day, or already on another call. After every call you get a full summary. It works particularly well for plumbers, electricians, builders, service companies and local trades.
What is a local AI system, and why would I want one instead of a cloud tool?
Most AI tools run on someone else’s servers, which means ongoing subscription costs, less control over your data, and limited customisation. I help businesses install their own AI systems locally — using tools such as OpenClaw — creating a private environment that can run AI agents, automated workflows, research tools, monitoring bots and internal knowledge assistants on your own PC or server, connected to the platforms you already use (Discord, messaging tools, databases, websites and APIs).
What kind of tasks can an AI agent take off my plate?
AI agents are small automated workers that handle jobs continuously instead of you checking them manually. Typical examples include monitoring websites or marketplaces for changes, tracking competitors or industry news, gathering research automatically, pulling information together from multiple sources, and alerting you the moment something important happens.
How quickly can you start?
That depends on how many clients I’m currently helping, but I reply quickly — usually within a day — with timescales and available dates once I know what you need. Most projects can begin within a few days of our first conversation.
Are you tied to one AI platform or vendor?
No. I give independent advice rather than pushing a single platform, and I’ve worked with automation systems for over 20 years, including 15 years in software automation before AI tools existed. Solutions are designed around how your business actually works, using whichever tools genuinely fit — cloud or local.
Where can I see examples of your work?
Take a look at my Case Studies for real project write-ups, my Blog for field notes on what works and what doesn’t, and my free AI Advisor, AI Model Selector and AI Visibility Audit tools, which are open for anyone to try.