How much does AI automation actually cost for a small business in Australia?
Enough that it should always be fixed and agreed in writing before anyone starts, and not so much that it is out of reach for a real small business. Here are AUUSI's own published numbers, not an industry guess.
The honest range
For a genuine small business (roughly two to fifty people), a proper first move into AI usually costs somewhere between nothing and about $24,000, depending entirely on how much you already know and how much needs to be built. There is a large free layer before any of that spending is even on the table.
| Stage | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| AI Clarity Engine | Free readiness check, about 15 minutes of questions, written report by email | Free, full unlock $20 |
| Team AI Session | Half-day, plain-English session with your team, using your real work | $1,800 fixed |
| AI Readiness Report | Written, sequenced, costed roadmap of your top 3 to 5 AI moves | $2,500 fixed |
| Implementation Sprint | 2 to 4 week build of one or two workflows, live in your business | $8,000–$24,000 fixed |
| Ongoing AI Ops | Monthly retainer to keep it running and extend it, cancel anytime | $1,200–$4,000/month |
No GST is charged on any of these prices. Figures current as at 29 September 2026; see the live services and pricing section for the current numbers.
What actually drives the cost up or down
- How many workflows, not how impressive they sound. One well-built workflow (enquiry triage, say) is a smaller sprint than three.
- How many systems it has to talk to. A workflow that only touches your inbox is simpler than one that has to update a CRM, a calendar and an invoicing tool at once.
- How much human review has to stay in the loop. Building in a proper checkpoint before anything client-facing goes out takes longer than not bothering, and is worth every extra hour.
- The tools themselves. Separate from the consulting fee, the AI tool subscriptions your workflow runs on typically cost twenty to eighty dollars a month per tool. These are named, with prices, before you commit to anything.
What should make you suspicious of a quote
- An hourly rate with no cap, rather than a fixed price agreed before work starts
- A "discovery phase" that itself costs money and somehow always turns into more billable hours
- A consultant who cannot tell you what happens to your data, or brushes the question off
- A quote that never mentions who checks the AI's output before it reaches a client
Why fixed price is the whole point
Every AUUSI price above is agreed in writing before anything starts. There is no hourly creep and no surprise invoice. If a job is genuinely bigger once we look closely, that gets discussed and agreed before it happens, not discovered afterwards.
The five stages: AI Clarity Engine (free) → Team AI Session → AI Readiness Report → Implementation Sprint → Ongoing AI Ops. See the full approach. Curious what is worth automating first? Start here.
Get your own numbers, not an average.
The free AI Clarity Engine looks at your actual workflows and tells you where you would land in the range above, before you spend a dollar.
Get your free AI readiness report
Free · About 15 minutes · No payment details · Copy emailed to you.