What a sensible AI project should cost a Jersey business (and what to expect back)
If you run a business in Jersey and have asked about AI, you have probably heard everything from “it’s basically free” to six‑figure project fees. That range is enough to make anyone shut the laptop and walk away.
This guide is a straight answer from an AI consultancy in Jersey. It covers what you are actually paying for, sensible price ranges for common project types, how to think about return, and a few red flags to avoid.
What you’re actually paying for
When you hire an AI consultant, you are not just paying for “the model”. A typical project includes:
Discovery and planning:
- Time spent understanding your business, mapping workflows, agreeing priorities and success measures.
Design and build:
- Choosing tools, designing the solution, wiring systems together, prompting / configuring AI models, and building any small internal interfaces.
Integration with your existing tools:
- Connecting to CRM, email, e‑commerce platforms, booking systems or internal databases so the new workflows sit inside your real world.
Testing and refinement:
- Trying it with real data, fixing edge cases, and tuning prompts and rules so it behaves reliably.
Training and documentation:
- Showing your team how to use it, what to trust, what to double‑check, and leaving behind clear notes so it is not a black box.
Stabilisation and support:
- Keeping an eye on things in the first weeks, fixing anything that breaks and making small adjustments.
Consultants typically charge day or hourly rates that bundle all of this together.
In the UK, mid‑level to senior AI consultants often sit around £700–£1,000 per day (roughly £100–£150 per hour), with London at the higher end and regional markets like Jersey slightly lower.
Sensible price bands for common AI projects
These are not quotes - just realistic ranges based on what small and mid‑sized businesses are paying for AI consulting and implementation today.
1. Light diagnostic or workshop
Typical range: £1,500 - £4,000
What you get:
- One or two focused sessions looking at how your business runs
- A short list of specific AI / automation opportunities, ordered by impact and effort
- A simple plan for what to try first and what to ignore for now
This is a good fit if you are AI‑curious but not ready to commit to a build. It should feel like paying for a very honest second opinion, not a sales pitch.
2. Single‑workflow pilot
Typical range: £5,000 - £12,000
Examples of a single workflow:
- Handling new enquiries more consistently
- Drafting replies to common customer questions
- Generating weekly performance summaries from your existing tools
What you get:
- Discovery and design focused on one area
- Build and integration on top of tools you already use
- A period of testing and tuning with real staff
- Training for the people who will live with it
For many Jersey businesses, this is enough to save several hours a week and prove whether AI and automation are worth taking further.
3. Multi‑workflow, three‑month engagement
Typical range: £15,000 - £30,000
Here you are tackling two or three connected workflows, for example:
- New enquiries and lead handling
- Customer support responses for common questions
- Weekly reporting and leadership updates
What you get:
- A structured three‑month project with clear phases
- Multiple workflows redesigned and automated to some degree
- Training and documentation so the changes actually stick
- A short stabilisation period after go‑live
Consultants in this range are usually providing a mix of strategy and hands‑on build. For reference, many small‑business AI implementations globally fall somewhere between $10k and $50k (roughly £8k–£40k), putting these numbers comfortably inside the normal band.
How to think about return
The simplest way to judge an AI project is payback time: how long before the savings or extra capacity cover the cost?
A simple breakdown
Let’s say you invest £20,000 in a three‑month project.
Your blended staff cost (salary plus overhead) is about £25 per hour
To “repay” £20,000 you need roughly 800 hours of useful time saved (20,000 ÷ 25)
Spread over a year, that is about 15 - 16 hours per week
If the new workflows:
- Remove 8 hours of manual reporting per week
- Save 5 hours of email triage across the team
- Cut 3 hours of copy & paste tasks in operations
…you are already in that 15-16 hours/week territory. The project pays for itself in roughly a year, then keeps giving you those hours back.
You can run the same maths with reduced errors (fewer re‑works, fewer write‑offs) or additional revenue (more leads handled properly, better follow‑up).
Red flags to watch for in AI consultancy pricing
A few warning signs are worth calling out:
- No mention of specific workflows
- If pricing is based on vague “AI transformation” rather than clearly defined processes, it is hard to know what you are buying.
No measurement plan:
- If a proposal does not mention hours saved, error reduction, throughput or revenue, it will be hard to judge success later.
- Large, locked‑in contracts from day one
- Be wary of long commitments where you cannot pause after an initial phase without heavy penalties.
Proprietary black‑box platforms
- If you are forced onto a closed system where the consultancy owns all the accounts and configuration, you may struggle to leave later.
“AI can do everything” attitude
- Any AI consultancy should be willing to say where AI does not make sense in your business (for example pricing decisions, HR or sensitive client conversations).
- A professional AI consultant in Jersey should be happy for you to start small, see results, and only then expand.
Where KPAI sits
To give you a concrete reference point:
KPAI’s light diagnostics and strategy sessions usually land in the £1,500 - £3,000 range
Single‑workflow pilots tend to run £3,000 - £10,000, depending on complexity
Three‑month, multi‑workflow projects are typically £15,000 - £25,000, with a clear scope and break points between phases
The goal is simple: for a typical three‑month custom project to pay for itself within about a year through time saved, fewer errors, and better use of your team’s attention.
For a week‑by‑week view of how a three‑month project actually runs, see Inside a three‑month AI project with KPAI
If you are a Jersey business wondering how much an AI project should really cost for your situation, you do not need a quote form to find out. A short, open conversation about your workflows and numbers is usually enough to see whether the maths - and the fit - make sense.
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Based in Channel Islands
Working with us at KP-AI Consulting, everyday work will feel lighter, your team will have more breathing space, and you can trust your business to handle what comes next.
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