A dedicated AI operations partner for your service business. One partner who knows your P&L, with a team behind them doing the work. 3-month minimum, month-to-month after that. No tiers, no bundled packages, no guarantees-that-aren't-guarantees.
3-MONTH MINIMUM · MONTH-TO-MONTH AFTER
How IRONBACK compares
Cheaper than a mid-level hire, a fraction of a Head of AI, and more accountable than a consultant.
| In-House Head of AI | IRONBACK Retainer | Traditional Consultant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $250K–$350K fully loaded | $96K/year | $50K–$150K engagement |
| Time to first build | 3–6 months | Inside month 1 | Consultant doesn’t build |
| Team behind the lead | None — has to hire | Built-in | Engagement-dependent |
| Areas covered | 1–2 at first | All 7 | Scope-dependent |
| Ongoing operations | Yes | Yes | No — you implement |
| Commitment | Permanent employee | 3 months, then month-to-month | Fixed-scope engagement |
| Turnover risk | Yours to absorb | Ours to cover | N/A |
| Billing | Payroll + benefits + equity | One flat invoice | Hourly or fixed-fee |
Pricing FAQ
That’s our flat rate for a dedicated AI operations partner: one senior partner who knows your P&L, plus a team behind them that builds and runs the work. A single in-house AI hire runs $200K+ fully loaded and takes 6 months to ramp. We cost a fraction of that, and the team is already built, so the first build starts in month 1.
Three months, $24,000 total. After that you’re month-to-month and can cancel any time with 30 days’ notice. We don’t do annual contracts. Clients stay because the work is paying for itself, not because the paperwork says so.
We run an intensive operational audit across all 7 categories (call handling, estimating, documentation, follow-up, scheduling, reporting, inventory). By the end of month 1 you have a written AI Value Assessment with EBITDA projections. We also start building your highest-ROI opportunity inside month 1, so the retainer earns its keep before the report even lands.
Build and run. We build and operate the top 3–4 opportunities from the audit: automations, AI tools, integrations with your existing systems, monthly impact reviews. Andrew owns your relationship and roadmap, the team does the work.
Everything. Your partner’s time, the team that builds, AI tool costs inside our stack, integrations, monthly reports, direct access to Andrew. One invoice, no hidden fees. If an engagement needs third-party software licenses you’d keep anyway (like your CRM), those stay on your invoice.
A Head of AI runs $200K+ in salary, or $250K–$350K fully loaded. One person, no team, 6 months to ramp, has to hire builders before anything ships. Our retainer is $96K/year, comes with a team already in place, and delivers in month 1.
Consultants charge $300+/hour, hand you a PDF, then leave you to implement. We charge a flat $8K/mo to find the waste, build the systems that eliminate it, and run those systems for you.
Run the Operations Scorecard. A few minutes and you have a real dollar figure for waste across all 7 categories, in front of you before we ever talk.