Notes on putting AI to work in a small business

What things cost, what to automate first, what the data says about Minnesota, and what we actually use. Written by the people who build it.

• Claude or ChatGPT for a five-person company: what we actually use and why

  Ben McDermott · September 2, 2026 · 3 min read

  An honest comparison of Claude and ChatGPT for an owner-led business from a consultancy that builds on Claude every week: where each wins, what they cost, and why the context you write matters more than the model you pick.

• One in five Minnesota businesses now uses AI. Here's what the other four are missing.

  Ben McDermott · September 2, 2026 · 3 min read

  The Minneapolis Fed reports 20% of Minnesota businesses used AI in early 2026, the highest in the Ninth District. Small firms lag at 17%. What the data says, why most non-adopters think AI doesn't apply to them, and what they're missing.

• Ten workflows we'd automate first in an owner-led business, and three we wouldn't

  Ben McDermott · September 2, 2026 · 3 min read

  A ranked list of the ten workflows with the highest payoff for AI automation in a small, owner-led business, how each one works, and three we'd refuse to automate. From a Minneapolis consultancy that builds them weekly.

• Seven questions to ask an AI consultant before you sign

  Ben McDermott · September 2, 2026 · 3 min read

  Seven questions that separate AI consultants who build from AI consultants who present, with the answers you should expect and the ones that should end the call. Written for Minneapolis business owners.

• What an AI consultant costs in Minneapolis, with our actual price

  Ben McDermott · September 2, 2026 · 3 min read

  Real 2026 numbers for AI consulting in Minneapolis: hourly rates, agency project fees, AI receptionist pricing, fractional AI officers, and what 1771 charges. Plus what actually drives the price.