What should I look for in an AI consultant?

Someone who starts with your business problems, considers non-AI options, is clear about costs and risks, takes data protection seriously and leaves you owning the recommendations, data and code.

How much does an AI consultant cost in the UK?

A focused review is often a fixed fee in the hundreds to low thousands of pounds. Implementation is usually priced by time; UK contract developer rates had a median of around £525 a day in late 2026.

Do I need a local AI consultant?

Not necessarily, as most work can be done by video. A local consultant helps when seeing the business in operation would improve the advice, or when you prefer to meet in person.

What are the warning signs of a poor AI consultant?

Promising dramatic savings before understanding your business, vague answers about data, no mention of ongoing costs, pressure to sign quickly and recommending their own product for every problem.

Practical guide

How to choose an AI consultant for a small business (UK checklist)

By Greg Wood, Founder, FiveW · Updated 8 November 2026 · 4 min read

The short answer

Choose a consultant who starts with your business problems rather than a technology, can show relevant experience, is open about costs and risks, will recommend non-AI options when they are better, and leaves you owning the recommendations, data and any code. Ask how they would measure success, who would do the work and what happens after launch. Compare at least two proposals against the same written brief.

Why this matters

The number of businesses offering AI consultancy has grown quickly. Search for an AI consultant in almost any UK town and you will find several, alongside directories and "best of" lists. That choice is good for buyers, but it makes it harder to tell the difference between someone who will improve your business and someone who will sell you a tool.

This checklist is designed to help you compare any provider fairly, including FiveW.

What a good AI consultant should do

1. Start with your business, not with AI

The first conversation should be about where you are losing sales, time or money. If the first meeting is a demonstration of a product, you are talking to a salesperson, which is fine, but it is not consultancy.

2. Consider options other than AI

Many problems are solved more cheaply and reliably by ordinary automation, better use of software you already have, an integration or a clearer process. A good consultant will say so, even when it means a smaller project.

3. Be clear about costs, effort and risks

You should know what you are paying for, what your team will need to do, and what could go wrong. That includes ongoing subscriptions, maintenance and supervision, not just the build.

4. Take data protection seriously

Expect questions about what information is involved, which tools are approved and who checks the output. If personal data is involved, they should mention UK GDPR and the ICO's guidance without being prompted. See our ChatGPT and client data checklist.

5. Leave you in control

You should own the recommendations, your data and any code written for you, and be able to move to another supplier if you need to.

Questions to ask before you commit

What would you need to understand about our business before recommending anything?
Can you show an example of similar work, and what changed as a result?
Who exactly will do the work, and who supports it afterwards?
How will we measure whether this has worked?
What are the ongoing costs once it is running?
What would make you recommend not using AI?
Who owns the work, the data and the code at the end?
What happens if the person who built it is unavailable?

Warning signs

Promises of dramatic savings before they understand how you work.
A long, expensive strategy phase with no clear output.
Pressure to sign up quickly, or a free session that is mostly a sales pitch.
Vague answers about where your data goes.
No mention of ongoing costs, monitoring or support.
Every problem has the same answer: their product.

Local or remote?

Much consultancy now works well by video and screen sharing, so you are not limited to your town. A local consultant is useful when seeing the business in operation would genuinely help, or when you value meeting in person. If you are in South Wales or the South West, FiveW is based in Newport: see AI consultancy in South Wales and AI consultancy for Bristol and the South West.

How much should it cost?

Prices vary widely. A focused review of a few processes is usually a fixed fee in the hundreds to low thousands of pounds. Implementation is typically priced by time, and UK developer contract rates had a median of around £525 a day in late 2026. Our guide to what AI automation costs has more detail.

Comparing proposals fairly

Write a one-page brief. Describe the problem, the systems involved, your budget range and what success looks like.
Send the same brief to each provider. It makes proposals comparable.
Score them on the same criteria. Understanding of the problem, clarity of costs, approach to risk, ownership and support.
Ask for a small first step. A short, fixed-price piece of work tells you more about a consultant than any sales meeting.

Where FiveW fits

The FiveW Business Review is our version of that small first step: a fixed £750 plus VAT review of up to three important processes, with prioritised recommendations covering likely benefit, cost, effort and risk. We can implement the recommendations if you want us to, but the report is yours and you are free to use it with any supplier, which also makes it a useful brief for comparing proposals.

The FiveW Business Review

Want this answered for your own business? The £750 + VAT review looks at up to three important processes and gives you prioritised recommendations covering likely benefit, cost, effort and risk.

Tell us what is happening

Sources

Prices and figures were checked on 8 November 2026 and can change. Always confirm with the supplier.