AI consultant or a new hire?
Hiring costs more per year but you keep the capability permanently. A consultant is faster and cheaper to start but leaves when the work is done. The honest answer is that it depends on whether the problem is a one-off build or an ongoing function - and for most businesses the right answer is both, in that order.
- Hiring an ops or marketing manager:
- $85,000-$125,000 a year fully loaded
- Our Review plus build:
- $5,000, $8,000 or $15,000 in total, one-off (the $2,500 Review is credited in full against the build)
- Ours, then a hire to run it:
- the most common outcome
- Time to first result:
- weeks with a consultant, months with a hire
What does each option actually cost?
| Option | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | What you own at the end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hire an ops manager | $95,000-$130,000 | $98,000-$134,000 | $101,000-$138,000 | A person and whatever they built |
| Hire a marketing manager | $90,000-$125,000 | $93,000-$129,000 | $96,000-$133,000 | Same |
| Hire a generalist VA | $42,000-$60,000 | $43,000-$62,000 | $44,000-$64,000 | Same, narrower skill |
| Engage a consultant | $10,000-$15,000 | $0-$5,000 | $0-$5,000 | Systems, documented |
| Do it yourself | $0 cash | $0 cash | $0 cash | Systems, undocumented |
Fully loaded means salary plus tax, benefits, equipment and software, typically 25 to 30% above base. Hiring figures are typical market ranges, not our prices.
When is hiring the better choice?
- •The work is ongoing and needs judgement, not just execution
- •You need someone accountable for a function, not a project
- •You have the management capacity to run a person
- •The role will still exist in three years
Hiring is the right answer more often than consultants like to admit. If you need a sales manager, buy a sales manager.
When is a consultant the better choice?
- •The problem is a build with a defined end
- •You need it fixed in weeks, not after a hiring cycle
- •You do not yet know what the role should be
- •You cannot absorb a full salary this quarter
- •You want the diagnosis before you commit to a headcount
That last point matters most: hiring before you know which problem to solve is how businesses end up with a marketing manager doing admin. An automation audit or a profit leak review answers that first.
What does the hybrid look like?
The most common outcome we see, and the one we recommend: a consultant builds the systems and documents them, then you hire someone to run what already works. The hire inherits a documented process instead of a blank page, and the consultant's work becomes the new person's manual (see SOP and systems thinking).
That sequence costs less in year one than hiring first, and produces a better hire because you know exactly what you are hiring for.
What about hiring an agency instead?
Agencies charge retainers from $2,000 to $10,000 a month and rarely stop. They are strong when you want the work done and never want to think about it. They are weak when you want to own the capability, because the system usually stays theirs.
Do it yourself - is that viable?
Often yes. The tools are widely available and cheap. What you are really buying from a consultant is knowing which problem to fix first, building it so it keeps running, and documenting it so it does not depend on one person. If you have 10 hours a week and patience, doing it yourself is a legitimate answer.
How we compare
A small defined fee to find the leaks, then a choice: pay for the build and keep more upside, or pay nothing and share more of what we create.
| Profit Growth Review | $2,500 flat | Credited in full against any build |
| Build | $5,000 / $8,000 / $15,000 | Foundation, Core, Full |
| Monthly services | $1,500 / $2,500 / $4,000 | If you would rather not manage anyone |
| Partnership | 20% of profit increase | $2,000/month minimum, 6-12 months |
If the Review does not quantify at least three times its fee in profit leaks, you do not pay for it.
If the Review shows you need a person rather than a system, we will say so. We would rather tell you that than sell you a build.
More: how much an AI consultant costs · is an AI consultant worth it? · monthly services · how we work
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to hire or to use a consultant?
In year one, a consultant almost always costs less: a defined build against a full fully-loaded salary. Over three years a hire costs more but gives you a person who stays. If the problem is a one-off build, the consultant is cheaper. If it is an ongoing function, the hire usually is.
Should I hire an ops manager before automating?
Usually not. Build and document the systems first, then hire someone to run them. The hire starts with a working process instead of a blank page, and you know exactly what the role is.
How much does a marketing manager cost fully loaded?
Typically $90,000-$125,000 in year one once tax, benefits, equipment and software are added, which runs about 25 to 30% above base salary.
Can a consultant replace a hire?
For a build with a defined end, yes. For work that is ongoing and needs judgement every day, no. If the Review shows you need a person rather than a system, we will say so.
What is the right order?
Diagnose, build, then hire. Find out which problem costs the most, fix it with a system, then hire someone to run what already works.
What happens when the consultant leaves?
If the work was done properly, the systems keep running and the documentation becomes the manual for whoever runs them next. That is why we document everything we build.