AI Automation Agency: Start Guide

December 18, 2024 • AI • Business • Agency

A tiny AI automation agency turns repeatable bottlenecks into small, reliable flows: move data, summarize, enrich, notify. You don’t need enterprise scope—just tight offers, clear safeguards, and fast delivery. This guide gives you the offer menu, discovery, delivery SOPs, pricing, and risk controls to get your first retainers.

Offer menu (pick 2–3)
Discovery & scoping in 10 minutes
Delivery SOP: build → test → handoff
Pricing ladder and retainers
Risk, permissions, and observability
FAQs

Sheet appenders: capture form/email data → clean → Sheets/DB
CRM enrich: scrape/API → dedupe → enrich → field map → CRM
Inbox parsers: label → extract entities → route → reply draft
Meeting → notes: transcript → action items → owners → reminders
Ticket helpers: summarize threads → suggest next action → link docs

Scope each as a single-small flow with one trigger, 3–6 steps, and a clear success output. Bigger than that becomes a project, not a starter offer.

Discovery & scoping (10 minutes)

Script (call)
Goal: find one painful copy‑paste loop with a measurable finish line.
Ask: What gets copied weekly? Where do errors happen? What is “done”? Who checks it?

Define done: e.g., "Row appended with normalized fields and Slack confirmation".
Constraints: seats, rate limits, PII zones, audit needs.
Acceptance test: 3 sample inputs → expected rows/messages/files.

Delivery SOP

Design: text diagram (trigger → steps → output) + field map.
Build: implement in Zapier/Make/Bardeen + one AI step if needed.
Test: run 5 cases; log inputs/outputs; fix edge‑cases.
Handoff: Loom walkthrough, setup doc, env var list, rollback note.

Prompt (summarize to action items)
Role: Ops assistant. Input: transcript/notes. Output: action items with owners and due dates.
Rules: no hallucinated owners; keep dates explicit.

Pricing ladder and retainers

Starter flow: $249–$399 (1 trigger, ≤6 steps, test + Loom)
Plus flow: $499–$699 (adds conditional branch or enrichment)
Retainer: $499–$1,499/mo (maintenance + 1 small change/month)

Anchor price to time saved and error reduction. Show a 2‑line before/after with one metric (e.g., “weekly copy‑paste 45 → 8 minutes”).

Risk, permissions, and observability

PII: avoid exporting sensitive data; mask logs; minimize scopes.
Audit: keep a run log (timestamp, input id, result, errors).
Rollback: add a simple off‑switch; document how to restore state.
Ownership: deliver under client accounts; avoid being a single point of failure.

Outreach email

Subject: 15‑minute fix for your [process]
Saw [specific loop] in [tool/screenshot]. I can replace that copy‑paste with a small flow (trigger → steps → result) and a rollback switch. 48h delivery. If it doesn’t pass your 3 sample cases, don’t pay. Want me to diagram it?

Download the 1‑Hour AI SOP Pack

Templates and scripts for discovery, field maps, and handoffs.Get the pack

Advanced Topics: Building Sustainable Business

Client Onboarding Best Practices

First impressions matter. A smooth onboarding process sets expectations and reduces support burden:

Welcome email: Include scope document, timeline, and next steps
Discovery call: 15-minute call to understand their specific needs
Kickoff document: Share working document with project outline and milestones
Communication cadence: Set expectations for updates (daily/weekly check-ins)

Handling Edge Cases and Scope Creep

Not every project goes smoothly. Here's how to handle common challenges:

Complex requirements: Break into phases. Phase 1 = core scope, Phase 2 = enhancements
Tool limitations: If a tool can't handle a requirement, suggest alternatives before building
Change requests: Use a simple change request form. Estimate time/cost before proceeding
Technical blockers: Document limitations upfront. Have fallback plans ready

Retainer Models That Work

Retainers provide predictable revenue but require careful structure:

Maintenance retainer: $499–$1,499/mo for ongoing support + 1 small change/month
Growth retainer: $1,500–$3,000/mo for 2–3 new automations/month
Monitoring retainer: $299–$599/mo for health checks, logs review, and alerts

Always include:

Clear scope (what's included vs. additional)
Response time SLAs (e.g., 24-hour response for issues)
Monthly report (what was done, metrics, recommendations)
30-day notice period for cancellation

Scaling Your Agency Without Breaking

Growth requires systems, not just hustle. Here's the progression:

Solo phase (months 1–3): Focus on 3–5 clients. Perfect your SOPs.
Documentation phase (months 4–6): Create templates, checklists, and playbooks.
Delegation phase (months 7–12): Hire a VA for admin. Keep technical work.
Team phase (year 2+): Hire technical freelancers. You focus on sales and strategy.

Don't skip documentation. It's the bridge between solo and team operations.

Risk Management and Legal Considerations

Protect yourself and your clients with proper safeguards:

Contracts: Always use written agreements. Include scope, timeline, payment terms, and liability limits.
Data handling: Be clear about data access, retention, and deletion policies.
Backups: Have rollback plans. Document how to restore previous states.
Error handling: Set expectations about downtime, outages, and recovery procedures.
Insurance: Consider professional liability insurance as you scale.

Marketing Your Automation Agency

Growth requires consistent marketing. Here are proven strategies:

Case studies: Document 3–5 detailed case studies with metrics and testimonials
Content marketing: Write about automation problems and solutions. Share your expertise.
Partnerships: Partner with complementary agencies (e.g., marketing agencies, consultants)
LinkedIn outreach: Target decision-makers at companies with 10–100 employees
Referral program: Offer incentives for successful referrals

FAQs

Which tools? Start with the ones you can support—Zapier/Make/Bardeen + Sheets/CRM.

How to avoid scope creep? One trigger, ≤6 steps, one output, one revision; bigger needs a new flow.

What about failures? Log errors, alert a Slack channel, and keep a manual fallback.

How do I price retainers? Base on hours saved × client's hourly rate × 0.5–0.7. Start conservative.

When should I say no to a project? When requirements are unclear, tools aren't suitable, or client has unrealistic expectations.

Next steps

Real‑world use case: Deliver a 3‑step automation flow

Ship a small Zap/Bardeen flow with docs.

Map steps
Build and test
Record Loom + handoff

Expected outcome: Client‑usable automation with clear boundaries.

Implementation guide

Time: 2–4 hours
Tools: Zapier/Bardeen, Loom
Prerequisites: Client account access (if needed)

Write the exact steps and triggers; confirm with the client.
Build and test with sample data; add logs and limits.
Record a 5‑minute Loom; share a setup doc.

SEO notes

Target: ai automation agency
Internal links to side hustle posts

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