Capital Automation
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This is the question we get most often before a first call, and it's a fair one. "AI automation" can mean anything from a $49/month Zapier subscription to a six-figure enterprise integration. For Wellington small businesses — tradies, hospitality, professional services — the range is a lot narrower, and the value case is usually clear once you see the numbers.
Here's an honest breakdown of what you'll pay, what you'll get, and what to watch out for when comparing quotes.
For a NZ small business, AI automation investment falls into three broad tiers. Each serves a different stage of maturity.
| Tier | What you get | Typical NZD cost |
|---|---|---|
| Starter: one automation | A single system solving one acute problem — missed-call text-back, quote follow-up, or lead capture. Live in 1–2 weeks. | $1,500–$3,500 one-off |
| Core: connected automations | 3–5 automations covering lead capture, follow-up and internal ops. Includes dashboard, reporting and integrations with your existing tools. | $5,000–$12,000 one-off + $500–$1,200/mo ongoing |
| Partnership: ongoing growth | New automations added monthly, proactive monitoring, priority support and quarterly business reviews. Treated as part of the team. | $1,500–$4,000/mo |
The ongoing monthly fee in the core and partnership tiers covers hosting, monitoring, maintenance and tuning — not just "keeping the lights on." Automations require attention as your business changes and as the AI models they run on are updated.
Within those ranges, several factors push you toward the higher or lower end:
Tools like Make (formerly Integromat), Zapier and n8n let technically confident business owners build their own automations. Monthly software subscriptions range from $0 (free tiers) to $200–$400 for small-business usage. So why pay for a done-for-you service?
The honest answer: most business owners start building their own automation and abandon it within a few weeks. Not because they're not smart enough — but because the time cost is substantial, and the reliability bar for a production system is much higher than a prototype. A Zapier zap that works 90% of the time is worse than no automation at all if it creates a customer-facing failure.
Whether you're talking to us or another provider, here are the questions worth asking:
The most common first automation for Wellington trades businesses is a missed-call text-back. It solves an immediate, quantifiable problem (missed jobs) with a fast build time and a clear ROI. Most businesses see the setup cost recovered within the first month.
The second most common starting point for service businesses is a quote follow-up sequence — automatically chasing quotes that haven't been accepted after 48 hours and 5 days, with a personalised message. For businesses sending 10+ quotes a month, this reliably adds 15–25% to conversion rates.
For most Wellington small businesses, a first automation costs $1,500–$3,500 all-in and pays for itself within 4–8 weeks. The ongoing cost for a connected system (monitoring, hosting, tuning) runs $500–$1,200/month and should be measured against the revenue it protects and creates — not against zero.
If a provider can't give you a credible ROI estimate before you pay anything, that's a signal. We start every engagement with a free 30-minute audit specifically so you can evaluate the numbers before committing.
We'll walk through your situation, estimate the ROI, and tell you plainly whether it makes sense. No obligation, no hard sell.
Book a free audit