Ascend AI

How it works, and what it costs

No long contracts, no big bang launch. Small stages, each priced before it starts, each live before the next one begins.

The process

01

The audit

A 30 minute call. You tell us how the business runs and where your time goes. We ask a lot of questions. Within two working days you get a short written document: the jobs we think can be automated, roughly what each would involve, and the order we would do them in. It is free and it is yours to keep, whether or not you work with us.

02

Scope and setup

If you want to go ahead, we scope the first stage in detail: what it does, what it connects to, what it will cost, how long it will take. You pay a setup fee, which covers getting access to your systems, the hosting and the groundwork everything else sits on.

03

Build in stages

Each stage has a fixed development fee agreed before it starts. We build it, test it with your real data, and switch it on. You use it for real before the next stage is scoped. Some businesses do one stage. Some do six over a year. You decide the pace.

04

Run and improve

Once something is live we host it, monitor it, and fix it when a supplier changes their system or your business changes its rules. That is covered by an ongoing monthly fee. Improvements and new stages are quoted as they come up.

How we charge

Three parts, no surprises.

What it covers When
Setup fee Access, hosting, foundations, the first detailed scope Once, at the start
Development fee Building each stage. Fixed price per stage, agreed before work starts. Larger projects are split into several stages, so this may recur while the build is underway Per stage
Ongoing fee Hosting, monitoring, fixes, support, small changes Monthly, once something is live

Exact figures depend on the size of the project. The audit document gives you a range before you commit to anything.

What we'll need from you

  • An hour or two of your time per stage, mostly at the start, to explain how things really work.
  • Access to the systems involved: your calendar, accounts package, website, inbox. We set this up securely and you can revoke it at any time.
  • Someone to try it. Real use finds the exceptions that a demo never does.

Questions owners ask

Usually it replaces evenings and weekends, not people. It takes the repetitive parts off whoever is doing them, so they can do the work that needs a person.

No. We connect to what you already have. If something you use genuinely cannot be connected to, we will tell you at the audit.

You own the automation built for your business. We host and run it for the monthly fee. If you ever want to move it elsewhere, we hand it over with documentation.

We are monitoring it, so we usually know before you do. Fixes are covered by the ongoing fee. If a supplier changes their system in a way that needs a rebuild, we quote that separately and tell you first.

It depends on what it does and how many systems it touches. Most first stages are measured in weeks, not months. The scope tells you before you commit.

Your data stays in your systems. We access it with permissions you grant and can revoke. Where an AI model is used, we choose providers that do not train on your data, and we say which ones in the scope. Details are in the Privacy Policy.

Start with the audit

Thirty minutes. A written list of what could be automated in your business. No obligation after that.

Book a free automation audit