AI automation consultant for service businesses

You don't have a time problem. You have a process problem.

I build systems that handle the admin, so you can get back to the work.

Built with the tools you already use, plus AI and custom code when it's needed

Google WorkspaceAirtableMondayClaudeZapierMakeCalendlyClioCanvaCustom code Google WorkspaceAirtableMondayClaudeZapierMakeCalendlyClioCanvaCustom code

Sound familiar?

You started a business to do the work. Not the paperwork.

But somewhere along the way, the admin took over. Every new client brings more emails, more forms, more reminders, and more things to keep track of. And most of it runs through you.

Admin eats your evenings

Invoices, scheduling, data entry, and paperwork wait for you after hours, every week.

Things slip through the cracks

A new inquiry waits while you're on a job, and by the time you reply, they've hired someone else. Follow-ups get forgotten, payments go unchased, and details get lost in a busy week.

It all lives in your head

You're the only one who knows how everything works. When you step away, things stall.

It's exhausting to be the bottleneck in your own business. And you shouldn't have to choose between growing it and having a life.

The fix

Turn the way you work into a system.

Most of your admin follows the same steps every time. Once those steps are mapped out and connected, they can run on their own. That's systemization: your process, built into a system that does the repetitive work, with you stepping in only where your judgment matters.

Map

We lay out how work actually moves through your business, step by step, including the parts nobody has ever written down.

Connect

Your forms, calendar, email, payments, and files get linked together, so information moves on its own instead of being retyped.

Automate

The repetitive steps run themselves. Replies go out, records update, and reminders send, while you review and approve what matters.

The result: faster replies, fewer dropped balls, and your evenings back.

Book your consult

Meet your consultant

Hey, I'm River.

I help businesses grow without burning out their people.

I've spent over a decade doing exactly that: first as a business lawyer, then as a systems consultant, and eventually as someone who took client calls barefoot from a beach.

When AI showed up doing 80% of my job better and faster, I didn't resist. I retooled everything.

Now I run a one-person AI automation agency near Sacramento, helping smart, overextended owners like you install calm, custom automations that do the heavy lifting, so you can focus on the work that actually matters.

I use whatever fits the job: tools you already know, AI like Claude, and custom code when it's needed. And you get a plain-English guide to all of it.

Every business works differently

How it works.

There are no cookie-cutter packages here. Every engagement starts with a consult, because the right automation depends on how you and your clients actually operate. Click a step to see it.

New consult booked

Your intake, organized

Booking confirmedDone

Intake questions answeredReceived

Tools and pain points summarizedReady

Examples of what a build can include

AI automation for small businesses.

New client onboarding

A client books or signs up, and everything after that happens on its own: the welcome email, intake questions, calendar invite, and a record of who they are and what they need.

Lead follow-up

Every inquiry gets a prompt reply and a gentle reminder sequence, so no potential client slips through the cracks because you were busy that week.

Admin on autopilot

Invoice reminders, appointment confirmations, and a simple dashboard showing who is booked, who has paid, and what needs your attention.

These are starting points. Your build is designed around what we find in your consult.

Real systems, real businesses

Recent work.

A few of the systems I have built. Most client names are left out for privacy. See all automation case studies.

Digital marketing agency

A content library that fills new websites

The problem. The agency offers low-cost web design for law firms, but every new site needed content before it could launch. The firms didn't want to pay for a full marketing content package just to fill their pages.

Monday · Claude · Google Drive

What I built

A library in Monday of ready-to-build practice area pages and blog posts.
The firm fills out a form choosing the content it wants for its site.
A scheduled Claude task writes each piece and stores it in a shared Google Drive, connected to the firm's entries.
The firm gets an alert that its content is ready for review.
Once the firm approves, a second automation publishes the content to its website.

The result. New sites launch with real content, without a custom writing project or a full marketing package for every firm.

Read the law firm content library case study

Is this a fit?

Who I work with.

Contractors and the trades who need estimates, scheduling, follow-ups, and invoices handled while they are on the job.
Home service pros like cleaners, landscapers, and repair businesses juggling bookings and reminders.
Law firms that want intake, document handling, content, and billing to stop eating the team's week.
Coaches, consultants, and wellness practitioners who spend evenings on scheduling and follow-up.
Studios, gyms, and class-based businesses juggling sign-ups, reminders, and payments.
Tutors and enrichment programs keeping track of families, sessions, and invoices.
Small clubs and nonprofits run by volunteers who would rather spend their time on the mission.

Good questions

Frequently asked questions.

Do I need to be technical to automate my small business?

No. I build your automations around the tools you already use and walk you through everything when it's done. You also get a plain-English guide, so you always know what's running and why.

Why does an AI automation consult cost $450?

The $450 automation consult covers more than the 90 minutes we spend together. Afterward, I map out your process and put together your written plan and fixed-price quote, which takes real time to do well. The plan is yours to keep whether or not you hire me to build it.

How much does AI automation cost for a small business?

It depends on the size of the job and how detailed the process is. A simple automation, like linking your calendar to your website, might be around $50. A bigger system with more steps might be $500 to $1,000 or more. Your fixed-price quote tells you the exact price before any work starts.

How long does it take to automate a business process?

You'll have working automations within two weeks of booking your build. Bigger systems are delivered in stages, so you get working pieces early instead of waiting for everything at once.

What if I don't hire you to build my automations?

That's completely fine. Your automation plan is yours, and you're free to build it yourself or with someone else. If you do book the work with me within 14 days of your quote, $225 of your consult fee goes toward it.

What happens if an automation stops working?

Every automation build comes with a walkthrough and a written guide. For ongoing peace of mind, there's an optional care plan for $99 a month: if something gets hung up or stops working, you reach out and I fix it.

What automation tools do you work with?

Usually the tools you already have, like Google Workspace, Airtable, Monday, Zapier, Make, Calendly, Clio, and Canva, along with AI tools like Claude. When a job calls for it, I write custom code.

Is my data safe when I automate my business with AI?

Your automations are built in your own accounts, so you keep ownership of your data and your access. For sensitive information, like client files at a law firm, I choose tools and settings to match, such as AI services that don't keep your data.

How do I know if AI automation is right for my business?

Book a free 15-minute fit call. We'll talk through what you're dealing with and whether the consult makes sense for your business, with no pressure either way.

Get your time back.

Ninety focused minutes for $450, including a written plan and a fixed-price quote you keep. Book the work within 14 days of your quote and $225 of your consult fee goes toward it.