Let AI handle the busywork. We build it and keep it running.
AI automation consultant for small and midsize businesses. We find the work AI should do, build the automations and agents, and run them until they work.
Two exits. One company taken public.
Lockhold is an AI automation consultant for small and mid-size, owner-led businesses: we find the repetitive work worth handing to AI, build it, and run it until it's stable. That work is usually intake, follow-up, reporting, data entry, and support. Unlike an AI consultant who hands you a strategy deck, we build and run the automation, test it, and hand over documentation.
11%
monthly growth after the systems went live
A brand-new fitness studio went from a $0 start to $15k a month in sales. We built its booking software into the customer experience, plus the email and SMS sequences that keep members coming back.
Where AI actually helps a small business
- Intake and follow-up: leads, inquiries, and orders captured and routed without manual copying.
- Reporting: weekly numbers pulled together automatically instead of by hand.
- Customer support: drafted replies, triage, and FAQs answered, with a person still in the loop.
- Back-office work: invoices, documents, and data moved between tools.
- AI agents for small business: agents that handle a defined job, monitored and documented, not left to run blind.
We start with the two or three uses that save the most time, not a long wish list. Not sure where yours are? Start with our guide, AI for small business: where it fits first.
Business process automation, not just AI
Plenty of the best wins are plain automation: connecting tools that don't talk to each other. As a business process automation consultant, Lockhold maps the process first, removes steps that shouldn't exist, then automates what's left. AI is used where it earns its place. For the step-by-step version, see our guide on how to automate business processes.
AI consulting services that end in a build
A lot of AI consulting services stop at a list of ideas. We work as an AI implementation consultant: we pick the uses worth doing, connect them to the tools you already use, test them on real work, and write down how they run. If you were looking for an automation consultant rather than an AI one, that's the same work, and often the better place to start.
Who it's for, and who it's not for
For
Small and mid-size, owner-led businesses that know AI could help but don't have the time or in-house person to figure out where and build it.
Not for
Companies wanting an AI strategy deck with no build; projects that need a large in-house data science team; anything that's really recruiting, tax, or legal work.
How engagements work
- Selective. A small number of engagements at a time.
- Set scope. In writing: which processes, what gets built, how we'll know it works.
- Fixed price. Agreed before work starts. No open-ended hourly billing.
- Built to last. Documentation and handoff so your team can run it.
- No overpromising. AI won't fix every problem. If a use isn't worth automating, we'll say so.
Who's behind it
Joe, founder. He started his first company at 24 with no investors, built it on cash flow, and sold it in a seven-figure deal. He has raised over $30M from investors, built a team of 50+, run contract manufacturing for other brands, and helped take a company from an idea to a public listing. Products he built reached 50,000+ U.S. stores and 26 countries.
Ro runs the client experience. No handoffs: the people you meet are the people who do the work. Meet the team.
What to automate after the first three
The next automations once the obvious ones are running. One page, ready to print or share with your team.
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Guides for this work
How to automate business processes
Which processes to automate first, how AI automation fits, and a step-by-step way to automate without breaking what works.
Read the guide Guide
What to automate after the first three
Status updates, data moves, follow-ups, reports and exceptions, and how to choose the next one.
Read the guide Guide
AI agents for small business: what they actually do
What an AI agent is, six jobs small businesses hand to agents today, where agents go wrong, and how to run a first one safely.
Read the guideThe Blueprint
Three full days at your business, working with you and the people who run each area. On the last day we lay out what’s broken, what it costs, and the order to fix it. You get a written plan within a week. From $7,500, travel included. Monthly support is quoted after, once we both know the work.
- 3 full days on site (U.S.)
- Travel included
- Written plan within a week
- From $7,500
Questions about AI automation
What does an AI automation consultant do?
They find repetitive work in a business and replace it with automations or AI agents, then build, test, and document them. Lockhold does all of those steps.
Do small businesses need an AI consultant?
Not always. A good AI consultant for a small business starts by finding the few uses that clearly save time, and says no to the rest.
What are AI agents for small business?
Software that handles a defined job on its own, like triaging inquiries or preparing reports, with a person reviewing what matters.
What's the difference between business process automation and AI automation?
Process automation moves data and steps between tools by rules. AI automation adds judgment, like reading an email or drafting a reply. Most projects use both.
How is an AI automation project priced?
Most start with the Blueprint: three days on site, from $7,500 with travel included, and a written plan within a week. The build after that is quoted at a fixed price before work starts.
Will automation replace my team?
The aim is to remove the repetitive work so your people spend time on what needs a person.
What business processes can be automated?
Processes that repeat often, follow the same steps, and have clear inputs are the best candidates. In a small business that often means intake, follow-up, scheduling, reporting, invoicing, and moving data between tools. Work that depends on judgment calls or relationships usually stays with people.
Is ChatGPT enough for my business, or do I need custom automation?
For one-off tasks like drafting, summarizing, or brainstorming, a general AI assistant is often enough. Custom automation makes sense when the same work happens over and over and has to connect to your other tools without someone copying and pasting between them. If a general tool already covers it, we'll say so.
AI for small business: where it fits first
A short, practical guide to the first work worth handing to AI.
Read the guide WorkFractional COO
An operator who owns your operations part-time, on a set scope.
Read →WorkCRM & software implementation
Tools set up properly, so the automation has something solid to run on.
Read →What work would you hand off first?
A few lines is enough. If it's a fit, we'll come back with a scope.
Scope your project