Reality check

What does an AI consultant actually do for an SME?

By: Evelien van 't Hoog

  • Saturday 30 August 2025
  • 3 minutes reading time
AI is the buzzword these days. You read about it, you hear about it, and maybe you're thinking, "As an SME, should I do something with this too?" The answer is usually yes. But where do you start? That's exactly where an AI consultant comes in. In this blog, we explain what an AI consultant does, why it is relevant for your business and what it looks like in practice.
Why would an SME need an AI consultant?

Many SMEs think AI is something for big corporates with huge budgets, nothing could be further from the truth. Especially in SMEs, there are often many repetitive tasks and processes that could be smarter. Think of customer service, marketing, stock management or administrative work.

An AI consultant will help you discover where AI can make the most difference, without having to start a big IT project right away.

What specifically does an AI consultant do?

An AI consultant is actually a translator. He or she translates the world of artificial intelligence into the day-to-day business of your company. That means:

  • Discovering opportunities: Where can AI save time or increase revenue in your business?

  • Providing practical solutions: Think chatbots for customer queries, smart data analysis or AI tools that create reports automatically.

  • Guide implementation: Not just giving advice, but helping with the first steps so that your team can work with it.

In short, an AI consultant SME does not make AI more complicated, but rather accessible.

A real-life example

Suppose you run a webshop with a small team. Your employees spend hours a week answering the same customer questions over and over again. An AI consultant immediately sees an opportunity; a smart chatbot can take over 80% of those questions. Result? Your team has more time for personalised service, and customers get answers faster. Win-win.

Tip: start small

The biggest misconception about AI is that you need a multi-million dollar project right away. The best approach is to start small. For example, an AI consultant helps you with one process, such as speeding up quotes or automating emails. Once that works, you can expand step by step.

Conclusion

An AI consultant is not a tech guru who comes to explain complicated theory, but a practical guide to help your SME apply AI smartly and feasibly. From spotting opportunities to initial implementation, you get concrete solutions that make an immediate difference.

Wondering what an AI consultant can do specifically for your SME? Find out here with our AI consultancy for SMEs!