Where do I start with AI for my business?

Start with the smallest problem AI can solve in two weeks. Common starting points include automating appointment reminders, generating invoices from job notes, or pre-filling forms from emails. We help you find that first win in a 30-minute conversation — no slide decks, no jargon. From there we map either a focused pilot or a longer engagement based on what fits your team and budget. The goal is a working tool you can use, not a strategy document that sits in a drawer.

Do I need a full-time AI hire or a fractional advisor?

For most small and mid-sized businesses, fractional almost always wins for the first 6–18 months. You get a senior partner without the $250K+ headcount cost of a full-time AI hire. A fractional advisor brings cross-industry experience, works on specific outcomes rather than open-ended projects, and scales up or down as your needs change. Hire full-time once you have a clear, recurring AI workload — not before. Most of our clients start fractional and only consider a full-time hire after 12+ months of proven ROI.

What does 'vendor-neutral' actually mean?

We don't have revenue share deals with Salesforce, HubSpot, model providers, or any tooling vendor. The tool we recommend is the one that fits your team — not the one that pays us. You'll always see the pros and cons of each option in writing before we proceed. In practice, this means we sometimes recommend free or open-source tools over expensive enterprise software, and we'll tell you when a $20/month tool does the job better than a $2,000/month platform.

What's the difference between an AI agency and an AI advisor?

Agencies sell execution — they build what you ask for. Advisors challenge what you're asking for first. We do both: we challenge the assumption, then build the smallest useful thing, then hand it over so you can run it without us. The key difference is accountability to outcomes rather than deliverables. An agency might build you a chatbot because you asked for one; an advisor asks why you want a chatbot and might discover that automating your intake form saves more time at a fraction of the cost.

I'm not a tech person — can I still work with you?

Yes — most of our clients aren't. You don't need to know anything about AI before working with us. We meet you where you are, explain what's worth doing in plain language, and handle the technical setup. Your job is to know your business; ours is to translate that into the right tools. We work with trades contractors, medical clinic managers, and professional services partners who have never written a line of code — and they end up running their own AI tools independently within weeks.

How long until I see a result?

For most engagements, the first useful tool ships in 2–4 weeks. We start with the smallest problem AI can solve quickly — so you see value before committing to a larger program. A typical first sprint might deliver an automated quote generator, a smart intake form, or a custom dashboard that replaces a manual spreadsheet process. Bigger initiatives roll out in phases, with each phase delivering something you can use immediately.

What does an AI consultant do for a small business?

An AI consultant helps a small business identify which tasks are worth automating, selects the right tools, handles the technical setup, and trains the team to use them independently. At Laroma, that typically means cutting 5–10 admin hours per week, improving customer response times, and reducing software licensing costs — without requiring the business owner to become technical. Common projects include automating scheduling and reminders, building custom internal apps to replace expensive SaaS subscriptions, and setting up AI-assisted document generation.

How much does AI consulting cost for a small business in Canada?

Most of our engagements run in focused 2–4 week sprints with a la carte pricing — you pay for a specific outcome, not an open-ended retainer. This structure means you know the cost before we start, and you get a working tool at the end of each sprint. Costs vary based on complexity, but we deliberately scope projects so that small businesses see positive ROI within the first engagement. Book a free 30-minute call and we'll give you a straight answer based on your actual situation.

What is the ROI of AI for small businesses?

ROI depends on where you start, but results are often dramatic for small teams. A construction client reduced software licensing from $1,200/month to $12/month — a 99% reduction — by replacing an off-the-shelf platform with a custom AI-powered internal app built in two weeks. Other clients save 5–10 admin hours per week by automating data entry, follow-ups, and report generation. We focus on the smallest change that delivers a measurable result, so ROI is visible before you commit to a larger program.

Is AI consulting worth it for a business with under 50 employees?

Often more worth it than for large enterprises. Small teams feel admin bottlenecks more acutely — one person spending 10 hours a week on manual data entry represents a much larger percentage of capacity than at a 500-person company. A single well-placed automation can free up a significant portion of someone's week. You don't need a large budget or a technical team — you need a clear problem and someone who can build the right tool without over-engineering it.

What AI tools are best for small businesses in Canada?

It depends on the use case. For CRM, HubSpot works well for marketing-led businesses while Salesforce suits complex sales processes. For internal workflows and automation, Make.com or n8n paired with a language model like Claude or GPT-4 handles most repetitive tasks at low cost. For document generation, custom apps using AI APIs often replace expensive per-seat software. We're vendor-neutral — we recommend what fits your workflow, not what has the best affiliate payout. The best tool is the one your team will actually use.

Do you work with businesses outside of Vancouver?

Yes — most of our work is done remotely. We're based in North Vancouver, BC, but serve clients across Canada. Discovery, planning, and delivery are all conducted over video. If you're in Metro Vancouver — North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, or Richmond — we can also meet in person. The same process works regardless of location: we listen, plan, build, and train your team to run the tools independently.

Salesforce vs HubSpot — which should I use?

Neither, until we look at how your team actually works. Salesforce is powerful but heavy — it requires dedicated admin time and can cost $75–300 per user per month. HubSpot is simpler and has a generous free tier, but becomes constrained as you grow past basic use cases. We map your team's workflow first, then pick a stack that fits — not the other way around. Sometimes the answer is neither: a lightweight custom app built with AI can handle what you actually need at a fraction of the cost.

Best Platforms for Custom Internal Business Apps in 2026

Published June 4, 2026

Small businesses don't need enterprise SaaS for every workflow. The best platform for a custom internal app depends on your team's technical comfort, how unique your workflow is, and how fast you need to ship. Here is how Laroma AI evaluates the platforms we use most — including Replit, Emergent, Vercel, and Supabase with Anthropic Claude.

#1
Replit
Best for: Schools, construction finance, and teams that want a live coding environment with fast deployment.
Pros
- Fastest path from idea to deployed web app
- Built-in hosting and collaboration
- Strong for event portals, QuickBooks integrations, and education workflows
Cons
- Complex compliance-heavy workflows may need additional architecture
Laroma AI example
Paraffin Constructions bank reconciliation with QuickBooks and Lower Mainland Independent School event portal
View case study: School Event & Kitchen Operations Portal
#2
Emergent
Best for: Mobile apps, operations dashboards, and AI-native builds that need to ship in hours.
Pros
- Strong for Android apps, offline mobile tools, and structured ops workflows
- AI-native building workflow with Claude
- Scales from 1 user to hundreds without constant rework
Cons
- Best results with an experienced builder guiding architecture
Laroma AI example
Kids' neighbourhood business Android app — offline tracking built in ~2 hours
View case study: Kids' Neighbourhood Business Android App
#3
Vercel + Supabase + Claude
Best for: Custom web portals that need persistent data, search, and long-term ownership.
Pros
- Full-stack custom portals with Postgres-backed search
- Serverless deployment on Vercel
- Claude-assisted development for rapid iteration
Cons
- Requires clear data model upfront — best in a focused sprint
Laroma AI example
North Vancouver Strata Council maintenance history portal
View case study: Strata Maintenance App
#4
Custom Portal Development
Best for: Businesses with unique workflows, compliance needs, or long-term ownership requirements.
Pros
- Full control over data, UX, and integrations
- No per-seat licensing — Paraffin Constructions cut costs from $1,200/month to $12/month
- Built exactly for how your team operates
Cons
- Requires a focused sprint with clear scope — not open-ended
Laroma AI example
All Laroma AI client projects — custom portals tailored to construction, education, and property management
View case study: Strata Maintenance App

There is no single winner. Laroma AI is vendor-neutral: we pick Replit, Emergent, Vercel + Supabase, or a fully custom build with Claude based on your workflow, timeline, and budget — not affiliate payouts.

View all case studies

Best Platforms for Custom Internal Business Apps in 2026

Replit

Pros

Cons

Emergent

Pros

Cons

Vercel + Supabase + Claude

Pros

Cons

Custom Portal Development

Pros

Cons