What AI costs and whether it's worth it: budgets, free tiers, and where the payoff comes from.
For most small businesses, getting started with AI costs little to nothing. The main tools have free tiers, and paid plans usually run about $20 to $30 per user per month. The real cost is the time to learn what works. Custom automations or done-for-you systems cost more, but only make sense once a simple, free test has proven the use.
For most small businesses, yes, but only if you start small and tie it to a real task. The cost of trying is low (often free), and even one repetitive task handled faster can pay for itself. It's not worth it if you buy lots of tools with no plan. Start with one win, then expand.