ArchelMost AI advice ends with a tool you have to run
Buy the software, watch the tutorial, set up the automations, and keep them working while you are on a roof or on the shop floor. That is why most local businesses try AI once and go back to the phone. AI as a service takes the running off you.
What AI as a service looks like in a local business
The jobs that AI and automation do well for a small business are repetitive and time-sensitive. These are the ones we run.
Calls missed while you work
Every call you cannot answer gets a text within seconds and the conversation carries on until you are free.
Run as a serviceMissed-call text-back, replies in one inbox on your phone.
Customers never asked for a review
A request after every job and a one-off campaign to the years of past customers who were never asked.
Run as a serviceReview management system, within Google's rules.
Quotes that go quiet
Open quotes and new enquiries followed up by text and email on a schedule you agree, stopping the moment they reply.
Run as a serviceLead and quote follow-up, written in your voice.
A Google listing set up once and left
Categories, services, areas, photos and posts kept current so you keep ranking for the towns you serve.
Run as a serviceGoogle Business Profile optimised and maintained.
Enquiries arriving out of hours
Common questions answered on your website and by message when you are closed, with the enquiry waiting for you in the morning.
Run as a serviceEnquiry handling and chat, trained on your business.
A website that is a brochure
A page for every service and every town, connected to the systems above so a visit becomes a conversation.
Run as a serviceWebsite built to rank locally, kept up to date.
AIaaS against the other ways of getting AI into your business
Three honest options. The right one depends on whether you want to run it yourself.
| Buy the tools yourself | Hire an agency for a project | AI as a service (Archel) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets it up | You, from tutorials | The agency, once | We do, around how you take work |
| Who runs it month to month | You | You, after handover | We do |
| When something breaks | You find out when enquiries stop | A new quote | Fixed as part of the service |
| Commitment | Several subscriptions | Project fee up front | Flat monthly amount, no contract |
| Best for | Owners who enjoy the tech | A specific one-off build | Owners who want the result, not the admin |
Three ways to start
Growth System
The systems above, installed and run for you. The usual starting point for an owner-run business.
See the systemsAI Audit
A fixed-fee look at how your business runs and where AI would pay for itself, with a plan you own.
About the auditBespoke
When you already know what needs building and it does not exist off the shelf.
Bespoke buildsAn AI as a service company in London, working across the UK
Archel is based in London. The businesses we work with are roofers, flooring and carpet shops, kitchen and bathroom fitters, electricians, garages, clinics and studios across the UK. Setup is remote and onboarding is one call, so your postcode does not change how it works.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does AI as a service mean?
AI as a service, or AIaaS, means AI and automation delivered as a managed monthly service rather than software you buy and run yourself, or a one-off project you are left to maintain. Someone else installs it, runs it, fixes it and reports on it. You pay a flat monthly amount and you can stop.
How is AIaaS different from an AI agency?
An AI agency usually sells a project: a quote, a build, a handover. AI as a service keeps running after the build. The monthly fee covers the people and the tools that keep it working, so when a message template breaks or Google changes something, it is our problem, not yours.
What does AI as a service cost?
A flat monthly amount with no contract. We give you the figure on the call once we have seen what you need, because the price depends on which systems you take and how many locations you have, and a number on a page that may not apply to you is not much use.
Do I need to understand AI to use it?
No. You describe how your business takes work and we set the systems up around that. You get one inbox for enquiries on your phone and a short plain-English summary each month.
Is AIaaS only for big companies?
The opposite. Large companies have IT teams. AI as a service exists so a one-van roofer, a two-shop flooring retailer or a single clinic gets the same automation without hiring anyone or learning a platform.
What happens if I stop?
You stop paying and the systems stop running. Your Google listing, your customer list and your website stay yours. There are no hostage fees and no notice period beyond the month you are in.
Where are you based?
London, working with businesses across the UK. Most of the setup happens remotely and the onboarding is one call, so where you are makes no difference to how it works.
Find out what AI would do in your business
Twenty minutes. We look at how you take work today and tell you which of the systems would pay for itself first. If none would, we will say so.
Book a callRead more: AI as a service for local businesses, explained.