Frequently asked questions

ActiveHub is designed for small and medium businesses that need experienced AI, automation and technology judgement without building a large internal AI or technology function.

These businesses are often large enough for AI, automation and software decisions to matter, but too small to justify dedicated internal AI, technology strategy or procurement expertise.

The consulting approach is therefore designed around the realities of smaller firms: limited management time, practical budgets, existing systems that may not be perfect, and a need for proportionate rather than enterprise-scale analysis.

No.

You can come to ActiveHub with a business problem, opportunity, supplier proposal, process, concern or decision. You do not need to know whether AI, automation, different software—or no new technology at all—is the answer.

In many engagements, deciding what kind of solution is appropriate is part of the work.

Yes.

You do not need an AI strategy, a list of use cases or prior technical knowledge before speaking to ActiveHub.

An engagement can start by helping you understand what is relevant to your business, where useful opportunities may exist, what risks matter and which questions deserve further investigation.

The first useful outcome may simply be clarity about where to focus—and where not to.

Yes.

Existing use can be reviewed to understand whether it is producing useful results, whether employees are using tools consistently and appropriately, whether risks are being managed, and whether further investment makes sense.

ActiveHub can also assess pilots, existing automations, current software, supplier performance or the next decision after something has already been introduced.

Yes.

Many engagements focus on one defined decision, process, proposed use case, supplier, software product, risk or investment.

You do not need a business-wide AI programme to justify getting expert input on one decision that matters.

For examples of the kinds of questions ActiveHub can take on, see Typical Missions.

ActiveHub helps small and medium businesses make better decisions about AI, automation and related technology.

That can involve understanding a business problem, investigating realistic options, assessing processes, comparing tools or suppliers, examining costs and risks, challenging assumptions, prioritising opportunities and recommending what should happen next.

The outcome is informed judgement and a practical recommendation—not software development or implementation.

No.

ActiveHub does not develop software, create custom applications, build automations or become the technical implementation provider.

That separation is deliberate. It means the recommendation does not need to create a development project for ActiveHub in order to be commercially worthwhile.

If implementation is appropriate, it can be carried out internally or by a suitable external provider.

No.

ActiveHub can assess whether a tool is appropriate, compare alternatives, examine supplier proposals, define requirements and help management make the decision.

We do not configure accounts, connect systems, deploy software or operate the technology on your behalf.

Advice and implementation remain separate.

Yes.

ActiveHub can compare existing software, general-purpose AI tools, specialist products, platforms and potential suppliers against your actual business requirements.

The comparison can consider capability, cost, usability, risk, dependencies, integration requirements, supplier claims and the consequences of choosing one option over another.

The purpose is not to produce the longest comparison table. It is to determine which options deserve serious consideration and why.

Yes.

You can ask ActiveHub to independently review a supplier proposal, quotation or proposed solution before you commit.

We can examine the scope, assumptions, claimed benefits, costs, dependencies, risks and questions that may still need answering.

Where useful, ActiveHub can also help prepare for supplier discussions or compare competing proposals.

Yes, where independent oversight is useful.

ActiveHub can review whether the work being proposed or delivered remains consistent with the business objective, agreed scope and expected outcome.

That can include reviewing progress, supplier decisions, pilot results or the value achieved after implementation.

ActiveHub does not take over the implementation. The role remains independent assessment and judgement.

No.

ActiveHub does not have a preferred platform that needs to appear in every recommendation.

A widely known AI product, specialist application, existing software, conventional automation or no new tool at all may be the right answer depending on the situation.

The technology follows the business requirement—not the other way around.

No.

ActiveHub does not take supplier commissions for recommending one solution or provider over another.

Our commercial interest is the consulting engagement itself, not which vendor ultimately receives your technology spend.

That separation is an important part of the independence model.

Then that is the recommendation.

The right answer may be to keep the current process, make better use of existing software, simplify something first, delay the decision, run a limited test or take no further action.

A consulting engagement does not need to result in a technology purchase to have been useful.

Yes.

Before recommending another subscription or product, it often makes sense to understand what your existing systems can already do.

If you are already paying for an adequate capability, using it better may be more sensible than introducing another tool.

The aim is the appropriate solution, not the maximum number of products.

Yes.

Independence does not mean assuming that suppliers are wrong.

Your existing provider may know your systems extremely well and may have proposed exactly the right solution.

ActiveHub's role is different: to represent the business decision, ask the questions that need asking, assess the available evidence and provide an independent view.

Start by telling us what is happening in your business and what you are trying to understand, improve or decide.

You do not need to prepare a technical specification or select an engagement in advance.

We will consider the question, the context and the level of investigation likely to be required, then determine the most appropriate next step.

It depends on the question you need answered.

Some situations can be addressed through a focused expert consultation. Others require investigation of a specific process, opportunity, supplier or proposed investment. Broader questions may justify a business-wide assessment or strategic plan.

The objective is to match the scope to the decision—not to sell the largest engagement available.

Only what is reasonably necessary to understand and investigate the question.

Depending on the engagement, that may include discussions with owners or employees, descriptions of current processes, examples of documents or workflows, information about existing software, supplier proposals, relevant costs or other business context.

You do not need to prepare a perfect information pack before making contact.

Where information is missing, identifying what needs to be understood may itself be part of the work.

No.

Small-business processes are often partly documented, inconsistently followed or simply understood by the people doing the work.

That does not prevent an assessment.

In fact, understanding how work actually happens—as opposed to how it is assumed to happen—can be important when assessing whether a process should be improved, automated or left alone.

The output depends on the question and agreed scope.

It may include findings, an assessment, a comparison of options, prioritised opportunities, supplier evaluation, cost or ROI analysis, recommendations, a roadmap, decision criteria, risk controls or another practical consulting deliverable.

Whatever the format, the purpose is the same: you should understand what ActiveHub found, what it means and what we recommend you do next.

That depends on the recommendation and what you want to do with it.

You may decide to stop there, act internally, engage an external supplier, test an idea, postpone the decision or ask ActiveHub to remain involved in an independent review capacity.

There is no requirement to create another ActiveHub engagement.

The work is complete when you have the clarity and recommendation you commissioned.

The AI Expert Consultation is €350 for 60 minutes.

Other defined consulting engagements have published starting prices because the exact fixed fee depends on the scope required.

Current pricing and engagement options are available on the Pricing page.

Not as the public commercial model.

ActiveHub uses defined engagements with an agreed scope and fixed price.

The consultation is sold as a 60-minute session. Broader work is priced according to the investigation and deliverables required rather than exposing the client to an open-ended hourly or daily meter.

The AI Expert Consultation is a focused 60-minute session for a defined question, decision or situation where direct expert input may be enough.

It can be useful when you want to explore an issue, test your thinking, understand options, challenge a proposed direction or obtain an independent second opinion without commissioning a larger assessment.

If the question requires substantial research or investigation outside the session, a different engagement may be more appropriate.

The type of engagement can be standardised while the amount of work required still varies.

A supplier evaluation involving one straightforward proposal is different from comparing several complex solutions. Assessing one process is different from examining an entire business.

The final fixed fee reflects factors such as breadth, depth, complexity, research required, interaction with your team and the deliverables agreed.

Once the scope is defined, you know the price for that scope.

The agreed fixed fee covers the agreed scope.

If something material emerges that would significantly expand the work, we will identify it rather than quietly turning it into additional unplanned effort or an unexpected bill.

Any material scope expansion should be agreed before the additional work proceeds.

Yes.

ActiveHub can assess how AI is being used or proposed, identify where personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information may be involved, examine relevant risks and help management understand what controls or further specialist input may be appropriate.

We can also help assess risk alongside business value rather than treating every AI use as equally sensitive.

Where a question requires formal legal, regulatory or specialist cybersecurity advice, that expertise remains separate.

Yes.

ActiveHub can help define practical rules around which AI uses are acceptable, what information employees should not enter into AI systems, which tools require approval, where human review is required and how new AI tools should be assessed.

For a small business, the aim is proportionate control—not unnecessary enterprise bureaucracy.

No.

ActiveHub can help identify AI, data, privacy, governance and compliance questions that matter from a business and technology perspective.

We can assess practical risk, identify areas of uncertainty and help you understand where specialist legal input may be necessary.

But ActiveHub is not a law firm and does not replace qualified legal advice.

No.

Those specialists have different responsibilities and expertise.

ActiveHub can help management understand the business and technology context, identify the questions that need answering and coordinate those considerations within a wider decision.

Where specialist advice is required, the appropriate specialist should provide it.