Methodology
This page explains how the guides on smbai.guide are made, so you can decide how much weight to give them. The short version: guides are researched and drafted with AI, prices come from vendors' own pages, and every guide shows when it was last updated.
How a guide is made
Each guide goes through the same steps:
- The business. Research on how that kind of business runs: where its time and money go, its busy seasons, and the rules it works under.
- The tools. Research on the AI and software tools that fit those problems, including what each one does and what it costs.
- The plan. The tools are put in order: what to start with for free or cheaply, what to add once that works, and what only makes sense at a larger size.
- The guide. The plan is written up as a guide, with setup steps and prompts you can copy.
AI models do the research and drafting in each step. Rowan Kessler, the pen name of the site's editor, chooses the business types, sets the standards and runs the process. New guides are not checked line by line by a person before they go live, so errors can get through. When one is found, the guide is corrected and its updated date changes.
Where prices come from
Prices are taken from each vendor's own pricing page when a guide is written, and rechecked when it is refreshed. Some vendors only quote on request; the guide says so rather than guess. Prices change often, so check the vendor's site before you buy. The dates at the top of each guide show when it was published and last updated.
What the ratings mean
Star ratings are an editorial judgment of how well a tool fits that business type, based on its features, price, setup effort and what public reviews say. They are not the result of lab tests, and the guides don't claim the tools were tested hands-on unless a guide says so for a specific tool.
What the ROI estimates assume
ROI boxes are rough illustrations, not promises. Each one takes a monthly tool cost and adds up hours saved (times an hourly rate) and any extra revenue the guide assumes. Your numbers will differ, so treat them as a way to check whether a tool could pay for itself in your business.
How guides are kept current
Guides are refreshed on a rolling schedule. A refresh rechecks prices, product names and facts, fixes what has changed and updates the guide's date.
Affiliate links
Some tool links are affiliate links, so the site may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you. Whether a tool has an affiliate program doesn't decide whether it is recommended or how it is rated. More on the about page.