How much should mid-market companies budget for AI?
AI budget should be a modest share of revenue weighted toward operating-model work rather than tool spend. Companies that load up on tools before redesigning workflow can buy faster than the team can adopt.
The short answer.
AI budget should be a modest share of revenue weighted toward operating-model work rather than tool spend. Companies that load up on tools before redesigning workflow can buy faster than the team can adopt.
For the question one level down, what AI consulting itself costs by the hour, by the project, and on retainer, see the market-rate breakdown below.
Set a budget against a named operating metric, not against a tool wish list. Decide the outcome you are buying first, then size the spend to it.
How Aegis approaches this.
Aegis Boardroom's answer is shaped by three frameworks. Truth Architecture: recommendations are designed to be source-traced. Confidence Contract: recommendations are mapped to the canonical Aegis confidence states (I Know / I Think / I'm Inferring / I Don't Know). Life Integrity Engine: recommendations that may increase irreversible-harm risk are flagged for refusal or human review, not softened.
The fastest path is the AI Readiness Assessment: it returns a confidence-mapped band for your specific situation. From there, the Quick Win Plan or a deeper engagement scopes the right paid Aegis next step.
Frequently asked questions.
Is there a number I should aim for?
Less a fixed number than a split. A modest share of revenue, weighted toward operating-model work rather than tool spend, holds up better than chasing a benchmark percentage.
Why not just buy the tools and figure out the rest later?
Because you can buy faster than your team can adopt. Loading up on tools before redesigning the workflow leaves you paying for capability nobody's using yet.
Where should most of the budget actually go?
Toward the operating-model work: redesigning how the work flows. Tool spend matters less than making sure the team can actually use what you buy.