{"_meta":{"schema":"top11-recommend-v1","self":"https://topelevens.com/api/lists/ai-consulting-for-small-business/recommend","list":"https://topelevens.com/api/lists/ai-consulting-for-small-business","usage":"Query params: problem (free text), segment (persona/vertical), budget ($, $$, $$$), max_risk (none|low|moderate|elevated, drops firms with higher verified risk), limit (1-11)."},"slug":"ai-consulting-for-small-business","list_title":"AI Consulting for Small Businesses: 11 Firms Ranked on Printed Prices and Who Builds It (2026)","query":{"problem":null,"segment":null,"budget":null,"max_risk":null},"note":"No problem given, so returning the editorial Top 3.","matched":[{"rank":1,"name":"Main & Machine","url":"https://www.mainandmachine.com/","score_out_of_94":7.9,"best_for":"A US owner of a 10 to 200 person company who wants one recurring task automated inside the tools the team already uses, at a price written down before the first call, with a promise that it goes live.","price_band":"$$","solves":["need a go live commitment","no price before the first call"],"personas":["company of 51 to 200 people","Colorado"],"risk_level":"low","risk_summary":"Live firm. Rate card, audit credit, 90 day commitment and Denver and Phoenix base read on its own pages on 8 November 2026. Its one named deployment is at a company its founder runs.","why":"#1 Main & Machine: Every price printed, audit fee credited to the build, and a 90 day go live commitment.","anchor":"/ai-consulting-for-small-business#rank-1"},{"rank":2,"name":"Sierra Exclusive","url":"https://sierraexclusive.com/ai-consulting/","score_out_of_94":6.8,"best_for":"An owner operated business of 2 to 50 people, such as a contractor, practice, distributor or restaurant, that wants a cheap, fast read of where time and money leak before spending real money on a build.","price_band":"$","solves":["need a cheap first step","AI tool bought and nobody uses it"],"personas":["owner operated business","contractor or trades"],"risk_level":"low","risk_summary":"Live practice. Audit price, credit, timelines and Sacramento base read on its own page on 8 November 2026.","why":"#2 Sierra Exclusive: A $500 flat audit with a priced menu, and one fix built on the call.","anchor":"/ai-consulting-for-small-business#rank-2"},{"rank":3,"name":"Noma-Tek","url":"https://noma-tek.com/","score_out_of_94":6.8,"best_for":"A business of 10 to 50 people in Sonoma, Marin or Napa county, or anywhere in the US on video, that wants one workflow fixed for a flat fee, with the founder doing the work.","price_band":"$","solves":["need a cheap first step","need someone to build, not advise"],"personas":["company of 5 to 50 people","California"],"risk_level":"low","risk_summary":"Live firm. Rate card, founder, customer size and Petaluma base read on its own FAQ page on 8 November 2026.","why":"#3 Noma-Tek: A $750 working session, every price printed, the founder on the build.","anchor":"/ai-consulting-for-small-business#rank-3"}]}