Insights
Research and guides
What I learn from testing AI assistants, auditing follow-up and building systems for clients, written up so you can use it without hiring anyone.
The after-hours gap
860 Chicago small business websites tested: 64% offer no way to book, chat or text when nobody is there to answer.
Read →Original researchWhat AI consulting and automation cost in 2026
Rates and minimums from 199 Chicago-area AI firms, plus verified prices for 18 AI tools. Most firms won't start under $10,000.
Read →Original researchHow ChatGPT picks local businesses
42 AI searches across 10 Chicago-area towns: how low the review bar is, why reviews are not enough, and why ChatGPT and Gemini disagree.
Read →ChecklistAI visibility checklist for local businesses
The 12 things that decide whether ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI can recommend your business, in order of impact.
Read →Research summarySpeed to lead: what the research says
Why the first hour decides most deals, what the Harvard study actually found, and how to get response times under a minute.
Read →GlossaryAI glossary
71 AI terms in plain English: LLMs, tokens, embeddings, vector memory, RAG, AI agents, MCP, hallucinations, GEO and AI search.
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