An AI readiness audit that ends with a real plan.
Skip the 40-slide strategy deck. We map your workflows, score your stack, name the top 3–5 places AI actually moves the needle, and hand you fixed-price quotes the same week. Two flat-fee tiers. No retainer.
10+ Southern California small businesses audited and shipped on this stack since 2025.
You don’t need an AI strategy. You need to know what to build first.
Most “AI readiness” offers are loss-leaders for a six-figure consulting engagement. The deliverable is a slide deck full of frameworks. Six weeks later you still have no idea whether to build a chatbot, automate your follow-ups, or fire your CRM.
Our audit is the opposite. Flat fee. Real PDF. Specific tools, real cost estimates, and quotes you can act on immediately. If the right answer is “not yet,” we’ll say that too.
What lands in your inbox.
A 12-page PDF with a real scorecard, named tools, ranked opportunities, and fixed-price quotes. Formatted to forward to your accountant or your board without rewriting a word.
- → AI-readiness score across 8 dimensions
- → Top 5 use cases, ranked impact × feasibility
- → Risk + compliance flags called out
- → Fixed-price implementation quotes
Two flat fees. No retainer trap.
Start narrow with one workflow, or go broad with the full readiness scorecard. Either way: fixed price, fixed timeline, real deliverable.
Workflow Audit
flat fee · 7-day delivery
One workflow under the microscope. Pick the one that hurts most — calls, leads, scheduling, invoicing, support — we map it end-to-end and tell you exactly what AI can and can't fix.
- 60-min discovery call
- End-to-end workflow map (current state)
- Top 3 automation opportunities, ranked by ROI
- Specific tool recommendations (Claude vs GPT vs n8n vs custom)
- Fixed-price implementation quote if you want to proceed
- 1-page PDF deliverable + 30-min walkthrough
Full AI Readiness Audit
flat fee · 14-day delivery
Whole-business assessment. We score your data, your stack, your team, and your processes against real AI use cases. You leave with a 90-day roadmap and a defensible business case.
- Two discovery calls (operations + tech)
- Stack & data inventory (CRM, comms, docs, finance)
- AI readiness scorecard across 8 dimensions
- Top 5 use cases ranked by impact × feasibility
- Risk + compliance flags (PII, SOC, vendor lock-in)
- 12-page report + 60-min executive walkthrough
- Fixed-price quotes for the top 3 use cases
- Audit fee credited toward any project we ship together
Not sure which fits? Talk to Chad for 15 minutes — we’ll point you to the right tier even if it’s the cheaper one.
What an audit actually contains
Real artifacts, not framework slides. The full audit ships as a 12-page PDF you can hand to your accountant, your team, or your board.
- 01
Workflow inventory
Every repetitive process documented — who does it, how long it takes, where the handoffs break.
- 02
Stack & data scorecard
Your CRM, calendar, docs, comms, and finance tools graded on AI-readiness. Where automation slots in cleanly. Where it can't.
- 03
Risk + compliance flags
PII exposure, vendor lock-in, model-training opt-outs, SOC/HIPAA gotchas. We name what could bite you.
- 04
Use-case ranking
Each opportunity scored on impact × feasibility × cost. No 30-item wish lists. Top 3 to 5 you can actually ship.
- 05
Tool recommendations
Specific picks — Claude, GPT, Gemini, n8n, custom Node, FreeSWITCH — with reasons. We name names. We don't take vendor kickbacks.
- 06
Fixed-price quotes
If we recommend building something, you get a fixed scope and fixed price the same week. No retainer creep.
Kickoff to walkthrough in 7–14 days
Kickoff call
30–60 minutes. We learn your business, your team size, and what's actually broken. No pitch deck. No demo theater.
Stack & workflow review
We document your current systems, sit in on a real workflow if helpful, and ask the questions a builder asks — not the questions a strategy deck asks.
Report build
We write the audit. Real PDF, real specifics, real numbers. Workflow Audit ships in 7 days. Full Readiness Audit ships in 14.
Walkthrough call
We walk you through the report on a recorded call. You ask whatever. You leave with a clear yes/no/wait on each opportunity and fixed-price quotes if you want to ship.
Who this is for — and who it isn’t
Good fit
- You run a small business (2–50 employees) and you're tired of generic AI pitches.
- You've been burned by an agency that sold you software you couldn't operate.
- You want a defensible business case before you commit to building anything.
- You'd rather pay $497–$1,497 once than $5,000+/mo on a retainer.
Probably not a fit
- You're hunting for a $99 ChatGPT prompt pack. We're not that.
- You want a 50-page strategy deck with no implementation path. We don't write those.
- You expect us to recommend the most expensive option regardless of fit. We won't.
- You don't have time for a 60-minute call. The audit needs your input to be honest.
Common questions before booking
How is this different from a free 'AI strategy session' from an agency?
A free strategy session is a sales call. The agency walks away with leverage and you walk away with a slide deck. Our audits are paid, fixed-fee, and ship a written report you own. We're incentivized to be honest because we don't need a retainer to keep the lights on.
What if the audit tells me AI isn't the right move yet?
That's a valid outcome and we say it out loud. About 1 in 4 audits we run end with 'fix your data, fix your CRM, then revisit AI in 6 months.' You still leave with a prioritized list of non-AI fixes. No upsell pressure.
Can the audit fee be credited toward implementation?
Yes — the full $1,497 Readiness Audit fee is credited toward any project we ship together within 90 days. The Workflow Audit isn't credited because it's already priced as a loss-leader.
Who actually does the audit?
Chad McCluskey. The same person who builds the systems writes the audit. No junior consultant, no offshore contractor, no template generator dressed up as analysis.
Do I have to be in Orange County?
No. We run audits remotely across the US. We're based in South Orange County (San Clemente area), so SoCal clients get on-site visits if useful. Out-of-state is video calls + shared docs only.
How is this different from the Pacific City AI or surfcity.ai audits?
Similar productized format, sharper price, and we ship working software after — not just reports. Our deliverable includes fixed-price implementation quotes the same week, so you can act on the report immediately if you want to.
What data do you need access to?
For the Workflow Audit, usually nothing — we work from a 60-minute conversation. For the Full Readiness Audit, we ask for a read-only walkthrough of your CRM, your top 3 SaaS tools, and a sample of any docs/data you'd want AI to touch. Mutual NDA signed before anything sensitive moves.
Will my data be sent to OpenAI or anyone else?
Not during the audit. We don't run your data through any LLM as part of the analysis. If we recommend an LLM-backed system later, we always default to provider plans with no-train guarantees and explicit data residency.
Ready for an honest answer?
Pick a tier or just tell us what’s broken. We’ll point you to the right one — or tell you to skip the audit entirely.
Or call us directly: (949) 749-0001