Before you spend on tools or projects, decide where AI will make a measurable difference, what it will cost and who owns it. A short, practical strategy phase for owners and leadership teams.
Signals
AI strategy: A short set of decisions about where a business will use AI, in what order, at what cost and under which rules, based on an assessment of its processes, data and people.
Not every business needs a formal strategy. If one process clearly costs you the most time, go straight to fixing it. A strategy phase pays off when one of these is true:
Readiness
Readiness is less about technology than about whether the business can absorb a change. We look at five areas:
| Area | Question | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Process clarity | Can someone describe how the work is done today? | Every person does it differently |
| Data access | Is the information in systems we can reach? | Key data lives in personal inboxes or on paper |
| Tools | Do your core systems allow integration? | No integrations and no export |
| Ownership | Who will own each workflow after launch? | Nobody has time or authority |
| Risk appetite | What may never go wrong? | No agreement on where review is required |
Prioritization
Every candidate process gets scored on four questions. A simple 1 to 5 scale is enough; the discussion matters more than the decimals.
Start with high value, low risk and high readiness. Park high-risk ideas until the team has experience with simpler ones. The method is explained step by step in the guide on finding automation opportunities.
Deliverables
It fits on a few pages. A roadmap that needs a workshop to explain will not be followed.
Budget
AI costs fall into five categories. Budgeting for only the first one is the most common mistake.
Hoogland Strategy prices the strategy phase upfront: a $595 Business Strategy Session for one focused question, or a written quote for a broader assessment.
Management
Once AI is in use, someone has to keep an eye on it. For a small business that doesn't need a committee, just three habits:
John can take on the review role as an ongoing advisor, or set it up so your own team runs it.
Engagement models
Start small. Every engagement begins with a conversation, and nothing larger starts without a written scope.
A short conversation to understand your business and see whether there is a fit. You'll know whether and how AI can help, and what a sensible next step looks like.
A structured 60-minute working session on one decision. Works well as a first AI opportunity assessment: bring the process or question, leave with a written action plan.
A defined automation or integration, built and launched with your team. Scope, timeline and price are agreed in a written proposal before any work starts.
A senior partner for the longer term. Regular reviews of what is running, the next priorities on the roadmap and support for your team and vendors.
The Business Strategy Session is $595 flat. Implementation projects are quoted in writing after scoping. Ongoing advisory is billed monthly or hourly, always agreed upfront.
Don't see your question? Call John directly: +31 20 261 4967
The strategy is the set of choices: where to use AI, what not to do, under which rules. The roadmap turns those choices into an ordered list with owners, costs and dates.
For one focused question, a single 60-minute Strategy Session with a written action plan. A broader assessment across several teams is scoped and quoted in writing.
No. Part of the assessment is finding out which data is usable now. Many good first projects work with email and documents you already have.
Yes, where it helps, with the reasoning and running costs. The aim is to use what you already pay for first.
Yes. John builds the automations himself, so the strategy and implementation stay connected.
Free · 20 minutes · no obligation
What happens next
You tell John where it hurtsTwo minutes. Pick the challenge that matters most.
John replies personallyWithin one business day, to set a time on Zoom or Teams (US Eastern).
Free 20-minute AI Discovery CallYou'll know whether AI fits, and what a sensible first step is.
Want a structured assessment right away? Book the Business Strategy Session ($595).