How to Buy AI
Eight vendor-neutral guides for Canadian businesses buying AI for the first time. Pick the right tools, evaluate vendors, set a realistic budget, hire the right consultant.
Start with the question on your mind
Three common buyer paths. Each lists the 3 guides we would walk first.
I am evaluating a tool
Start with the tool-selection and vendor-evaluation guides.
I am planning AI spend
Budget, hire decisions, and what to prioritize first.
I am picking my first project
Quick-win projects and automation-first decisions for SMBs.
All eight guides
Each guide is a 8-15 minute read with a HowTo-schema step-by-step process, FAQs, and links to the right service or free tool when you want help.
How to Choose AI Tools for Your Business
A repeatable, 7-step framework for picking the right AI tools, not the loudest ones.
How to Evaluate an AI Vendor
A 12-point checklist for evaluating any AI vendor, from foundation models to vertical SaaS, before you sign.
Questions to Ask Before Buying AI Software
The 18 questions every buyer should ask any AI vendor before signing, plus how to interpret the answers.
How to Budget for AI in a Small Business
Realistic AI budgets for Canadian SMBs by company size, plus the hidden costs most owners miss.
How to Hire an AI Consultant in Canada
A 7-step process for hiring an AI consultant in Canada: scoping, RFP, reference checks, and contract terms that matter.
AI Consultant vs AI Agency vs Freelancer
A side-by-side comparison of AI consultants, agencies, and freelancers, with a decision framework for picking the right one.
What AI Projects Should a Small Business Start With?
A simple framework for picking your first AI project as a Canadian small business: quick wins, sequencing, and what to avoid in year one.
What to Automate First With AI
A simple decision tree for picking your first AI automation: highest ROI, lowest risk, fastest to ship.
Why these guides exist
Most “how to buy AI” content online is written by vendors selling AI. The advice tilts toward what they sell. These guides are vendor-neutral: we do not resell AI platforms, take referral fees, or favour specific tools. The recommendations are scored against your needs, not ours.
Every guide includes Canadian compliance considerations (PIPEDA, provincial privacy law, AIDA-direction), real pricing benchmarks for Canadian SMBs and mid-market, and pointers to free tools when a tool is enough and to consulting services when human help fits.
If you want hands-on help running any of these processes, AI Vendor Selection Advisory, AI Procurement Support, and Monthly AI Advisory are the consulting layers above the guides.
Not sure which guide to start with?
Book a 30-minute call. We will point you to the right guide, the right tool, or the right consulting engagement, whichever actually fits.
Book a Discovery Call