We diagnose the problem first. Then we build the right fix around it.
We don't start with a product — we start with your problem. Then we find the right tools on the market, wire them together around how your business actually works, and only build from scratch when nothing out there genuinely fits. It starts with a free 30-minute call.
Book your free 30-minute callNo obligation. No sales pitch. Just a straight answer on whether AI can actually help you.
AI is useful. Figuring out where to use it isn't.
AI automation for UK small businesses starts here — you're not against it, you just haven't found a way in that fits a business your size.
You don't know where to start
Everyone says "use AI" but no one tells you which problem to point it at, or what's actually worth automating in a business like yours.
Enterprise consultants are out of reach
Six-figure budgets and six-month timelines are the wrong tool for the job. Start with what moves the needle now — build from there.
Off-the-shelf tools rarely fit on their own
Most AI tools solve part of the problem, for nobody in particular. The gap isn't the tools — it's knowing which ones, how to connect them, and where they fall short for a business like yours.
Three steps. No jargon. No risk.
We do the technical thinking. You just tell us what's slowing your business down.
Tell us your problem
Fill in a short form about where time, money or customers are slipping through the cracks. Plain English — no technical detail required.
We talk it through, free
On a free 30-minute call, we get into your actual problem. You leave with two things, whether or not you ever pay us: a straight answer on whether AI genuinely fits your business right now — including no — and the single problem most worth pointing it at first. The full written diagnosis and build plan come with a paid engagement.
We diagnose properly, then find the fix — market first, custom last
Once you choose a package, we deliver a full written diagnostic report. Then we look at what already exists: if a proven tool solves it, we say so. If a combination of tools wired together does the job, that's what we build around. Only when nothing on the market genuinely fits do we build custom — quoted separately, because building from scratch is a bigger job.
Start with the diagnosis
Every engagement starts the same way: a proper diagnosis. Sometimes that's all you need — and if the honest answer is that you don't need an AI system built, we'll tell you.
Diagnostic Report Only
A full written diagnosis and action plan. No AI system, no retainer. For when the real fix is strategic, not technical.
If you go on to a build tier, the diagnostic is included in that price — you don't pay twice.
Execution Support
Light-touch hands-on help actually running the plan — regular check-ins, review, accountability. Not an AI build, just consistent support implementing what the diagnosis recommends.
Ready to build? Three tiers, one honest price
Every tier includes the full diagnostic. A one-off build fee, then a small monthly fee to keep your system running, monitored and improved.
Starter
- Includes a full written diagnostic report
- One focused AI agent solving a single workflow problem
- Built from proven tools connected around your workflow — nothing reinvented
- Monthly monitoring & small fixes included
Growth
Most common- Includes a full diagnostic report, tailored across your team’s workflow
- Two to three connected agents working across departments
- Shared memory so agents hand off context, not just tasks
- Priority support & monthly performance review
Full Build
- Includes a comprehensive diagnostic report spanning every department
- The full agent system, tailored across your business
- Custom routing, memory and reporting built around you
- Dedicated support line & quarterly strategy session
Most builds connect proven existing tools — we charge for the diagnosis, integration, and reliability, not for reinventing technology that already works.
What a full system looks like
This is what a full agent system looks like at the top end — a coordinated team, not a chatbot. Smaller engagements use fewer pieces; the diagnosis decides how much of this you actually need.
What You're Actually Paying For
We don't build everything from scratch. Most solutions connect existing, proven tools — software already trusted at scale — working together through custom logic specific to your business.
Finding the right combination of tools takes real time. It's not as simple as picking one off a shelf — testing how different tools actually behave together, checking they're reliable under real conditions, and making sure they genuinely solve your specific problem is a significant part of the work, even before anything gets built.
What you're paying forThe diagnosis
Figuring out exactly what's needed.
The research & testing
Finding the right combination and proving it actually works.
The integration
Making separate tools work together reliably.
The ongoing reliability
When a tool changes, we fix it before it breaks your workflow.
- If an existing tool already solves 80% or more of your problem on its own, we'll tell you directly and recommend it — even if that means a smaller engagement than the tiers above.
- Sometimes nothing on the market fits. When no existing tool or combination of tools genuinely solves the problem, we offer a fully custom build instead — quoted separately as its own category, because building something from scratch is significantly more work than connecting tools that already exist.
Who you're talking to
Vital Automation is run by Dominic Walsh, based in Dorset. Every system we recommend is one Dominic has built and runs himself — including the automation running this business's own marketing behind the scenes. When you fill in the form, he reads it. When you book a call, he's the one on it. No account managers, no handoffs, no call centre.
Questions we get asked
How long does a build take?
A Starter build is typically live within two to three weeks of the diagnostic being agreed. Growth and Full Build systems usually take four to eight weeks depending on how many tools need connecting and testing. You'll get a realistic timeline in your diagnostic report — and if something slips, you'll hear it from us first.
Do you only work with businesses in Dorset?
No — we work with businesses across the UK. Calls are on the phone or video, and the systems we build run online, so location doesn't matter. Being Dorset-based just means you're dealing with a real person in the same time zone, not a call centre.
What tools do you actually use?
It depends entirely on your problem — that's the point of diagnosing first. Most builds connect proven, widely-used software your industry already trusts, wired together with custom logic specific to your business. If a single off-the-shelf tool solves 80% or more of your problem, we'll tell you to just buy that instead.
What if AI isn't the right answer for my business?
Then we'll say so, on the free call, and you've lost nothing but 30 minutes. If the diagnosis shows your real fix is strategic rather than technical, the Diagnostic Report Only option (£150–£250) gives you a written action plan without any AI build or retainer.
What does the monthly fee actually cover?
Monitoring, small fixes, and keeping your system running when the tools underneath it change — which they do. When a software update would quietly break your workflow, we fix it before you notice. It also covers your regular performance review, so the system improves rather than decays.
Am I locked into a contract?
No long lock-ins. The build fee is one-off, and the monthly retainer is rolling. If the system isn't earning its keep, you can walk away — though our aim is that the numbers make that an easy decision in the other direction.
Tell us what's going on
Two minutes, plain English. We'll read every word before your call.
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Pick a time for your free call
30 minutes, on the phone or on video. No prep needed on your end.
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