Claude consulting

Claude consulting for small businesses: setup, pricing and how to choose a consultant

WorkAhead offers Claude consulting for small businesses. John Dietrich, an independent Claude consultant, finds the work Claude should take on, then sets it up inside the tools your business already uses, done for you, with a person approving everything before it goes out. Start with the $295 business check; setups start from $1,995.

By John Dietrich, WorkAhead. Updated

Start with the business check →

What does a Claude consultant do for a small business?

A Claude consultant picks the first work worth handing to Claude, connects Claude to your software, writes the approval rules with your team and trains your people to use it.

At WorkAhead that means five systems: skills that draft in your voice, connections to your software, scheduled and event-driven tasks, memory of your clients and decisions, and approval rules with a record of who approved what. Training and a written playbook are included. See what a Claude implementation includes.

When does a small business need a Claude consultant?

When the same work repeats every week across several tools, your team has Claude seats but uses them for one-off chats, or nobody has time to set Claude up and write the rules.

If you aren’t sure what to hand off first, the $295 business check ranks your repeat tasks by the hours they take, so the setup starts in the right place.

How much does a Claude consultant cost?

At WorkAhead, the business check is $295, fixed, and setups start from $1,995, one time. Your proposal is priced on the size of your business and the software involved.

WorkAhead charges no monthly fee for a setup. Anthropic bills your Claude plan separately, per seat, with a two-seat minimum on the Team plan. Current plan prices are at claude.com/pricing, and the full breakdown is on our pricing page.

Is there a monthly fee or retainer?

No. A WorkAhead setup is a one-time price, with no monthly fee and no retainer. You buy your Claude plan from Anthropic directly, so seat charges go to Anthropic, not to us.

Should I hire an independent Claude consultant or a firm from Anthropic’s directory?

Anthropic’s service partner directory lists certified firms you can filter by company size and budget. WorkAhead isn’t in that directory: it is one independent Claude consultant, John Dietrich, who does the work himself.

WorkAhead isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic. Compare both kinds of help with the questions below.

How do I choose a Claude consultant?

Ask who does the work, what is agreed in writing before you pay, who approves what goes out, who keeps what is built and what it costs to start.

How to compare Claude consultants

Question to askWorkAhead's answer
Who does the work?John Dietrich, the person on your first call, builds and hands over the setup.
What is agreed in writing first?A proposal priced on the size of your business and the software involved, which you approve before we start.
Who approves what goes out?A person on your team approves each message before it goes out.
Who keeps what is built?You do: the Claude Projects, skills, connectors, drafting rules and setup notes.
Does it connect to our software?Yes: a Claude connector where one exists, otherwise Composio or a custom connector built on the software’s API.
What does it cost to start?$295 for the business check; setups start from $1,995, one time.
Are you affiliated with Anthropic?No. WorkAhead is independent, and you buy your Claude plan from Anthropic.

Will a Claude consultant connect Claude to the software we already use?

Yes. WorkAhead connects Claude to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, QuickBooks, HubSpot, Slack and industry systems such as AppFolio, Yardi, Jobber and MyCase, through a Claude connector, Composio or a custom connector.

The business check lists every tool you use and how Claude would connect to each one.

How does a person stay in control of what Claude does?

Before anything is put to work, you agree who reviews each kind of output, how exceptions reach a person and what Claude is allowed to do. A person approves each message before it goes out.

Does WorkAhead use Claude Code?

Yes, where a setup needs it. When a setup needs a custom connector or script, John builds it with Claude Code, and your team uses the result inside Claude.

Who is the Claude consultant behind WorkAhead?

John Dietrich. He started WorkAhead, does the Claude setup work himself and is based in Central Mississippi, working remotely with businesses anywhere in the US.

John uses Claude every day. He has 13 scheduled tasks that operate on their own every week, and his tracked hourly data over more than a year shows Claude saves him more than 30% of his time, and up to 50% on tasks where he built a skill. More about John Dietrich.

How does Claude consulting with WorkAhead start?

It starts with a short questionnaire and a $295 business check, then a written proposal you approve before any setup work begins.

  1. Send the questionnaire. We reply with a short intake form. No passwords or account access.
  2. Get the $295 business check: a written report and a 30-day plan.
  3. Approve the proposal, priced on the size of your business and the software involved.
  4. Setup: Claude inside your tools, approval rules written with you, and training for your team.

Which businesses does WorkAhead work with?

Owner-operated small businesses across the US. There are pages for property management companies, professional firms, electricians and dental clinics.

Sources: Claude plans and pricing, What is the Team plan?, Claude service partners, Introducing Claude for Small Business

WorkAhead is independent and not affiliated with Anthropic. Product names belong to their owners.