ROI Calculator

What's your admin time really costing you? Calculate the true cost — and see what you'd save with AI automation.

Step 1: Your Direct Admin Cost

Calculate what you're spending on manual admin work today. Include everyone who does admin tasks — even if it's not their primary role.

How many people do admin work?Include yourself, office managers, assistants, anyone who touches admin

Average hours per person per week on adminEmail, scheduling, invoicing, data entry, follow-ups, filing

Average loaded hourly cost ($)Salary + benefits + overhead. If unsure, use $30-50 for admin, $75-150 for owner time

Step 2: Your Hidden Costs (Opportunity Cost)

Admin time doesn't just cost you wages — it costs you the revenue you could be earning instead.

Leads per month that go unanswered or get slow follow-upBe honest — how many slip through the cracks?

Average value of a closed deal ($)Your typical project or annual client value

Lead-to-close conversion rate (%)If you don't know, 10-20% is typical for service businesses

Monthly invoices that are late (>30 days)How many clients regularly pay late?

Average late invoice amount ($)

Your Results

Total Annual Cost of Manual Admin

$36,400

Direct Labor Cost / Year

$27,000

Lost Revenue / Year (Dropped Leads)

$6,000

Cash Flow Impact / Month (Late Payments)

Step 3: Compare Your Options

Hire a Full-Time Admin

$45,000

Salary + benefits + overhead / year

Works 8 hrs/day, 5 days/week
Needs training, vacation, sick time
Can't work nights/weekends
Ongoing cost — never stops

AI Admin Assistant$5,000-$8,000
One-time build + ~$100-200/mo operating
Works 24/7/365
Responds in minutes, not hours
No vacation, no sick days
Scales without adding headcount

Breakeven Analysis

AI automation saves approximately

60-80%

Your estimated annual savings

$21,840 - $29,120

Breakeven on a $5,000 build

~10 weeks

5-year net savings vs. hiring

$175,000+

The Bottom Line

Most small businesses are spending 15-25% of their payroll on work that AI can handle faster and more reliably. The question isn't whether you can afford AI automation — it's whether you can afford not to.

The businesses that automate first get a compounding advantage: faster lead response, faster payments, more time for growth, and lower overhead. Every month you wait, you're paying the "manual admin tax."

See What This Looks Like for Your Business

Book a free 30-minute call. We'll walk through your specific numbers and show you exactly what we'd automate first.

Book a Discovery Call