Anthracite AI

Notes from the field.

What worked, what didn't, and what it cost to find out.

2026-08-197 min
You're not behind on AI. You're leaving money on the table.Most owners are already using AI somewhere. Far fewer have put it inside a process — and that gap, not budget or talent, is where the money is sitting.
2026-08-196 min
What does AI consulting actually cost a small business?Almost nobody in this category publishes a number. Here's ours, what moves it up or down, and how to tell whether a quote you've been given is fair.
2026-08-197 min
Where AI actually pays in a home-services businessWe built an AI receptionist that answered live plumbing calls. Here's what earned its keep, what didn't, and the one number that decides whether it's worth it for you.
2026-08-035 min
Everyone is quoting the 95% stat wrong.The most-repeated number in AI isn't about your business — and what it actually measured is worse news for consultants than for owners.
2026-08-036 min
58% say they use AI. 17.7% actually pay for it.A survey and 4.6 million bank accounts tell two different stories about small-business AI — and the gap between them is where the money is.