Everyone quotes their price in a different unit, which makes comparison hard on purpose. Here is everything converted to an annual number for a business doing under $2M.
The cost table
| Option | Typical price | Annual cost | Decisions supported per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent consultant, 2 hrs/mo | $250/hr | $6,000 | ~24 |
| Specialist consultant project | $20,000 | $20,000 | 1 build |
| Business coach | $900/mo | $10,800 | ~24 |
| Peer group | $1,100/mo | $13,200 | ~12 |
| Fractional COO, quarter time | $5,000/mo | $60,000 | Continuous |
| AI advisor for owners | $97/mo | $1,164 | Unlimited |
Cost per decision
The consultant at $6,000 a year across roughly two dozen supported decisions costs about $250 each, and only in the window they are available. The subscription at $1,164 across sixty decisions costs about $19 each, at whatever hour the decision shows up. That gap is the entire argument, and it holds until the decision needs a licensed human, at which point cost per decision stops mattering.
The break even nobody calculates
Take one mispriced recurring job: 30 minutes of unbilled work per visit, twice a month, at a $130 effective rate. That is $1,560 a year on one account. One correction pays for the year.
When the expensive option is correct
Turnarounds, litigation, sale of the business, a lender who wants a person's name on the plan, or any build you genuinely do not have hands for. Pay for those. Stop paying $250 an hour for opinions.
Try it on the decision in front of you
Bring the thing you are actually stuck on. You will get a grounded answer with real numbers and a next step, not a discovery call. Start a 7-day free trial or see pricing.