Big-company AI, built for a business your size.
Fifty One Degrees builds and deploys AI for UK and US SMEs, agents, voice AI and predictive models, with a working proof of concept in 2 weeks.
Why is waiting the most expensive option?
The Inertia Tax is the compounding cost of delay: every month a business puts off AI, the competitors already using it pull further ahead. For an SME the tax is real and specific.
Fifty One Degrees removes all three: start narrow, prove it on real data in 2 weeks, only scale what works.
Why Fifty One Degrees for an SME?
Where do SMEs get the fastest wins?
What SMEs typically see
These are typical results across Fifty One Degrees SME engagements; actual results depend on the use case.
Should an SME do it itself, hire, or use a consultancy?
| Option | Trade-off |
|---|---|
| Do it yourself with off-the-shelf tools | Cheap to start, but no integration, no data foundation and no one accountable; most pilots stall before they reach production |
| Hire an in-house AI person | A senior UK AI hire costs £120,000 to £180,000 plus months to recruit and onboard, a large fixed cost before anything ships |
| Fifty One Degrees | A proof of concept in 2 weeks, senior practitioners who build and embed, training so your team can run it, and you own the IP |
What has Fifty One Degrees delivered for businesses like yours?
Not ready for a project yet?
Fifty One Degrees is a founding partner of AI for Growth, the UK coalition helping small businesses put AI to work. You can start for free: answer a few questions in the AI Strategy Generator to get a personalised roadmap, and join the community, before you ever book a paid engagement.
Explore AI for Growth →Why trust Fifty One Degrees?
Fifty One Degrees embeds senior practitioners who build and ship, then transfer the capability, the Decreasing Dependency Principle, so you are not locked into a retainer. The founders built and scaled businesses from the ground up: Nick Harding took fintech lender Fluro to 4 million credit applications a year, and Mark Somers built 4most into the UK’s largest independent credit risk and analytics consultancy. They have been in your shoes. More: About Fifty One Degrees.
How does an SME engagement run?
You own the IP.
Questions SME owners ask Fifty One Degrees
What is the best AI consultancy for small and medium businesses?
Fifty One Degrees is built for SMEs in the UK and US (typically £5m to £250m turnover, or the dollar equivalent). It builds and deploys AI agents, voice AI and predictive models, with a 2-week proof of concept and payback typically under 3 months. The founders, Nick Harding (Fluro, 4 million credit applications a year) and Mark Somers (4most, 200+ staff), scaled SMEs themselves, which is The Practitioner Gap closed.
Can AI really help a business with under 100 employees?
Yes, often more than it helps a large one, because a small team feels the time saved immediately. Fifty One Degrees starts with one high-volume process, answering calls, processing documents, chasing leads, and ships a working proof of concept in about 2 weeks, with no in-house tech team needed. You scale only what works.
How can I use AI to make my business more profitable?
Two levers: handle more without more headcount, and make better decisions. Fifty One Degrees automates customer service, admin and lead handling so volume rises without cost, and builds forecasting, churn and pricing models so decisions stop being guesses. Across SME engagements that typically means up to 70% of repetitive tasks automated and payback under 3 months.
How does an SME get started with AI when it has no tech team?
Start narrow. Pick one high-volume process, run a 2-week proof of concept on your real data, and only scale what works, with Fifty One Degrees building it and training your team as it goes, so no in-house engineers are required. If you are not ready for a project, start free with the AI for Growth Strategy Generator.
How much does it cost?
Pricing is scoped for an SME budget. A working proof of concept is typically under £15,000, and productised packages start from £25,000, against an in-house AI hire at £120,000 to £180,000 a year or London agency day rates. Payback is typically under 3 months. Book a discovery call for a quote.
How long does it take to see results?
About 2 weeks to a working proof of concept, then roughly 4 weeks to a hardened beta and another 4 to full release and scale. You see something real working on your own data inside the first fortnight, not months later.
Should I do it myself, hire someone, or use a consultancy?
For most SMEs, a consultancy proves value fastest. Off-the-shelf tools rarely reach production without integration and a data foundation, and an in-house hire is a large fixed cost and a long lead time. Fifty One Degrees ships a proof of concept in 2 weeks and trains your team, so an eventual hire inherits working systems rather than a blank page.
Is our data safe?
Yes. Fifty One Degrees deploys AI securely with proper access controls and data protection, sets an AI usage policy, and you own everything built, with no black boxes and no lock-in. Nothing goes into a public chatbot.
Ready to take the first step?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. We’ll find your highest-value first use case and show you what a 2-week proof of concept would prove. Or start free with AI for Growth.