AI changes fast. New tools, new techniques, new risks. The retainer gives you a dedicated senior practitioner who stays current so you don’t have to — at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
A set number of dedicated hours applied to whatever your AI needs are that month. Ongoing prompt optimization as your workflows evolve. New automations as your business grows. Monitoring and improvement of existing AI systems. Emerging tool and threat intelligence relevant to your operations. A monthly report covering what was done, what’s performing, and what opportunities exist for the next cycle.
AI is not a one-time implementation. Models update. New tools emerge. Prompts that worked last quarter get stale. Security risks evolve. The businesses that get the most out of AI are the ones with someone consistently paying attention to it.
A full-time AI hire costs $80,000–$150,000 per year. A retainer with Black Ledger gives you senior practitioner access for a fraction of that, with no overhead, no benefits, and no long-term commitment beyond the monthly agreement.
Businesses that have already implemented AI systems and want to keep improving them. Teams that want AI advisory without the cost of a dedicated hire. Organizations that need someone to stay current on AI developments and translate them into practical action. Any client who has completed a project engagement and wants to maintain and expand what we built together.
Three retainer clients at $2,000 per month is $72,000 per year recurring. For your business, one retainer relationship means a dedicated AI partner for $24,000 per year — vs. a full-time hire at $100,000+. The value compounds every month as your systems improve and your team gets more effective.
$1,000–$2,000 per month for small businesses (10 hours of dedicated work). $3,000–$5,000 per month for mid-size companies or broader scope (15 to 20 hours). Month-to-month commitment. No long-term contracts required to start.