What is an AI agent?

Think of a job you hand to a junior every week, like chasing a quote nobody replied to. An agent gets that one job, clear instructions, access only to the tools it needs, and a rule about when to stop.

It watches for a trigger: a new email, a quote with no reply, a date coming up. It gathers what it needs from your records and documents and prepares the next step. That might be a drafted email, a filled-in form or an updated record. Then it hands the draft to a person and waits.

Each agent does one job well. A few we build often:

• A trades business misses a call on site. An agent drafts a reply to the enquiry and offers a time, ready for the office to send. More on AI agents for trades businesses.
• A quote or proposal goes quiet. An agent drafts a polite follow-up on schedule, so it does not depend on someone remembering.
• An overdue invoice needs a reminder, then a firmer one. An agent drafts both, and a person decides when they go.
• A consultancy writes a fee proposal. An agent drafts the sections that repeat from your own past work. Our free fee proposal checklist shows the structure.

It is not a chatbot that answers anything anyone asks, and it is not a replacement for professional judgement. It does a defined job inside limits you set.

It does not act on its own where it matters. In everything we build, agents draft and a person sends. Agents never move money, and every system an agent can touch is listed, with access you can take back at any time. Our article on connecting AI to client files covers the questions to ask.

We quote agents together with the work they do, so there is no list price for an agent on its own. Most come as part of an AI CRM, from $4,850 one-time, or as part of an automation that starts with our operations audit at $1,200, fixed. The audit is credited in full against your first build if you go ahead within 30 days. More in our guide to AI agents for business.