The best businesses to buy & automate with AI (Part 6)

This email is Part 6 of a short series covering the best businesses you can buy and scale by automating with AI.

You can read the previous parts here:

• Part 1

• Part 2

• Part 3

• Part 4

• Part 5

Over the past few weeks, we've covered five business types that are perfect for AI automation:

• Accounting firms

• Digital marketing agencies

• Staffing agencies

• Property management companies

• Home service businesses

But you may be thinking:

“Ben, this all sounds great, but I'm not a tech expert. How do I actually implement any of this?”

Well, that’s the good news:

You don't need to be an AI or programming genius.

You just need to know which tools to use and how to implement them strategically.

Here are three paths to implementing AI to automate more of your business:

Option 1: Off-the-shelf AI tools

There are already specialized tools for every industry we've discussed that you can implement immediately.

Most are simple monthly subscription models that integrate with existing software.

Examples include:

• ChatGPT for content creation

• Zapier for workflow automation

• And dozens of industry-specific platforms.

Pros: Quick implementation, low cost, high ROI

Cons: Limited customization

Option 2: Custom AI solutions

For more specific needs, you can hire AI specialists to build proprietary systems just for your business.

This creates competitive advantages that your competitors can't easily copy.

Pros: Tailored to your exact needs, long-term competitive advantage

Cons: Higher upfront cost, longer implementation time

Option 3: AI consultants

These specialists work with you to implement the right combination of tools for your specific business.

They bring industry expertise and can save you months of trial and error.

Pros: Expert guidance, faster results, industry-specific knowledge

Cons: Ongoing consulting costs

My recommendation?

Go for the lowest hanging fruit first, and start with option 1.

You can always upgrade to more sophisticated solutions later!

Now, let's talk about what this looks like financially.

Let's say you buy a $1 million business that currently cash flows $300,000 per year.

Here's what the math might look like after AI implementation:

• SBA loan payment: $130,000/year

• AI implementation cost: ~$50,000 (one-time)

• Improved cash flow from efficiency gains: $450,000/year

• Net profit after all costs: $320,000/year

That's a 32% return on your investment in the first year alone.

Additionally, automating your business will make it significantly more valuable if and when you sell it.

The bigger picture

While everyone else is chasing the latest startup idea or trying to build something from scratch…

Smart entrepreneurs are buying existing businesses with proven cash flow and using AI to dramatically improve their performance.

I've used these exact strategies to acquire over seven businesses generating more than $850,000 in annual cash flow with minimal time investment.

The opportunity is massive, and the window is wide open.

That's a wrap on this series!

Thanks for following along. I hope this gave you some actionable ideas for your next acquisition.

One last thing…

I occasionally come across high-quality small business deals and investment opportunities, and pass them along to this list.

If you want to get those emails, just fill out the 2-minute survey below.

👉 I want to buy (or passively invest into) a small business

Or, if you own a small business and you’re looking to sell, tell me more about it below:

👉 I want to sell my small business (and I’m actively looking for buyers)

Onward,

— Ben Kelly