AI Business Automation
Raphaël Reck — IT Consultant
20+ years experience (7+ at enterprise scale: Amadeus, Orange).
AI Business Automation
You spend hours every week on things a machine could handle in seconds. Sending invoices. Chasing payments. Copying data between tools. Writing the same email for the fifteenth time.
I build automation systems that do that work for you — quietly, reliably, without you having to learn a single line of code. You control everything from your phone, via Telegram. The system runs 24/7, even when you're asleep.
What does "automation" actually mean?
In plain terms: instead of you doing a repetitive task, a program does it automatically when certain conditions are met.
Example: Automatic invoicing
You finish a job. You send a Telegram message: "Invoice client Dupont, plumbing repair, €320." The system creates the invoice, fills in the client's details, sends it by email, and logs it in your spreadsheet. You did nothing except send one message.
Example: Payment reminders
An invoice hasn't been paid after 14 days. The system automatically sends a polite reminder to the client — with the right invoice attached — without you having to remember or do anything. You get notified when it's done.
Example: Email triage
New emails arrive in your inbox. The system reads them, categorises them (client inquiry, invoice, spam, urgent), and sends you a daily summary via Telegram. You open your inbox once a day and only see what matters.
Example: Parts & stock lookup
You're on a job and need to check if a part is in stock. You photograph the barcode and send it to the bot. It checks your stock list and replies in seconds. No spreadsheet to open, no phone call to make.
Example: Daily business reports
Every morning at 8am, the system sends you a summary: invoices outstanding, jobs scheduled today, revenue this week vs last week. You start your day informed, not searching for information.
Example: Voice-to-invoice
You finish a job on-site and speak into your phone: "Job done at rue de la Paix, replaced water pump, 3 hours labour, parts €140." The system transcribes it, creates the invoice, and files it — before you've even left the car park.
How it works — the short version
You don't need to understand the technical details to benefit from this. But here's roughly what's under the hood.
n8n — the workflow engine
n8n is the brain of the system. It connects your tools together and defines the rules: "When this happens → do that." It can talk to email, Google Sheets, your accounting tool, Telegram, WhatsApp, your website, almost anything. Think of it as the plumbing that makes everything flow together.
Self-hosted on your server — your data never passes through a third-party service.
Claude / AI — the intelligence
When a task requires understanding language — reading an email, categorising a request, generating text, interpreting a voice message — the system uses an AI model (Claude, by Anthropic). This is what lets the bot understand "invoice Dupont for the pump job" rather than requiring you to fill in a form.
The AI only sees what you send it. It doesn't have access to your entire business.
Telegram — your control panel
Telegram is how you talk to your automation system. Send a message, get a reply. Ask it to create an invoice, check stock, pull a report. It feels like texting a very competent assistant. No new app to learn — you already have Telegram on your phone.
The hardware — a small box that runs it all
The system runs on a Raspberry Pi, a Mac Mini, or a cheap VPS (a virtual server you rent for €5/month). It's on 24/7, uses barely any power, and sits quietly in the corner doing its job. Your data stays in your building, on your machine.
API calls — connecting your existing tools
Your accounting software, your booking system, your online shop, your bank — most modern tools have an API: a way for other software to talk to them automatically. The automation system uses these connections to pull data in and push data out, so nothing needs to be entered twice.
Who this is for
Automation pays for itself fastest for people who do the same things over and over.
Pricing
Setup & Deployment
€500–1,500 one-off
I design and build your automation system, deploy it on your hardware or a private server, connect it to your existing tools, and walk you through how to use it. Price depends on the number of workflows and integrations required.
- Discovery call to understand your business
- Custom-built workflows (not a template)
- Deployed and tested before handover
- Walkthrough session included
- 50% deposit to begin
Monthly Automation Retainer
€150–300 / month
Ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and expansion of your automation system. Every month, the system gets smarter and covers more of your repetitive work.
- New automations added each month
- Error monitoring & fixes
- New tool integrations as your business grows
- Priority support via Telegram
Custom Builds
Quote per project
Some automations are more complex. Voice-to-invoice tools, barcode-scanning invoice systems, custom reporting dashboards, or full workflow overhauls are scoped and quoted individually.
- Voice-to-invoice: €400–800
- Barcode scanning invoice system: €600–1,200
- Full workflow automation: quote on request
Common questions
What is AI-augmented development, and how is it different from hiring an agency?
AI-augmented development means using tools like Claude and GitHub Copilot at every stage of a project — architecture, code generation, debugging, documentation — not just autocomplete. The result: work that would take an agency team of three or four people gets built by one senior engineer who knows the codebase end-to-end, at a fraction of the cost, without the handoff friction of a multi-person team. You're talking directly to the person writing the code, who's also using the best available tools to write it faster. Same quality bar, fewer people between you and the work.
Is my business data safe?
Yes. Systems are self-hosted on your own hardware or a private server, so your data never passes through a third-party service. The AI model only sees what you explicitly send it for a given task — it doesn't have standing access to your business.
What if I don't know anything about AI tools?
You don't need to. You control the system through Telegram — the same app you already use to text people. No new software to learn, no technical setup on your end.
What happens if the automation breaks?
That's what the monthly retainer covers: error monitoring and fixes, so issues get caught and resolved without you having to notice them first.
Get in Touch
Tell me what tasks eat your time most. I'll tell you honestly whether automation can help — and what it would look like.