What AI could save a local business
An illustrative business case for a small firm's finance admin: book-keeping, payroll and the VAT return. The AI assistant does the legwork. The owner stays in charge of every check, payment and submission.
| Transactions a monthExpenses, bills, purchases and client invoices | 100 |
| Employees on the payrollPaid monthly | 3 |
| Book-keeperCost per hour | £20 |
| Owner's timeValue per hour | £50 |
| AI assistant subscriptionBusiness plan, per month | £20 |
| Finance admin today | 33 hours a month |
Where the time goes, and what comes back
Prices exclude VAT. Time is the book-keeper's time, or yours if you do it yourself.
| Task | Today, without AI | Your part with AI | Days saved a year | Saved a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book-keeping | 25 hours a month 100 transactions at 15 minutes each: find, download, file, enter, code and reconcile |
45 minutes a month Log in, check the report, decide on anything that hasn't reconciled |
37.5 | £6,000 |
| Payroll | 2.5 hours a month 3 employees at 30 minutes each, plus an hour for each pay run |
41 minutes a month Approve the payroll, send the payments, submit to HMRC |
3.8 | £600 |
| VAT return | 16 hours a quarter 300 transactions checked for a valid VAT receipt or the right rate, plus an hour to calculate, submit and file |
30 minutes a quarter Approve the return, authorise the payment to HMRC |
8.0 | £1,280 |
| AI subscription | Not needed today | £20 a month, one subscription for every task | (£240) | |
| Total | About 33 hours a month | About 1.6 hours a month | 49 | £7,640 |
Hours each month
The AI assistant works in the background, so its time isn't counted. Your checks take the same time with or without AI.
You stay in charge
- You start each session and check the AI's report before anything is final.
- You approve the payroll and send every payment yourself.
- You log in to HMRC and submit the payroll report and the VAT return.
- You decide what happens with anything that doesn't add up.
The first-year business case
Toffee AI sets the workflows up in your own accounts and supports you for the first three months. For businesses with fewer than 5 employees and fewer than 250 transactions a month, that's a one-off £750.
Larger or more complex businesses: we'll quote after a free call.
| Saved in the yearAfter the AI subscription | £7,640 |
| Toffee AI set-upOne-off, includes 3 months' support | (£750) |
| Net saving in year one | £6,890 |
About these figures
This is an illustrative estimate, not a quote or a promise. Your results depend on your records, your systems and how complex your business is. It assumes you already use accounting and payroll software and keep your books monthly. AI makes mistakes sometimes, which is why your checks are built in. We don't keep your books, run your payroll or give tax advice: you and your accountant stay responsible for your records and filings.
Run the numbers for your business
In a free 30-minute consultation we'll put your own figures into the model and show you where AI would save the most.
Book a free AI consultation