AI Businesses: from worst to best—and where to start

How it works

You build software with AI and charge a subscription for people to use it. The potential is huge, it can grow with a small team, and that is why it appears in more success videos than any other business.

The problem is that building has become the cheap part. It has never been easier to launch an app, and there have never been so many competing for the same attention. The real business is getting discovered, convincing people to pay, and keeping them from canceling. As usage grows, security and infrastructure costs catch up with you. And an app that is just a thin layer over a model dies with the next platform update.

Typical pricingR$ 29 to R$ 299 per month per client; you need hundreds of clients to make a living from it.

Who it suitsPeople who already have an audience, a service business, or enough cash to go months without revenue.

The trapBuilding before you have buyers. Most SaaS businesses that grow started as a service that was already selling.

The offer in one sentenceI solve [task] for [type of company] for a monthly fee, with nothing for you to install.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

A YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram account where AI helps create the content and you do not appear. The startup cost is almost zero, and you can test different formats quickly.

The money does not come from views. It comes from people who want to reach that audience: sponsors, your own product, or a paid community. Platforms do not monetize mass-produced repetitive content, and viral content without a defined audience does not attract anyone willing to pay. First think about who is watching and who would pay to reach them.

Typical pricingSponsorships from R$ 300 to R$ 5,000 per post when the audience is engaged and focused on a niche.

Who it suitsPeople who want to learn to produce with AI and are willing to build an audience for months before earning money.

The trapChoosing a topic based on what goes viral instead of who would pay to reach that audience. And the platform can change its rules overnight.

The offer in one sentenceMy channel reaches [audience] every day; your product gets in front of them for [price].

First steps at INEMA

How it works

You build websites for small businesses with AI tools in an afternoon instead of weeks. You can put together a demo of the client’s own website before speaking with them, which changes the conversation: they see it finished before paying.

Agencies still charge a lot for the old way, so you can come in at a lower price and deliver faster. The limit is that AI website builders cost only a few dozen reais a month, and the client will find out. Use this to build momentum, a portfolio, and your first clients, then move up.

Typical pricingR$ 1,500 to R$ 5,000 per website, plus R$ 100 to R$ 300 a month for maintenance.

Who it suitsA complete beginner who wants a first client quickly and something visual to show.

The trapSelling only websites. It is hard to make more than a few thousand reais a month.

The offer in one sentenceI made a new version of your website; if you like it, I can publish it this week.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

You bring the company’s agents, automations, tools, and team knowledge together in one place: an assistant that knows the documents and processes and answers in the channel the company already uses.

It is an excellent entry point because once the client trusts you, they will buy bigger projects. The weak point is measurement. Every offer needs a number the owner tracks (sales, hours, support interactions), and a generic hub does not move a clear number. It also only works if the owner already believes in AI; otherwise, the team does not change its habits and you have no case study.

Typical pricingR$ 5,000 to R$ 20,000 for setup, plus R$ 800 to R$ 3,000 per month.

Who it suitsPeople who already build AI assistants and automations and have access to tech-friendly business owners.

The trapSelling the hub without a number tied to it. Without measured results, you get no referrals.

The offer in one sentenceI put everything your team asks into one assistant, and we measure how much response time drops.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

You work to get the client’s brand recommended when someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity a question. It is an extension of SEO (the work of getting a website to appear on Google), a market that has existed for decades and that companies know they need to pay for.

People who already do SEO have a huge advantage because they know how to measure and show results. Without that foundation, it is hard to prove the change came from your work. And the rules for which brands appear in answers can change at any time.

Typical pricingR$ 2,000 to R$ 6,000 per month per client.

Who it suitsPeople who already work in SEO, content, or digital marketing.

The trapPromising a spot in an AI answer. Promise the work and show measured progress.

The offer in one sentenceToday AI recommends your competitor when people ask about [service]. I work to change that and show you the measurements every month.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

You connect AI to the systems the company already uses: customer relationship management (CRM), email, spreadsheets, invoices, and WhatsApp. It is where many people started, and it is still where service requests are most common.

But building automations is getting easier, and many companies already hire someone internally to do it. A one-off workflow is worth little. What matters is finding the most expensive bottleneck, tying the fix to a business result, and charging for that result—and that is already the consulting step.

Typical pricingR$ 1,500 to R$ 6,000 per workflow; more when priced by results.

Who it suitsPeople who enjoy logic and tools and want steady demand for their services.

The trapSelling one-off workflows and competing on price with thousands of people.

The offer in one sentenceYour team spends [X] hours a week on [task]. I automate it and show you the hours returned to the team.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

You teach a company’s team to use AI in their own work, using the company’s real cases. At many companies, people use AI on their own without training, and the owner knows it.

The biggest payoff comes afterward. In the room, you see all the company’s problems and earn trust right away. A bigger project often follows a workshop. Teaching is a skill you can practice, and you need to master the tools you teach.

Typical pricingR$ 3,000 for a half-day to R$ 15,000 for a full day with a large group.

Who it suitsPeople who enjoy explaining, speak well in public, and already use AI in their own work.

The trapA generic “ChatGPT for beginners” workshop. Bring the company’s real cases, or nobody will use it the next day.

The offer in one sentenceIn 3 hours, your team will leave using AI for [5 tasks in your industry], with materials to keep going.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

AI answers messages, phone calls, and website chats, answers questions, books appointments, and calls in a person when needed. The return is easy to explain: the owner only has to count how many messages and calls went unanswered last month—and for a clinic, repair shop, or office, each one could be a lost client.

In Brazil, where almost everything goes through WhatsApp, the pain is even more obvious. The risk is durability: the scheduling and customer service systems these businesses already pay for are adding their own AI. The winners will be people who know the industry and take care of setup, rules, and follow-up.

Typical pricingR$ 2,000 to R$ 8,000 for setup, plus R$ 500 to R$ 2,000 per month.

Who it suitsPeople who want recurring service revenue and results that are easy to show the owner.

The trapSelling the same generic AI to everyone: the system the client already uses will offer the same thing for less. Also, health data is sensitive in clinics: use a tool with a data protection agreement and route clinical questions to a person.

The offer in one sentenceYour clinic answers every message, even at 10 p.m.: the AI books appointments and calls you when needed.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

You produce ads, commercials, carousels, and video edits for brands with AI. One person can now do what used to require a team and expensive equipment.

The other side is that anyone can press the generate button, including inside ad platforms, and the price per asset is falling. Clients pay for taste, for knowing which model works for which audience, and for using each ad’s numbers to make the next one better. If your ads sell, the client stays.

Typical pricingR$ 2,000 to R$ 8,000 per month per brand, in a package of assets.

Who it suitsPeople with an eye for visuals who enjoy video and want to track ad results.

The trapSelling attractive assets one at a time. Sell a monthly package tied to campaign results.

The offer in one sentenceEvery month, you get [N] new ads, and I replace the ones that do not sell with ones that do.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

You use AI to find companies and people showing buying signals (a job opening, a new store, an expansion), fill in their contact details, personalize your outreach, and test far more messages than a human team could. You deliver meetings or genuinely interested leads to the client.

It is the stickiest business: if you send clients to a business and they make money from them, they are unlikely to cancel. The number is the easiest to measure. The condition is tough: you need to generate your own clients first, or nobody will believe you can generate theirs. Agencies that already do prospecting and add AI have a head start.

Typical pricingR$ 3,000 to R$ 10,000 per month, or a fee per meeting booked.

Who it suitsPeople who enjoy sales, numbers, and testing, and are willing to prove the method on themselves.

The trapMass outreach without targeting: it sends the client’s email and WhatsApp messages to spam and damages their reputation. Contact only through public business channels, say who you are, offer an opt-out, and do not buy contact lists (LGPD).

The offer in one sentenceI find meetings with [type of client] for your calendar, and you pay for the ones that happen.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

Courses, community, newsletters, and videos, preferably with your face and voice. You need to be involved in the subject every day to teach it, or at least be comfortable on camera. Competition is growing, but so is the audience that wants to learn.

It is the most durable business because people invest in you, not a tool: when the technology changes, you change with it, and they stay. The problem is speed. Building an audience takes years, and trust comes from proof. That is why the usual path is to do services and consulting first, then use your brand to launch the other businesses.

Typical pricingFrom individual courses to a community subscription; it depends on the audience’s size and trust.

Who it suitsPeople with experience to share who enjoy teaching and can handle building gradually.

The trapStarting with the brand without proof. First results, then trust, then audience.

The offer in one sentenceEvery week, I show how to solve [problem] with AI, using real cases.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

You go into a company, understand the process, find the bottleneck, and identify where AI can save the most time or money. Fixes get cheaper every month; the diagnosis remains valuable. There is also the human side that no AI can solve: persuading the team, setting usage rules, and helping people change their habits.

Implementing AI properly in a company takes work, and most of the value lies in that implementation. Consulting pays faster than education and opens the door to automation, customer service, and training projects.

Typical pricingA diagnostic engagement costs R$ 3,000 to R$ 30,000, plus implementation.

Who it suitsPeople who understand business, ask good questions, and have already delivered a few AI projects.

The trapDelivering a polished report and leaving. Clients pay for change, not the PDF.

The offer in one sentenceIn one week, I will show you where AI can save your company the most money, in reais, and implement the first solution.

First steps at INEMA

How it works

There are two equally good paths. Become the AI lead at the company where you already work and take responsibility for its strategy and results. Or work as a fractional director, serving a few companies at the same time for a few hours each week. This is often the natural next step for someone who has done consulting.

More companies want someone accountable for AI, and people who combine AI knowledge with business insight tend to be more valued. It requires knowing enough to avoid being caught off guard and carrying yourself like an executive. The more AI advances, the more valuable the person who decides how to use it becomes.

Typical pricingFractional: R$ 8,000 to R$ 25,000 per month per company. In-house: executive salary.

Who it suitsPeople with management or consulting experience and the trust of owners and executives.

The trapWanting the title without proof. It comes after measured results at other companies.

The offer in one sentenceI take care of your company’s AI a few hours a week: strategy, tools, team, and results.

First steps at INEMA