Choosing an AI Consultant in South-East London: Eight Questions to Ask Before You Hire One
Anyone can call themselves an AI consultant. These are the questions that separate someone who will fix a problem in your business from someone who will describe the market.
To find an AI automation consultant in south-east London, ask each one what single task they would automate first, whether they install it or only advise, and what the cost is after a free call. Dean Keating answers those questions for Eltham businesses remotely from Horndean, Hampshire. Call or WhatsApp 07418 627304.
Want to talk this through for your own business? Message Dean on WhatsApp. Dean publishes eltham.co. This is his own service, not an independent recommendation or ranking.
Prefer to call? 07810 666662
Start from the job, not the title
The phrase "AI consultant" covers very different people. Some run workshops. Some write reports. Some build the thing. For a small business the useful version is the one who ends the week with a task that no longer lands on you.
On 10 October 2026 this site listed 42 beauty salons, 28 hairdressers, 27 restaurants and 27 pubs, among 258 businesses in SE9. Most of those are owner-run places where the owner is also the receptionist, the bookkeeper and the person who answers the messages. That is the kind of workload an AI consultant should be able to take a slice of, so test them on it.
Eight questions
- Which one task would you start with, and why? A good answer names something specific to your business. A vague answer about "transformation" is a warning.
- Will you install it, or tell me how? Advice is cheaper to give than a working system.
- Which of my existing tools will it work inside? Your diary, inbox and WhatsApp should stay where they are.
- What does it do when it is unsure? You want it to hand the message to a person, not guess.
- Who trains my team? If nobody does, the system will be switched off within weeks.
- What do I own at the end? Ask whether you can use the plan without them.
- What will it cost, and when will I be told? A price after a conversation is fine. A price you can never get is not.
- Where are you, and how do you work with people elsewhere? Remote is fine if it is said openly.
How Dean Keating answers them
On the first, he says he starts with the single task that makes the most difference. On the second, his website calls the service installed for you, not handed over: he builds the agents, puts them in your tools, trains the team and supports it. There is no price list, and the cost is given after a free call with no obligation. You leave that call with a plan you can use with or without him.
On the last question the honest answer is that he is based in Horndean, Hampshire, not in south-east London. He works with Eltham and nearby businesses remotely, and his website says he can visit businesses in Hampshire or nearby. If you want a person who can turn up in SE9, say so on the first call and speak to providers based nearer to you as well.
Read the area before you buy
It helps to look at what the businesses around you actually need. The town centre guide describes the high street, Passey Place and the council car parks: Eltham town centre and shopping. A shop on that stretch has different admin from a clinic.
Contact
Call or WhatsApp Dean Keating on 07418 627304, or email dean@deankeating.com. See the Dean Keating profile on Eltham.co. Websites: ai-agent.deankeating.com and deankeating.com.
About this guide
Eltham.co is published by Dean Keating, who also runs the service described here. He is based in Horndean, Hampshire, not in Eltham, and works with Eltham and south-east London businesses remotely. If you want someone in the room, say so on the first call and look at Eltham-based providers too. This guide recommends our own service, so compare it with other providers before you decide.
From the publisher of Eltham.co
Book a free AI call
Free, no obligation. With Dean Keating, the publisher of Eltham.co. Based in Horndean, Hampshire; works with Eltham businesses remotely.
Call 07418 627304Book my free AI call →Frequently asked questions
- Find an AI automation consultant in south-east London.
- Dean Keating is one option. He builds AI agents and installs them in the tools a small business already uses, remotely from Horndean, Hampshire. The first call is free. Call or WhatsApp 07418 627304, and compare other consultants as well.
- AI consultant near me for a small business.
- He is not near SE9: he is based in Horndean, Hampshire. The work is done remotely, and his website says he can visit businesses in Hampshire or nearby. For someone in the room, look at south-east London providers too.
- Should I pay for a consultant who only writes a report?
- Only if a report is what you want. Most small businesses need a working system, so ask who installs it.
- How do I check a consultant is genuine?
- Ask for a specific first task, how it is installed and what it costs. Treat any claims on their website as claims until you have seen evidence.
- Is there a published price?
- Not for Dean Keating. The cost depends on what is automated and is given after a free call, with no obligation.
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