Writing
Practical guides on AI and automation for small businesses. Everything here is something I built, broke, or fixed first.
Research Junior Developer Jobs: What Payroll Data Show by Age Band
In one payroll index, employment of US software developers aged 22-25 sits well below its Nov 2022 level, 26-30 slightly below, and every band from 31 up above it, in a hump that peaks at 41-49; that is not a clean 'only juniors' pattern and it cannot show an explanation.
Research Is AI Only Used by Tech Companies? What Census and Ramp Data Show
AI use outside tech is substantial, but tech is still about 2.8 times non-tech; the 'not only tech' result depends on thresholds chosen after the first and last values were seen.
Research How Many Small Businesses Use AI? Census Data by Size and Industry
Industry differs far more than size: all-sizes AI-use rates run from 10% to 49% across industries, while national rates are nearly flat below 50 employees and rise above (an exploratory reading), although inside an industry larger small firms tend to report somewhat more.
Zapier Why Is Zapier So Expensive? How Per-Task Billing Works and 7 Ways to Lower Your Bill
Zapier feels expensive because it bills every successful action as a task, so the bill follows steps times runs, and most of the fix is cutting actions that did not need to run.
No Code Automation No-Code Automation Platforms: Which One Should a Small Business Start With?
A small business should start with the platform that already connects its two busiest apps: the automation tool its Microsoft or Google suite includes when both apps live there, Zapier Free for a trigger plus one action, and a per-run tool such as Activepieces Free for several steps.
Automation Tool Comparisons n8n vs Power Automate: Which One Should a Small Business Use?
Start with the Power Automate your Microsoft 365 license already includes, move to n8n Cloud when you connect non-Microsoft apps and want one price that does not grow per user, and do not self-host n8n unless someone will maintain the server.
Automation Tool Comparisons n8n Alternatives That Don’t Need a Server: Which to Pick
n8n makes sense only if someone on your team can maintain it or you pay for n8n Cloud; otherwise pick a hosted tool by how many runs a month you need and how each vendor counts them.
Answering Service How Much Does an Answering Service Cost? Published Prices From 9 Vendors
The monthly bill depends on the billing model (per minute, per call or flat) and on what the vendor counts as billable, not only on the advertised plan price.