All businesses / AI automation for SMEs
Starting an AI automation business for SMEs in Europe costs €300–€2,000 in 2026, with first income after about 6 weeks and earnings of up to €5,500 a month working full time.
Last updated: September 2026 · sources at the bottom of the page
Custom automated workflows.
| Money to start | €300–€2,000 | What you spend before the first customer pays: kit, stock, licences, launch. |
|---|---|---|
| Hours a week | 10–30 | What it takes to run it properly, from part time to full time. |
| Weeks to first income | about 6 | How long you pay in before any money comes back. You still need to live in those weeks. |
| Kept of every €100 | €88 | What stays with you after running costs, before you pay yourself for your hours. |
| Most it earns a month | €1,500 part time · €5,500 full time | A realistic ceiling for one person running it. Your own hours are the limit. |
| Competition | medium | Some competition: running it well is what decides. |
| Licence or qualification | not usually | Beyond registering the business and insurance, nothing specific in our research. |
Fast-growing demand and few serious competitors. But every client wants something different: it productises badly, and the maintenance retainer is the only thing that makes it sustainable.
These are the categories this business pays for in the first month. We go through the software side on the tools page.
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LaunchKit · €390 + VAT
A site made for your an AI automation business for SMEs business, Google profile, domain and email, a QR poster and a 30-day launch plan built on the numbers above. Live in about a week.
Between €300 and €2,000 to begin. That covers n8n or Make subscription, LLM credits, hosting and the rest of the setup. It does not cover your own living costs during the 6 weeks before the first income arrives, which is the cost most people forget.
Around 6 weeks to the first euro. Reaching the realistic maximum of €5,500 a month takes considerably longer, and assumes 30 hours a week.
Up to about €5,500 a month working full time, or €1,500 part time. Of every €100 it takes, about €88 stays with you after running costs.
Yes, at a cost. Part time it realistically tops out around €1,500 a month, against €5,500 working full time, and it needs 10–30 hours a week.
Competition is medium. Neither crowded nor protected: winning comes down to how well you run it rather than whether you can enter.
Compare further: every business you can start with €500 · what it costs to start a business, across all 115 · all 115 ranked by startup cost
Where these numbers come from. Figures are rounded ranges for European markets; check the ones you are about to spend money on. Last checked September 2026.
These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on your money, your hours and how long you can wait. Put them in and see.
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