So here's a fun fact that's confusing the hell out of everyone: "AI consulting" actually means two completely different businesses.
And most people have no idea which one they're building.
Both are working but they're literally different businesses with different clients, different pricing, and different day-to-day work.
Here's the breakdown that's been flying under the radar.
The Great AI Consulting Mix-Up
Business Model #1: You're a marketing consultant who uses ChatGPT to write better campaigns.
Business Model #2: You help companies figure out which AI tools to buy and how to actually use them.
See the difference? The first one is traditional consulting supercharged with AI. The second one is consulting ABOUT AI.
And somehow, everyone's calling both "AI consulting."
It's like calling both a restaurant that uses iPad menus and a company that helps restaurants choose iPad systems "iPad businesses." Technically true, but completely different operations.
Let's Break This Down with Real Numbers
Option A: Traditional Consulting + AI Superpowers
This is what most consultants think AI consulting means. You keep doing what you're doing—marketing, strategy, operations—but now you've got AI tools making you faster and better.
What it actually looks like:
Marketing consultant uses AI for content creation and customer analysis
Strategy consultant leverages AI for market research and financial modeling
HR consultant uses AI for resume screening and performance analytics
The results? Consultants using AI tools are completing tasks 25% faster with 40% higher quality. Not too shabby.
The money: You can usually charge 10-20% more for "AI-enhanced" services. So if you were charging $5K for a marketing strategy, maybe now it's $6K.
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Option B: AI Implementation Consulting
This is a whole different animal. You're not using AI to do marketing better—you're helping companies navigate the AI chaos itself.
What this looks like:
"Help, we bought ChatGPT Enterprise but nobody knows how to use it"
"Which AI tools should we actually invest in?"
"How do we train our team on AI without everyone panicking?"
"Can you build us some automated workflows?"
The market: 72% of companies have adopted AI, up from 50% last year. But most are drowning in the implementation.
The money: Average project fees start around $8,500 and go way up from there.
The Part Everyone Gets Wrong
Here's where it gets interesting. Most people assume Option B is "better" because the dollar signs are bigger.
But that's not necessarily true.
Option A is better if:
You already have clients who trust you
You love what you do and just want to do it better/faster
You prefer building on existing expertise rather than starting over
You want predictable improvements without reinventing your business
Option B is better if:
You enjoy learning new stuff and staying on the cutting edge
You're comfortable with ambiguous, rapidly-changing markets
You don't mind educating clients about services they've never heard of
You're excited about potentially explosive (but uncertain) growth
Neither is "right" or "wrong." They're just different businesses.
Real Talk: Success Stories from Both Sides
Option A Win: We know a marketing consultant who started using AI for content and data analysis. Six months later, she's working 30% faster, delivering better insights, and charging 15% more. She went from $85K to $125K annually without changing her core business.
Option B Win: Jason Liu positioned himself as an AI implementation specialist. His approach? "The technical skills weren't the challenge—it was learning to position myself as a business strategist, not just a tool expert." Result: $100K+ monthly.
Plot Twist Winner: Every, a 15-person startup, started with AI training for existing clients, then expanded into building custom AI workflows. They hit $1M+ by doing both. Sometimes the hybrid approach wins.
The Big Firms Are Hedging Their Bets Too
Want to see how the pros are handling this? Look at the big consulting firms.
BCG hired 1,000 additional people in 2024 specifically for AI services (Option B). But they're also giving all 13,000 of their existing consultants access to enterprise AI tools (Option A).
Accenture dropped $3 billion over three years building AI capabilities and now has 69,000 AI specialists. But they're also helping traditional consultants use AI in their existing work.
Even the big guys can't decide, so they're doing both.
How to Actually Choose (The Practical Part)
Go with Option A if:
You have established expertise and client relationships
You want to see immediate improvements without major business changes
You prefer lower risk, predictable growth
The idea of becoming an "AI expert" makes you nervous
Start here: Pick one AI tool that could enhance what you already do. Use it for a month. See what happens.
Go with Option B if:
You get excited about learning new technologies
You're comfortable with uncertainty and emerging markets
You don't mind explaining what you do at dinner parties
The potential for rapid growth outweighs the risk
Start here: Offer AI readiness assessments to businesses in your network for $500-1000. See if there's demand.
Go hybrid if:
You want to test both approaches
You have strong domain expertise AND interest in AI implementation
You like having multiple revenue streams
Start here: Begin with Option A, then listen for clients asking "Could we use this internally?" That's your Option B opening.
The Bottom Line Nobody's Talking About
The AI revolution isn't creating one big opportunity—it's creating multiple different opportunities that happen to use the same technology.
Some consultants will make great money enhancing their existing services with AI tools. Others will build entirely new businesses helping companies implement AI. Some will do both.
The "right" choice isn't about which approach makes more money (both can be lucrative). It's about which approach fits your skills, situation, and what you actually want to be doing every day.
Because at the end of the day, the best business model is the one you can actually execute well.
Want to dive deeper into either path? Our Consulting Playbook walks through both approaches with specific strategies, tools, and real client acquisition methods. Whether you want to supercharge your current practice or build something entirely new, we'll show you exactly how to do it.
Which approach sounds more interesting to you? Have you tried either path yet? Let us know in the comments.
