What does it cost to run a business team?
Hiring the seven roles that keep a small business running costs about $480,000 a year. The AI equivalent costs $99 a month. Here's the full breakdown.
Hiring the seven core roles that run a small business — executive assistant, sales development rep, bookkeeper, social media manager, SEO specialist, performance marketer, and web developer — costs roughly $480,000/year in US base salaries (2026), before benefits and overhead. The equivalent AI team on Delegated is a flat $99/month ($1,188/year), running on the AI plan you already pay for — about $478,812/year less, or roughly 404× cheaper. That works out to about $170/year per role, versus tens of thousands each to hire.
Cost per role: human hire vs AI employee
| Role | Delegated agent | Human hire (US base / yr) |
|---|---|---|
| Executive assistant | Sage | $60,000 |
| Social media manager | Blaze | $60,000 |
| SEO specialist | Lex | $65,000 |
| Performance marketer (paid ads) | Pixel | $75,000 |
| Web developer | Axel | $100,000 |
| Sales development rep | Scout | $65,000 |
| Bookkeeper / accountant | Penny | $55,000 |
| Total — full team | All 7 agents | $480,000/yr |
| Delegated (Solo plan) | Same 7 agents | $1,188/yr ($99/mo) |
Methodology
Human figures are approximate US base salaries for 2026, using conservative round midpoints for each role. They exclude benefits, payroll taxes, software, and overhead, which typically add 25–40% — so the true cost of hiring is higher than the $480,000 shown. Sales roles often add commission; web developers and performance marketers vary most by region and seniority. The Delegated figure is the published Solo plan at $99/month ($1,188/year), a flat price with no per-task or per-credit metering. You bring your own AI subscription (ChatGPT, Gemini, a coding plan, Ollama Cloud, or an Anthropic API key), so its cost is whatever you already pay your AI provider — Delegated adds no markup and sets no usage caps of its own. Salary ranges are illustrative market estimates, not a citation of any single salary source.
What the $99/month actually does
Unlike a single chatbot, each agent owns a real function and runs on its own schedule — proactively, without being prompted.
Triages your inbox, drafts replies, takes meeting notes, and delegates work to the other agents.
Creates, schedules, and publishes content across LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.
Keyword research, on-page optimisation, and publishing SEO content to your site.
Sources people matching your ICP, researches each one, and writes them a personal email. Email only — no LinkedIn, no drip sequences.
Reconciles the bank, categorises transactions, chases overdue invoices, and briefs you weekly. Never moves money.
Plans, launches, and manages ad campaigns and watches spend against revenue.
Builds full websites, lead funnels, blogs, and custom tools, deployed to your domain.
Need phones answered too? Iris, the AI receptionist, is an optional add-on at $49/month (500 minutes included, $0.15/min after) — not part of the seven.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a team to run a small business?
Hiring the seven core roles that run a small business — executive assistant, sales development rep, bookkeeper, social media manager, SEO specialist, performance marketer, and web developer — costs roughly $480,000 per year in US base salaries alone (2026). Benefits, payroll taxes, software, and overhead typically add another 25–40% on top.
How much does an AI employee cost?
On Delegated, a full team of seven AI employees costs a flat $99/month ($1,188/year) — about $170/year per role, versus tens of thousands per year for the human equivalent. You connect the AI plan you already pay for (ChatGPT, Gemini, a coding plan, or an API key); Delegated adds no AI markup and no per-task or per-credit metering.
Can AI replace employees for a small business?
AI agents can take over a large share of the repeatable work in roles like executive assistance, email outreach, bookkeeping, social media, SEO, paid ads, and web development — running 24/7 without being prompted. They complement rather than fully replace senior strategic hires, but for a solo founder or small business they cover work that would otherwise cost roughly $480,000/year to staff.
Is an AI team cheaper than hiring or using freelancers?
Yes. At $99/month, Delegated's seven-agent team costs about 0.25% of the ~$480,000/year it would take to hire the equivalent roles — roughly 400× cheaper — and unlike freelancers there is no ramp-up time, no per-project invoicing, and the agents work around the clock.
Replace a $480,000 payroll for $99/month
Seven AI employees — executive assistant, email outreach, social, SEO, paid ads, web development, and bookkeeping. One flat price, on the AI plan you already have, always on. 7-day money-back guarantee.
Deploy your AI team — $99/month