Risk you can’t see
Shadow AI (employees using AI tools without approval) puts your data where you can’t control it.
AI readiness and implementation for Midwest businesses
AI consulting for businesses that can’t afford to guess
Know exactly where AI will pay off in your business before you spend a dollar on it.
- Fixed fee
- 2 to 3 weeks
AI Readiness Audit
Sample report
Readiness score
78/100
Data · People · Process · Security · Leadership
Top opportunities
Automate processesHigh impact
Enhance decisionsHigh impact
Empower teamsMedium impact
How the audit runs
- Week 1FieldworkSurvey, systems inventory and interviews
- Week 2Scoring and analysisAgainst proven use cases for businesses your size
- Week 3Live readoutWith your leadership team, plus your 90-day roadmap
- What we do
- AI readiness and governance consulting
- Who we serve
- Small and mid-sized businesses, 10 to 500 employees
- Where
- Milwaukee-based, serving businesses across the Midwest
- Founded
- 2017; focused on AI since 2024
- Start here
- AI Readiness Audit, a fixed fee
Why now
Your team is already using AI.
With or without a plan.
Most of our audits uncover unapproved tools handling company data on day one.
Hours left on the table
Repetitive, high-wait work is exactly what AI handles best.
Vendors who answer to someone else
Someone on your side should read the fine print.
The two-step path
Start with an AI Readiness Audit. Grow with a Fractional Chief AI Officer.
AI Readiness Audit
Know exactly where AI will pay off in your business before you spend a dollar on it. A fixed-fee, 2 to 3 week assessment that ends with a readiness score, your top three opportunities with payback ranges, and a 90-day roadmap.
- Shadow AI Survey
- Data and Systems Inventory
- Process Opportunity Mapping
- Readiness Score
- Findings Report and Live Readout
Fractional Chief AI Officer
One accountable leader who owns your AI roadmap, policy, vendor decisions and training, and reports progress to your leadership team in plain language. You get senior AI judgment at the table every month, not a report on a shelf.
- AI Strategy and Roadmap
- Governance and Risk
- Vendor Due Diligence
- Training and Internal AI Champions
- Executive Reporting
50% of your audit fee is credited toward a Fractional Chief AI Officer engagement signed within 60 days.
À la carte services
Need one piece?
Each service is available on its own.
An AI world where humans are more capable, not more replaceable.
Our vision
Why Janis
Why Wisconsin businesses choose Janis Consulting
Advice that answers only to you
No commissions, no kickbacks, no software to sell.
Governance built in, not bolted on
Every recommendation comes with the guardrails that make it safe.
We stay accountable
We don’t hand you a report and disappear.
Guardrails built into every recommendation
- Data privacy
- Security
- Vendor review
- Human oversight
- Acceptable use
- Bias testing
- Accountability
Proof
Results from businesses like yours
Client names are withheld for confidentiality.
~25%
Office time saved with an AI-assisted workflow
3 of 3
Audit opportunities taken into implementation
$110M
packaging business turned AI skeptics into an AI-ready workforce
Joshua Janis, FounderHost of The AI Steward podcastMonthly AI Roundtable at the Milwaukee Athletic Club
Janis ConsultingNot ready to talk?
Start with the Shadow AI Checklist.
See which AI tools your team may be using and what data they can reach.
AI for small and mid-sized businesses
Sized to how you actually work: lean teams, core systems and a lot of spreadsheets.
Serving Wisconsin municipalities, too
AI policy, governance and education for councils and staff.
FAQ
Questions owners ask about AI consulting
What does an AI consultant do for a small business?
We find where AI will save time or money in your operation, put rules around how your team uses it, and help you choose and roll out the right tools. You get a plan you can act on, not a technology lecture.
Is AI worth it for a business our size?
Yes, when you start with the right problems. Smaller companies can move faster than large ones, and one well-chosen change reaches the whole team. The audit ranks opportunities by hours saved and payback, so you only invest where it pays.
How much does the AI Readiness Audit cost?
It is a fixed fee based on your number of employees, so you know the price before we start. Half of it is credited toward a Fractional Chief AI Officer engagement signed within 60 days. See pricing.
What is a Fractional Chief AI Officer?
A senior AI leader who works with your leadership team part-time on a monthly agreement. They own your AI roadmap, policy, vendor decisions, training and reporting, without the cost of a full-time executive. Engagements run a minimum of six months.
Our employees already use ChatGPT. Is that a problem?
Only if no one knows what data goes into it. The audit’s Shadow AI Survey shows which tools are in use and what is at risk, and a clear acceptable use policy is usually the first fix.
Do we need clean data or an IT department first?
No. The audit maps what you already have, including spreadsheets and the knowledge in people’s heads, and tells you what to fix first.
How is this different from free AI help?
Free programs are a good place to learn what AI is. We take accountability for what it does inside your business: risk, policy, vendor decisions and results you can measure.
Do you sell software or take vendor commissions?
No. Our recommendations answer only to you.
Do you work outside Milwaukee?
Yes. We’re based in Milwaukee and work with businesses across the Midwest. Audits are often done in person and can also be done remotely.
Ready to find out where you stand?
Most engagements begin within two weeks.
Prefer to talk first? Call 1-414-319-9778.