A straightforward budget framework for business professionals who want to use AI effectively without overspending.
Every professional asks the same question: “How much should I spend on AI tools?”
The good news? You don’t need to break the bank. After analysing hundreds of professional workflows, three clear spending tiers have emerged that cover 95% of business needs.
The Simple Framework
Starter: €20/month – Covers most professional needs
Professional:€200/month – Full toolkit for power users
Enterprise: €2,000/month – For heavy automation and large teams
Here’s what each tier gets you and when to choose each one.
Starter Tier: €20/Month
Perfect for: Most professionals, small teams, or anyone new to AI
What you get: ChatGPT Plus (€20)
This single subscription handles the majority of professional AI tasks:
- Writing and editing assistance
- Research and report generation
- Basic image creation
- Data analysis and spreadsheet help
- Meeting summaries and planning
- Code writing (even if you’re not a programmer)
Real talk: This covers 90% of what most professionals actually need. Don’t overcomplicate it.
Professional Tier: €200/Month
Perfect for: Marketing professionals, consultants, content creators, small business owners
The toolkit:
- ChatGPT Plus (€20) – Your AI assistant foundation
- Perplexity Pro (€20) – Better at research than Google
- Claude (€20) – Excellent for writing and learning your style
- Midjourney (€30) – Professional images and graphics
- Video tools (€30-60) – Turn long videos into social clips
- Presentation tools (€10-30) – AI-powered slides and documents
- Training/updates (€20) – Stay current as tools evolve
What this enables:
- Research that used to take hours now takes minutes
- Professional graphics without a design team
- Video content for social media
- Presentations that don’t look like PowerPoint templates
- Writing that matches your voice and brand
This tier transforms how you work across research, content creation, and presentations.
Enterprise Tier: €2,000/Month
Perfect for: Large organisations, agencies, businesses with heavy automation needs
Honestly? Spending this much is hard unless you’re running major automation or have large teams. Most professionals hit diminishing returns well before €2,000.
When you might need this:
- Customer service chatbots handling hundreds of inquiries
- Automated content creation at scale
- Custom AI applications for your business
- Large development teams using AI for coding
Reality check: Most businesses claiming to need “enterprise AI” just need the Professional tier implemented well.
Common Spending Mistakes
Mistake 1: Tool hoarding
Buying every new AI tool that launches. Start with the basics, and add tools only when you have a specific need.
Mistake 2: Enterprise envy
Assuming expensive = better. A well-used €20 tool often delivers more value than a collection of premium subscriptions.
Mistake 3: No clear use case
Buying tools without knowing exactly what problems they solve. Define your needs first.
How to Choose Your Tier
Start with Starter if:
- You’re new to AI tools
- You work primarily with text (writing, research, analysis)
- You want to test AI’s impact before bigger investments
- You’re an individual contributor or small team
Upgrade to Professional if:
- You create content regularly (marketing, social media, presentations)
- You need professional graphics and videos
- Time savings justify the investment (can you bill an extra hour per week?)
- You manage multiple projects requiring different AI capabilities
Consider Enterprise if:
- You have precise automation needs affecting multiple team members
- You can quantify specific ROI from advanced features
- You’re building AI into your core business processes
Getting Started: The 3-Step Approach
Step 1: Start with ChatGPT Plus (€20/month)
Use it for two weeks. Track what you use it for.
Step 2: Identify your biggest time drains
Research taking too long? Add Perplexity Pro.
Need better graphics? Add Midjourney.
Video content bottleneck? Add video tools.
Step 3: Add one tool at a time
Master each addition before moving to the next. Most people need 2-3 specialised tools, not 10.
The Bottom Line
AI isn’t about having the most tools but the right tools for your specific needs.
For most professionals, €20-200/month is the sweet spot. You’ll save hours weekly, produce better work, and stay competitive without overspending.
Think of AI like your phone plan. You need enough data for your usage, but paying for unlimited when you use 2GB is wasteful. The same principle applies here.
Start simple, expand strategically, and focus on tools that solve real problems in your daily work.
The goal isn’t to become an AI expert—it’s to work smarter and get better results with the time you have.
AI tools change rapidly, but your fundamental business needs don’t. Focus on tools that solve your current problems rather than chasing the latest features.
