Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about how we work, what things cost, and what to expect. If yours isn't here, get in touch and we'll answer it directly.
Getting Started
What does zedStrong actually do?
We help small and midsized service businesses use AI and automation to reduce repetitive admin work, respond to leads and customers faster, and keep information moving between the tools they already use. The focus is practical operational improvement, not experimenting with technology for its own sake.
Where should I start if I have never automated anything?
Most clients start with the Automation Audit & Readiness Assessment. It reviews your workflows, tools, and repetitive tasks, then gives you a prioritized set of recommendations so you know what is worth doing first. If you are not ready for that yet, a free discovery call is a good place to ask questions.
Do I need to understand AI to work with you?
No. You know your business and where the friction is, and that is the part that matters. We handle the technical side and explain recommendations in plain business language so you can make decisions without needing a technical background.
What size of business do you work with?
We work with small and midsized service businesses, typically teams with recurring admin work, customer inquiries, scheduling, or follow-up needs and limited technical staff. Common examples include health and dental clinics, real estate teams, mortgage brokers, and other professional service businesses.
Do we need to meet in person?
No. Work is done remotely, so we can support businesses regardless of location. We are based in Surrey, BC and regularly work with businesses across Surrey, Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, and Abbotsford.
The Automation Audit & Readiness Assessment
Is the assessment a paid service?
Yes. The Automation Audit & Readiness Assessment is $600, currently discounted from $800. It covers the assessment call plus your findings and recommendations report.
How is this different from a free discovery call?
A discovery call is a short, no-obligation conversation to see whether we are a fit. The assessment is a structured, paid engagement that reviews your workflows and tools in depth and produces written findings, a prioritized opportunity list, and a next-step roadmap.
When and how do I pay?
You receive a single invoice after the assessment call, covering both the call and the report that follows. Nothing is charged automatically, and the price is confirmed upfront before you book.
What do I receive at the end?
A current-state summary of your workflows and pain points, a shortlist of the automation opportunities most worth considering, three recommended automations with estimated value and complexity, readiness guidance, and a simple next-step roadmap.
Am I committed to implementation afterward?
No. The assessment is a standalone deliverable designed to help you make a better decision. You are free to implement the recommendations yourself, hire someone else, come back to us later, or do nothing at all.
Pricing & Engagement
How is implementation work priced?
Implementation is scoped and quoted per project, because the effort depends on the workflows involved and the systems being connected. The assessment is what makes an accurate quote possible, since it clarifies scope before anyone commits to a number.
Do you require long-term contracts?
No. Engagements are scoped as defined pieces of work with a clear deliverable. If you want ongoing support after a workflow is live, that can be arranged separately rather than bundled into a long commitment upfront.
What happens after an automation is built?
You get a working workflow along with documentation of how it operates. If something needs adjusting as your business changes, or you would like ongoing monitoring and improvements, we can discuss a support arrangement that fits how much help you actually need.
What if automation is not the right answer for my business?
Then we will tell you. Part of the assessment is identifying where automation would add complexity without enough benefit, or where a process needs cleaning up before it is worth automating at all. Recommending less work is a legitimate outcome.
Tools & Technology
Do we have to replace the software we already use?
Usually not. The default approach is to work with the tools you already have, such as email, calendars, booking systems, forms, spreadsheets, and CRMs. A change is only recommended when a current tool genuinely cannot support what you are trying to do.
What tools and platforms do you work with?
We work with the common business platforms most service businesses already run on, including email and calendar systems, scheduling and booking tools, CRMs, form and intake tools, and messaging channels. If you use something less common, we will look at what it can connect to during the assessment.
Who owns the automations once they are built?
You do. Workflows are built in accounts and tools that belong to your business wherever possible, so you are not locked into us to keep them running.
What happens if a tool we rely on changes or breaks?
Automations are built to fail safely, which means a broken step should surface as a notification to your team rather than silently dropping work. If a platform changes in a way that affects a live workflow, that is the kind of thing an ongoing support arrangement is meant to cover.
Data, Privacy & Oversight
Is there always a human reviewing what the AI produces?
Where it matters, yes. Workflows are designed so that sensitive or customer-facing output can be reviewed before it goes out, and staff stay in control of decisions. The intent is to remove repetitive effort, not human judgment.
Will this replace our staff?
No. The goal is to take routine, rules-based work off your team so they can spend time on the parts of the job that need a person. In practice that usually means faster response times and less after-hours catch-up, not fewer people.
How is our business and customer data handled?
Data stays within your own systems and accounts wherever possible, and access is limited to what a given workflow actually needs to function. Any specific handling, retention, or confidentiality requirements your business has should be raised during the assessment so they can be designed in from the start.
We handle sensitive client information. Can we still automate?
Often yes, but it changes how a workflow is designed. Businesses handling health, financial, or other sensitive records typically need tighter controls on what data moves where and stronger human review steps. Bring this up early so the recommendations account for it rather than working around it later.
Working Together
How long does it take to get a workflow live?
It depends on the workflow and how clearly the underlying process is defined. Straightforward improvements can move quickly, while workflows spanning several systems take longer. You will get a realistic timeline as part of scoping rather than an optimistic guess upfront.
How much of our time will this take?
The heaviest involvement is early on, when we need to understand how things currently work and get access to the right systems. After that, your role is mostly reviewing and approving rather than building.
What if our team resists using it?
That is a real risk with any new system, which is why adoption is part of the design rather than an afterthought. Workflows that fit how your team already works, and that visibly save them effort, get used. Ones that add steps do not.
How do we get started?
Book a free discovery call if you want to ask questions first, or book the Automation Audit & Readiness Assessment directly if you already know you want a structured review and a roadmap.
Still Have Questions?
If your question isn't answered here, the fastest way to get a straight answer is a short conversation. No pressure and no obligation to move forward.
No technical jargon, and no push toward tools you do not need.