AI Services x SMBs: Cutting Costs and Avoiding Burnout

Running a business shouldn’t mean running yourself into the ground.

Running a startup or SMB isn’t easy, but you're here because you know it could be better. The journey is rewarding, but it often feels like an uphill climb—especially when admin starts to pile up.

Admin is essential, but it doesn’t have to drain your energy or wear down your team. Burnout is real, and its cost is higher than you might think.

The good news? AI services can take that load off—automating those mundane, time-consuming tasks and giving you the time and headspace to focus on what really matters: building a sustainable business.

TL;DR: This article shows how AI services can handle time-consuming tasks, helping you cut costs, avoid burnout, and keep your team focused on growth. Discover how smarter decisions can make your business—and life—run smoother.

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The Admin Trap: How It’s Holding You Back

If you’re like most SMBs, admin tasks probably take up way too much of your time. In fact, small business owners spend 23% of their workdays dealing with admin work—data entry, payroll, compliance paperwork...all distractions from their core priorities - strategy and growth.  That’s nearly a quarter of your day tied up in tasks that could be better spent on growing your business or hitting your strategic goals. Sound familiar?
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• Burnout Risk: The real risk here is burnout, both for you and your team. The World Health Organization (WHO) even classifies burnout as an "occupational phenomenon" caused by unmanaged workplace stress. And when you’re wearing multiple hats—as most SMB founders do—the burnout risk skyrockets.

Vera helps prevent burnout by handling the most time-consuming, repetitive, and tedious tasks that often overwhelm small business owners and their teams. Read on to learn more about this, or explore how AI services can be a game-changer for your business just below.

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"Think about how much time you spend managing emails. AI can now handle that automatically, and businesses that automate tasks like these could save 20-40% on operational costs.

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This story, isn’t uncommon. In fact, it’s the crux of the problem for many SMBs - the pay off for scaling is you experience admin overload. On average, SMBs spend a significant amount of talent hours and power —about 5% of the total for an average company just on paperwork.

So, how do AI services change that?

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How AI Services Can Save You (and Your Team)

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AI services take over the repetitive, tedious tasks, giving you back your time and helping you avoid burnout.

Here’s how AI services like those from Vera can make a real difference:

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1) Automating Repetitive Tasks

Think about how much time you and your team spend scheduling, managing emails, or doing data entry. AI services can handle all of that automatically. According to McKinsey, businesses that automate these kinds of tasks can save up to 20-40% on operational costs.

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2) Bringing Back Work-Life Balance

AI services do more than just free up time—they help you and your team focus on the important work, like scaling your business and achieving your goals. A survey found that 70% of small business owners feel overwhelmed by their day-to-day responsibilities. Imagine what a difference it would make to have more time to get everything done, and the peace of mind that while you're focused on strategy, things like your government obligations - like business regulations - or priority emails are being handled.

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3) Cutting Costs, Not Corners

You know that hiring more people to handle admin tasks isn’t always in the budget. But AI services can take over these tasks at a fraction of the cost.

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4) Staying Compliant, Without The Expense

Missing a compliance deadline could cost your business more than just money—it could mean fines or even a hit to your reputation. AI services track these deadlines and make sure you’re always in the clear.

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5) Levelling Up Customer Service

AI services can even step in to manage customer inquiries, schedule appointments, and handle FAQs through chatbots. Less work for you and your team, better service for your customers -  using AI for customer service can create a 15-20% boost in customer satisfaction.

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6) Accurate Reporting, Without the Headache

AI can crunch numbers and give you real-time insights faster than any human can. An AI impact study found that AI can improve data accuracy by up to 80%, reducing errors in financial reporting and forecasting.

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How Real SMBs Are Using AI Services

Let’s take a look at how other businesses are benefiting from AI services like Vera’s:
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• Managing Invoices and Payments: AI services like Vera automatically track invoices and payments, ensuring you get paid on time. Research found that 64% of SMBs face late payments, with an average of $84,000 in outstanding invoices. Vera’s automated invoicing as the Invoice Manager helps reduce that risk, improving your cash flow and giving you peace of mind.
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• Staying Compliant: Compliance can be a massive time-suck, but AI services handle regulatory filings so you don’t have to. Regulatory Intelligence found that regulatory costs can eat up 8-10% of an SMB’s budget. Vera’s Government Obligations Manager takes care of regulatory filings and compliance deadlines, so you don’t have to worry about missing a critical due date or adding the expense of a dedicated Compliance Officer.
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• Sorting Through Emails: Ever feel like you’re drowning in emails? AI can help by filtering through them, flagging important ones, and saving you hours every day. Vera’s Email Action Manager filters and prioritizes your inbox, flagging important emails while clearing out the noise, potentially saving you as a SMB owners or operator hours of administrative work every week.
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Summary

Hiring an extra set of hands can be costly—the average full-time administrative assistant in the U.S. can cost an SMB upwards of $39,000 per year (before benefits and onboarding).

With AI services, you get the admin support you need at a fraction of the cost. And for startups or and SMBs, this means a chance to grow your business without the burnout.

Curious about Vera? Sign up to the waitlist.

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