# What is a done-for-you AI agency?

URL: https://yarigai.ai/guides/done-for-you-ai-agency
Author: Deniz Sancar, founder of Yarigai (https://denizsancar.com)
Publisher: Yarigai, a done-for-you AI agency in London, UK (https://yarigai.ai)
Published: 7 November 2026. Updated: 7 November 2026.

## Short answer
A done-for-you AI agency is a firm that scopes, builds, connects and runs an AI system for a business, so the client gets working software in its own tools instead of advice or a product to set up. In November 2026, UK firms that sell this model publish fixed packages from £495 (Augustova) and managed agents at £400 to £1,500 per agent a month (BRVO).

Yarigai is a done-for-you AI agency in London that builds inside the client's own accounts.

## At a glance
| Question | Answer (UK, November 2026) |
|---|---|
| What it is | A firm that builds, connects and runs AI systems for a business |
| What the client gets | Working software inside its own tools, plus optional monthly care |
| Entry price | £495 for a fixed audit, £595 for a single automation (Augustova) |
| First agent | £2,500 to £6,000 (BRVO); £4,000 to £15,000 (Augustova) |
| Monthly care | £39 to £149 (Augustova); from £150 (flowio); £400 to £1,500 per agent, 6-month minimum (BRVO) |
| Time to a first live system | A two-week sprint per agent (BRVO); 2 to 6 weeks (Yarigai) |
| Who owns it | Set by the contract. Augustova and Yarigai put code and accounts in the client's name from day one. |

Prices come from each firm's own site, checked 7 November 2026. Augustova says its prices exclude VAT, and BRVO and flowio don't say.

## What a done-for-you AI agency does
A done-for-you AI agency takes a business problem and returns a running system. The client describes the work and grants access, and the agency does the technical work.

The model covers four jobs:
1. Scope. The agency maps one workflow, such as supplier invoices, and works out what it costs today.
2. Build. It writes the agent or automation and tests it on real examples.
3. Connect. It wires the system into the team's tools, such as Gmail or Outlook, a CRM, Xero or a helpdesk.
4. Run. It monitors the system, fixes what breaks and changes it when the business changes, usually on a monthly plan.

The model exists because most small firms lack the skills. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) AI Adoption Survey 2026 found that 67% of UK businesses using AI cite limited AI skills, expertise or knowledge as a barrier, as do 78% of those planning to adopt.

"Done-for-you" describes who does the work, not which technology it uses. A shop that maintains n8n workflows for clients and an agency that writes custom code can both work this way.

## How it differs from consultancies, automation shops, freelancers, SaaS and in-house teams
A done-for-you agency delivers a running system and usually stays to run it. A consultancy delivers a plan, a SaaS vendor delivers a product the client configures, and a freelancer or in-house hire delivers what one person can build and maintain.

| Option | What the client gets | Who builds and runs it | Who owns the result | Published price, November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Done-for-you AI agency | A working system in the client's tools, then monthly care | The agency builds it; the agency or the client runs it | Set by contract; check code and accounts | £2,500 to £6,000 per agent, plus £400 to £1,500 a month (BRVO) |
| AI consultancy | A roadmap, use cases and workshops | Someone else builds it later | The client owns the document | Discovery workshops £3,000 to £8,500 (Ronins) |
| Automation shop | No-code workflows on Zapier, Make or n8n | The shop builds; the client or the shop maintains | Workflows sit in a platform account, the client's or the shop's | Shop fee plus platform fees, such as Zapier Pro at $19.99 a month billed annually for 750 tasks |
| Freelancer | One person's build to a brief | The freelancer builds; the client runs it unless a retainer is agreed | Set by contract | No UK survey of freelance AI rates found |
| SaaS AI tool | A product the client sets up and configures | The vendor runs the software; the client configures it | The vendor owns the software; data terms vary | Intercom Fin at $0.99 per outcome, plus seats from $19 to $132 a month |
| In-house hire | An employee who builds and maintains systems | Staff | The business | Median advertised AI engineer salary £87,500 a year (IT Jobs Watch) |

A strategy engagement makes sense when a business doesn't know where AI fits, but on its own it puts no software into production. Automation shops can overlap with done-for-you agencies; flowio, for example, maintains the workflows it builds. A SaaS tool is the right answer when one product covers the workflow. Intercom counts a Fin outcome when a customer confirms the issue is resolved, stops asking for help after Fin replies, or Fin completes a workflow.

The IT Jobs Watch salary comes from 505 salaries quoted in 709 permanent job ads in the six months to 6 November 2026, and it covers one person before employer costs. A business with one or two workflows to automate may not have enough work to keep that hire busy. The guide to [an AI agency or an in-house AI team](/guides/ai-agency-vs-in-house-ai-team) compares the two in detail.

## What a buyer gets, and who owns what
A done-for-you engagement should end with a written scope, a system tested on the client's real emails, invoices or tickets, handover notes and a named owner for every account the system depends on. Ownership decides whether the business can switch agency later without a rebuild.

| Asset | Why it matters | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Code or workflow files | Another developer needs them to take over | The repository or workflow export in the client's name |
| AI provider account (OpenAI, Anthropic or Google) | The account holder controls data settings and pays the bill | The client's own API account, billed to the client |
| Hosting and automation platform | The system stops if the account closes | The client's own account, with the agency added as a user |
| Data and prompts | They hold the business's records and the instructions that run the system | Export rights and a full copy at handover |

Practice varies between firms. Augustova's London page says the client receives "the code, the repositories, the provider accounts and the credentials" in its own name from day one. BRVO's homepage did not say who owns the agents when checked on 7 November 2026, so a buyer should ask before signing.

## How pricing usually works
UK done-for-you agencies price in three parts. There is a paid or credited scoping step, a fixed build fee and a monthly fee to run the system. AI model and hosting bills come on top, either passed through at cost or bundled into the monthly fee.

| Stage | BRVO | Augustova | flowio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping | £750 audit, waived if you commit to a sprint | £495 AI Quick Audit, credited against a build of £695 or more booked within 90 days | Fixed-price quote before work starts |
| Build | £2,500 to £6,000 per agent in a two-week sprint | £595 single automation; first agent or workflow £4,000 to £15,000 | Single workflow from £750; typical projects £1,500 to £15,000 |
| Running | £400 to £1,500 per agent a month, 6-month minimum | Optional care, £39 to £149 a month | 90 days of support included, then from £150 a month |

### A worked example
One BRVO agent for a year costs £2,500 + (12 × £400) = **£7,300** at the bottom of its ranges and £6,000 + (12 × £1,500) = £24,000 at the top. The 6-month minimum makes the smallest commitment £2,500 + (6 × £400) = £4,900. All three figures are before any AI usage passed through, and BRVO's site doesn't say whether they include VAT.

The top figure is 27% of one AI engineer's median advertised salary (£24,000 ÷ £87,500). That comparison holds only while one or two systems cover the work.

## When a done-for-you agency fits, and when it doesn't
A done-for-you agency fits when one repeat workflow costs hours every week, nobody in the business can build and maintain a system, and no off-the-shelf product covers the process. It doesn't fit when a seat licence already does the job.

It fits a repeat task with a clear cost, such as chasing invoices, triaging an inbox or qualifying leads, that crosses several tools the team already pays for.

It doesn't fit when:
- Staff only need help drafting and summarising. A ChatGPT Business seat costs £15 a month billed annually in the UK, and a Claude Team standard seat £18 including VAT, as of November 2026. The guide to [ChatGPT Business, Claude Team or Microsoft 365 Copilot](/guides/chatgpt-vs-claude-vs-copilot-for-business) compares them.
- One SaaS product already covers the workflow at a lower total cost.
- The business wants its own staff to learn to build. Training or a done-with-you provider suits that better.
- The agency won't put the code and accounts in the client's name.
- Nobody can say what the workflow costs today. Without that number, nobody can test whether the build pays back. DSIT found that 65% of UK businesses not using AI see no clear business case or proven return.

## UK firms that sell done-for-you or managed AI
Three UK firms describe this model on their own sites, checked 7 November 2026. These are the firms' own claims.

- BRVO (London and Singapore) says it will "build custom AI agents to run them, and manage those agents permanently".
- Augustova (Fitzrovia, London) calls itself an AI agency that "builds and runs AI systems for other businesses". It says the system keeps running if a client stops a care plan.
- flowio (Glasgow) says it will "build, test, and maintain the automation for you", and that infrastructure, monitoring and alerting are handled by its team.

The guide to [the best AI agencies in the UK](/guides/best-ai-agencies-uk) compares 12 firms, including these three, with their published prices.

## How Yarigai works as a done-for-you AI agency
Yarigai is a done-for-you AI agency based in London. It builds AI agents, CRMs, support agents, inbox triage, document reading and filing, invoice chasers, finance dashboards, internal tools, websites and apps, and it works with clients worldwide over Google Meet.

Yarigai builds inside the client's own accounts and tools, and the client owns the code, the data and the accounts from day one. There is nothing to sign up for, because Yarigai is an agency, not SaaS. The client pays AI and hosting bills at cost, and the monthly running cost is on the quote. A person approves anything that sends money, emails a customer or deletes data.

A project starts with a free 30-minute scope call on Google Meet, and the client keeps the notes whether it hires Yarigai or not. A blueprint of about a week, credited to the build, sets out a written plan, a clickable prototype, the monthly running cost, a fixed price and the payback maths. The build takes 2 to 6 weeks in the client's accounts, with a demo of working software every week. Monthly care is optional, and the client can cancel any month and keep everything.

Yarigai does not publish prices for its agency work and quotes a fixed price after the blueprint. Its guarantee is one sentence: "If the build isn't profitable for you, we won't build it." If the system doesn't come out ahead for the client within the first year, Yarigai doesn't take the job. [The Yarigai guarantee](/guarantee) sets out the test.

## Common questions
### What does done-for-you mean in AI?
It means the provider does the technical work instead of the client. A done-for-you AI agency scopes the workflow, builds the agent or automation, connects it to the client's tools and usually runs it afterwards on a monthly plan. The client supplies access and decisions.

### How much does a done-for-you AI agency cost in the UK?
Published UK prices in November 2026 start at £495 for Augustova's fixed audit. BRVO charges £2,500 to £6,000 to build one agent and £400 to £1,500 per agent a month to manage it. The guide to [AI agency costs in the UK](/guides/ai-agency-cost-uk) lists more firms.

### What is the difference between done-for-you and done-with-you?
A done-for-you agency builds and runs the system. A done-with-you provider coaches the client's own staff to build it, through training, templates or joint sessions. Done-with-you builds internal skills but needs staff time, and DSIT found that 67% of UK businesses using AI already cite limited skills as a barrier.

### Who owns a system that a done-for-you agency builds?
Whoever the contract names. Ask for the code or workflow files, the AI provider account, the hosting account and the data to sit in the business's name, with the agency added as a user. Augustova and Yarigai both put code and accounts in the client's name from day one.

### How long does a done-for-you AI build take?
BRVO builds one agent in a two-week sprint. Yarigai takes about a week for a blueprint and 2 to 6 weeks to build.

### Is a done-for-you AI agency the same as an AI SaaS tool?
No. A SaaS vendor runs one product for many customers, and each customer configures it and pays per seat or per outcome, such as Intercom's $0.99 per Fin outcome. A done-for-you agency builds a system around one client's process, often in the client's own accounts.

## Sources
1. [Custom AI Agents for SMEs, Built and Managed for You](https://www.brvo.co.uk/), BRVO, checked 7 November 2026.
2. [AI Agency London: Agents, Automation, AI Builds](https://www.augustova.co.uk/ai-agency-london), Augustova, checked 7 November 2026.
3. [AI Automation Agency UK, Custom Business Workflows](https://flowio.co.uk/), flowio, checked 7 November 2026.
4. [AI Agency, Agent Automation Company, London and Surrey](https://ronins.co.uk/ai-agency), Ronins, checked 7 November 2026.
5. [AI adoption survey report 2026: executive summary](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-adoption-survey-2026/ai-adoption-survey-report-2026-executive-summary), Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (research commissioned by DSIT), published 29 October 2026.
6. [Intercom Pricing, Plans for every team size](https://www.intercom.com/pricing), Intercom, checked 7 November 2026.
7. [Plans and Pricing](https://zapier.com/pricing), Zapier, checked 7 November 2026.
8. [Artificial Intelligence Engineer Job Trends, Salaries and Skill Sets](https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/uk/artificial%20intelligence%20engineer.do), IT Jobs Watch, data for the 6 months to 6 November 2026, checked 7 November 2026.
9. [Plans and Pricing, ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/pricing/?type=team), OpenAI, UK prices checked 7 November 2026.
10. [Plans and pricing, Claude by Anthropic](https://claude.com/pricing), Anthropic, UK prices checked 7 November 2026.