Takes ~4 minutes — plus 2 free AI guides sent straight to your inbox.
The Problem
You're watching others move ahead. It's not because AI is hard.
Business owners aren't falling behind because AI is complicated. They're falling behind because they're time-poor, the advice they receive is generic, and the technology feels designed for someone else.
The tools exist. The opportunity is real. What's missing is someone who understands your business, speaks your language, and can show you — in plain terms — where AI creates actual leverage.
72%of SME owners say AI is a priority — fewer than 1 in 10 have meaningfully implemented it
1 dayis all it takes to go from standing start to activated and clear on your biggest AI opportunity
5–50staff is the sweet spot where AI creates disproportionate advantage — and almost nobody is capitalising on it
Why It Works
Built by someone who has actually done it.
My background is in building businesses and driving operational improvement from the inside. I've always been less interested in technology for its own sake and more focused on what it can actually do for people and the bottom line. That real-world lens is what I bring to AI — and it's why I'm able to translate it into plain language and practical outcomes that actually make sense to business owners. No jargon, no complexity. Just clear thinking about where AI fits, and how to make it work.
Structured around your business problem, not the capabilities of any tool
Plain language throughout — no jargon, no assumption of prior knowledge
Built for owners who are time-poor and overwhelmed by the noise — not enthusiasts looking for complexity
20 years of operational experience in the room — not a theoretical framework
You leave with something working, not a roadmap
Mark Calabro
Founder, AI Ignite
Entrepreneur with 20+ years building and scaling founder-led businesses. Mark's edge is translating AI into plain language and practical outcomes for business owners who are time-poor and don't have time for theory.
Co-founded OrderMate — acquired by ASX-listed MSL Solutions for $7.5M, processing $2B+ in annual transactions across 2,400 venues
Co-founded HungryHungry — grew to 1,500+ venues, merged with MOBI to serve 4,000+ venues across 15 countries
Recognised in Deloitte Fast 50 Technology companies
75%+ of business growth driven by referrals — built on trust, not marketing spend
The Service
Three steps. Real outcomes.
Every AI Ignite engagement follows a clear progression — starting with where you actually are, not where we assume you to be.
Step 1
Your AI Starting Point
A free, ~4-minute assessment. See your results instantly — an honest read on where you're at, whether AI can genuinely help your business right now, and a Day One mapped to exactly where you are — plus two free AI guides emailed straight to you. Mark reads every answer personally and follows up directly. No pitch. Just real clarity on your next step.
Free
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Step 2
Day One — Get Started
A full day at your premises — hands on the wheel from the moment we sit down. No theory, no slide decks. I'm right beside you and your team the whole day — not presenting at you, but sitting next to you, making sure every person genuinely understands this and can keep using AI on their own the moment I leave. We start with a discovery conversation to understand your business, then spend the day getting you and up to three of your team properly started using your own work throughout.
We end the day together identifying the most valuable thing we could build on Day Two — so if you want to go further, you already know exactly what it is. Day Two is completely optional and a separate decision. Most people just start with Day One.
Includes a follow-up window where I'm available by phone or message after the day.
Tailored to your business
Step 3 — Optional
Day Two — Build & Implement
One practical thing, scoped to be built and delivered in a single day. The scope comes directly from what we identified together at the end of Day One — so there are no surprises and no scope creep.
Includes a follow-up window where I'm available by phone or message after the day.
Price on request
Day One Diaries
See a real Day One.
Real businesses, real outcomes — no two days look the same.
Any business owner struggling to get started with AI.
Industry doesn't matter. What matters is the pattern: you know AI is important, you haven't found a practical way in, and you're time-poor. You've seen others moving ahead and you're not sure where to begin. That's exactly who AI Ignite is built for.
The sweet spot is SME owners with roughly 5 to 50 staff — where AI creates disproportionate advantage, and where almost nobody is yet capitalising on it. If you want a practical outcome, not a strategy deck, this is for you.
FAQ
Common questions.
It starts with the free assessment — about four minutes. You'll see your results instantly, plus two free AI guides sent straight to your inbox. Mark reads every answer personally and follows up directly — no auto-booking. From there, you and Mark jump on a call to talk through what working together could look like — the right shape of an engagement, and the investment to match. No pitch, no pressure — just a clear path to your next step.
A free, ~4-minute assessment — the first step in every AI Ignite engagement. You'll see your results instantly: where you're at, whether AI can genuinely help your business right now, and a recommended Day One mapped to exactly where you are — plus two free AI guides emailed straight to you. Mark reads every answer personally and follows up directly. If he doesn't think he can add real value, he'll say so. No jargon, no generic advice, no pitch.
You're running a 1–50 person business, flat out day-to-day with little time to properly get into AI yourself. Maybe someone on your team has already raced ahead with it, but you're not convinced that time is productive. Maybe competitors are pulling ahead, or something in the business has made it urgent. Either way, you don't want another tool to figure out alone — you want someone you trust to walk you and your team through it properly, in a day, with something real already built by the end.
Two simple things. First, I'll send you a short form to complete — the date that works best for you, who'll be in the room and their roles, and a few simple setup instructions, including making sure everyone has an active Claude subscription so we hit the ground running with no delays. Then you and I jump on a quick 1:1 call — around 30 minutes — to talk through your goals for the day and make sure everything's lined up so Day One runs smoothly from the very first minute. That's it. No lengthy onboarding. We keep it simple so you can focus on showing up ready to go.
A full day at your premises — hands on the wheel from the moment we sit down. No theory, no slide decks. I'm right beside you and your team the whole day — not presenting at you, but sitting next to you, making sure every person genuinely understands this and can keep using AI on their own the moment I leave. It's you and up to three of your team — ideally the ones closest to the problem we're solving, and no technical knowledge required. We start with a discovery conversation to understand your business properly, then spend the day getting you properly started using your own work throughout, and finish by identifying the most valuable thing we could build on Day Two.
By the end of Day One: your team is up and running with AI and knows how to use it day-to-day, you have a clear picture of where it makes the biggest difference, and you have a practical process you can keep building on. Day Two is completely optional, and scoped entirely around what came out of Day One — usually building one real, valuable thing, with a clear scope agreed up front. Either way, every day includes a follow-up window where I'm available by phone or message. The goal is that you leave self-sufficient, not dependent.
It's not a training course, a software subscription, or a lengthy consulting engagement. It's not right if you're looking for someone to manage AI for you ongoing, or if you want a full digital transformation program. This is a fast, focused, practical start.
There's no one-size-fits-all price, because no two businesses are the same. Your AI Starting Point assessment is always free. From there, what you invest in Day One is tailored to your business — its size, your team, and what you want to get out of the day — and we work out the right fit together on a quick call, so you know exactly what you're getting before anything is locked in. Day Two, if you choose to go further, is priced on request once we know what we're building.
Get Started
Four minutes is all it takes to get your AI starting point.
Take the free assessment and see your results instantly — plus 2 free AI guides sent straight to your inbox. Mark reads every answer personally and follows up directly — no auto-booking, no pitch.
Or send a message below and he'll get back to you directly.
