The robots are coming for your service business.

You’ve built a nice little agency, charging clients for the time and labor of your team.

But now, AI tools are automating all that routine work, gutting your revenue source.

You’re not alone.

This is happening across industries.

This isn’t anything new.

First came the cheap global labor

Next came the SaaS tools

Now comes the AI

So what do you do?

You move UP THE VALUE CHAIN.

You focus on the one thing that can’t be automated: strategy.

If you are able to shift your focus from execution to strategy, you can still command a premium.

You can be the ones directing the AI, not just cranking out work.

Think about it like the legal world.

An IP strategist can charge $1,600 an hour, while a run-of-the-mill attorney is billing at $160/h. That’s 10x.

The difference is in the perceived value of their strategic insight

The same will be true for service businesses in the age of AI

The ones that thrive will be those who can provide high-level guidance and shape the direction of the technology.

But here’s the catch: there’s only so much you can charge for strategy.

It’s a vague thing, and the market will ultimately decide your worth

That is why you can’t JUST rely on providing strategic value

It’s the new table stakes

You need to embrace client results, not just abstract ideas

Become an indispensable partner in shaping their business OUTCOMES, not just a vendor cranking out deliverables

It won’t be easy

You’ll need to retool your business model and rethink your value proposition

But the alternative is to watch your margins compress until you’re just another commodity