You can ask Nutum's chatbot to recommend secure and affordable AI-powered tools provided by trustworthy vendors.

Before you explore our recommendations, we want to be transparent about why we recommend certain tools (and exclude others.)

Our Conflict of Interest Policy

Nutum does not receive any financial reward for recommending a vendor.

It's possible that Nutum's founder Tom Elliott has a preexisting business relationship with some listed vendors and individual employees. However, a vendor's inclusion is not influenced by any business arrangement.

(In fact, some of Tom's former partners are excluded because they do not meet our standards.)

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Selection Methodology

When evaluating a tool, we ask four questions:

1. Is generative AI central to the tool's value proposition?
2. Is the tool practical for small business owners?
3. Is the tool reasonably secure?
4. Is the tool affordable by small business standards?

If the answer to all four questions is an emphatic "yes," then we include them in our recommendation engine.

Is generative AI central to the tool's value proposition?

A tool must demonstrate that it employs generative AI to solve a small business problem. If the tool is only useful to companies with more than ten employees or a $1 million in revenue, it won't be recommended here.

We evaluate tools by using the product ourselves, reviewing support documentation, and reading user reviews and forum posts.

Is the tool practical for small business operators?

While the definition of "practical" is subjective, we know it when we see it. Practicality is judged on several common-sense criteria, including: Can someone produce a helpful result in under 30 minutes of learning ? Does the tool address a common small business problem? Does it require a consultant or agency to implement, or can an owner/operator DIY?

We admit that "practicality" is a judgement call. If you think our bar is too high or too low, let us know!

Is the tool reasonably secure?

"Secure" is another subjective word. We believe that software security must always be graded on a curve, and we set our bar at a relatively high level.

To be recommended, a vendor must demonstrate a multi-year commitment to well-established cybersecurity practices. All our recommended vendors have achieved a recognized certification like SOC-2 or ISo. They must also prominently disclose their privacy, data security, and compliance promises.

One downside to our approach is that it necessarily excludes many startup companies working on the bleeding edge, but which lack the body of evidence required for certification.

As software startup leaders ourselves, we regret drawing the line at "certification achieved." But the privacy and security risks associated with AI tools (and software in general) are significant. Nutum must be on the side of operators for whom a single data leak or cyber insurance claim might kill their business.

If you represent a pre-certification startup that you think should Nutum should recommend, reach out and let's discuss.

Is the AI tool affordable by small business standards?

Our simple test: can a single user find meaningful value for less than $50 per month?

And can a ten person team find meaningful value for under $1,000 a month?

Not all of our recommended tools are priced on a “per seat” basis, but they generally cost  less than $12k/year to get started. And many have viable free tiers.