How to Work with Chris Wray

I’m Chris Wray, a business automation consultant. This page is for people who want to work with me and aren’t sure where to start. It walks you through the five ways to begin the relationship, from a free audit to a full implementation, with the price and time commitment for each.

After 25+ years and 400+ businesses across 30+ countries, I’ve learned that people show up at very different stages. Some have a vague sense things could be better and want to look around first. Some have a single, urgent question. Some already know exactly what they want built and need someone to build it. The destination is the same either way. The journey to get there is different.

Free business automation audit, the first way to work with Chris Wray

Same destination, five ways to get there

The outcome of working with me is always the same. A business that runs on systems, not from memory. Tools that work as one. A team that knows what to do without you in the loop. Time back in your week.

What changes is the price, and how much of my time you think you need. Think of it like a coffee shop. Everyone walking in is there for coffee. Some grab a bag of beans and brew at home. Some sit down and order a full breakfast. Same coffee. Different service. Same transformation. Different price.

Here are the five ways:

📋 The five ways to work with Chris Wray

1. Taste it (Free)

If you’re not sure you have a problem worth paying money to fix, start here.

The Free Business Automation Audit is a 15-page, 12-section self-diagnostic. It takes about 20 minutes to complete. You’ll get a score, a list of where your business could be saving time, and specific tools and fixes to consider for each section. No call, no email back-and-forth, no pitch. You fill it in, you get the report. Take the audit.

The monthly newsletter goes out once a month with a mix of business systems thinking and a little personal life from wherever I happen to be in the world. Around 4-500 people read it. You can subscribe at the bottom of any page on this site.

Cost: Free. Time from me: None.

Best for: Anyone curious. Anyone who wants to know what good looks like before they commit a penny.

2. Learn it

If you want to do this yourself, or at least understand the approach before you bring me in, there are two products.

Automated: The Operating System for the One-Person Business. This is my book. It lays out the full systems approach I use with clients, written for people who run their business mostly alone or with a very small team. If you want my thinking in your head, this is the cheapest way to get it. Get the book.

The Business Automation Starter Kit. A DIY Notion template pack with the core structures most service businesses need: a CRM, a project management system, a knowledge base, and a reporting dashboard. Comes with video walkthroughs. Created so you can build it yourself in a weekend. See the Starter Kit.

Cost: $. Time from me: None (asynchronous).

Best for: People who like to learn first and build it themselves, or who want to see the model before paying for my time.

3. Talk it through

Sometimes you don’t need a full engagement. You need one hour with someone who has seen this problem before and can give you a clear answer.

The Discovery Session is a one-hour video call. You bring a specific question, a half-built system, a tool you’re stuck inside, a stack you can’t make sense of. I bring 25+ years of pattern recognition problem solving and tell you what I’d do. You leave with a clear next step, recorded notes, and the ability to act that day. Book a Discovery Session.

Cost: $$$ Time from me: One hour.

Best for: People with one clear question who want a fast, expert answer without committing to a project.

4. Plan it with me

This is the most popular paid entry point, and the one most clients pick when they know something needs fixing but aren’t sure exactly what.

The AI & Automation Discovery Programme is a four-week structured engagement. I go through your tools, your workflows, and your team’s daily reality. We agree where the biggest wins are. You leave with a documented roadmap: what to fix first, what tools to add, replace, or keep, how long it’ll take, what it’ll cost. The roadmap is yours. You can take it and run with it yourself, or hire me to build it, or hand it to your team. No obligation either way. Read more about the Discovery Programme.

Cost: $$$$ Time from me: Four weeks of scoping, analysis, and roadmap design.

Best for: Business owners who know something needs to change and want a clear, costed plan before they commit to a build.

5. Have it built

When you already know what you want, or you’ve done the Discovery Programme and you’re ready to move ahead with the build.

I deliver implementation work in three tiers, from a focused two-tool build through to a full Business Operating System with four core systems and automations. Every engagement is scoped and agreed before any work starts. Every project comes with documentation and/or video training, and a support window after handover. See the Implementation Services page for full tiers and pricing.

Cost: $$$$+ and up, depending on scope. Time from me: 6 to 12 weeks of full delivery.

Best for: Clients who’ve done the planning and want the build done by someone who has done it 400+ times.

Which one fits me right now?

If you’re saying…	Start with
“I’m curious but not sure I have a problem worth paying for”	Free Audit
“I want to learn the approach before I commit”	Book or Starter Kit
“I have one specific question I need answered fast”	Discovery Session
“I know something needs to change but not what to do”	Discovery Programme
“I’ve done the planning, just build it”	Implementation Services

If you’re between two of these, pick the lower one. You can always step up after we’ve talked.

How the ladder fits together

Most clients move through more than one stage over time. A typical pathway looks like this:

Take the free audit, get curious about what came back.
Subscribe to the newsletter for a few months to see how I think.
Buy the book to go deeper.
Book a Discovery Session with a specific question that came out of the book.
Decide to do the Discovery Programme to get a full plan.
Hire me to build what the plan recommends.

That’s a natural sequence. It isn’t a sales funnel, it’s a series of decisions you make at your own pace. Some clients skip straight from the audit to the Discovery Programme. Some come in at implementation because they already have a clear brief and need someone to deliver. There is no wrong order.

What I’d avoid is hiring anyone, me or otherwise, to build something before there’s a written, agreed scope. Half the failed projects I see, fail because nobody agreed in detail what was being built.

Who I work with (and who I don’t)

This is for you if:

You run a service business with five to one hundred people, or you lead a team inside a larger organisation.
You use tools like Pipedrive, Asana, Notion, Airtable, Make, or Zapier, or you want to.
You’re spending more time chasing information than doing the work that pays you.
You want systems your team will actually use, not another tool gathering dust.
You’re ready to invest your own time in the process. I need your input to build the right thing.

This probably isn’t for you if:

You want a custom software product or mobile app built.
You need enterprise ERP or SAP implementation.
You’re looking for a one-hour consultation with no intention of acting on it.
You want a guarantee that I will fix everything with no involvement from you.

What happens after you choose

For the free options, you take action right away. The audit is instant. The newsletter is sign up and wait for the next issue.

For the paid options, every engagement starts with a quick scoping conversation. For the Discovery Session, that’s the call itself.

For the Discovery Programme and Implementation Services, we have a free 20 to 30 minute conversation first so we can agree there’s a fit before any money changes hands. I’ll tell you honestly if I’m not the right person for the work.

Book a free scoping call

FAQ's

How do I know which option to pick?

Look at the comparison table above. Pick the row that matches what you’re saying to yourself right now. If you genuinely don’t know, take the free audit. It’ll tell you a lot about whether you have a problem worth paying to fix.

Do the prices on this page match what I'll actually pay?

Yes. Follow the links for the detailed service and pricing is clear before you book. The prices on the service page are the current published prices in USD.

Implementation tiers above $$$$ vary by scope and are agreed in a written proposal document after the scoping call and before any work begins. Every client is different, every project is different, hence the need for the call. No hidden fees, no hourly charges, just a simple fixed price project.

Can I skip stages?

Yes. Plenty of clients come straight in at the Discovery Programme or Implementation level because they already know what they need. The ladder is a guide, not a queue.

What if I take the audit and decide I don't have a real problem?

Then you’ve saved yourself a lot of money and you can get on with your day. That happens. The audit is genuinely free, with no follow-up sales call unless you ask for one.

What's the difference between the Discovery Session ($$$) and the Discovery Programme ($$$$)?

The Discovery Session is one hour, one question, one clear next step. The session is good for a fast answer.

The Discovery Programme is four weeks of structured analysis with a documented roadmap at the end. The Programme is good when you need a plan you can act on.

What if my budget is tight?

You don’t need to work with Chris Wray to begin with. Start with the audit and the book. Between them you’ll get my approach and a clear picture of where your business could be saving time. That’s enough to make smart decisions on your own for a while.

Do you work with businesses outside the US and UK?

Yes. I work internationally and all work is delivered remotely. I have clients in 30+ countries, every continent except Antarctica. Time zone differences are managed through async communication and calls scheduled at times that work for both parties.

Ready to start?

If you’re not sure where to start, take the audit. It’s free, it takes 20 minutes, and it gives you a clear picture of where the biggest wins are.

Take the Free Business Automation Audit

If you already know what you need, book a free scoping call and we’ll figure out the right fit.