About AIVOR:
Micro-business owners often have accounting software yet lack the confidence or know-how to use it fully. AIVOR is an AI-driven cost calculator and collaborator that bridges this gap. It guides a one person business owner from initial sign-up and data entry, through AI-powered cost insights and pricing recommendations, all the way to confidently using their full accounting package. This journey ensures the user covers all their costs (labour, materials, overhead) in pricing and gains clarity on profitability before transitioning into their accounting software.
1. Sign-Up and Onboarding:
The user registers for AIVOR and gets familiar with its intuitive interface. AIVOR’s onboarding is user-friendly, reducing the intimidation of traditional accounting software. This phase builds the user’s comfort with the tool’s layout and features, addressing the lack of formal accounting background common among small business owners.
2. Enter Operational Data:
The user inputs basic operational data – e.g. labour costs, material costs and overhead expenses. AIVOR prompts for key cost components of the business. By capturing all these cost inputs, the user compiles their total cost of goods/services. This step reinforces cost-plus pricing fundamentals: accounting for raw materials, labour and overhead to set a sustainable price. The simple data entry gives the owner a structured way to quantify their expenses.
3. AI-Generated Costing Insights:
AIVOR’s AI analyses the inputs and produces clear costing insights and initial price recommendations. Using the entered data, AIVOR calculates the cost per product/service and suggests optimal pricing or profit margins. Visual dashboards or summaries might highlight how each cost contributes to the overall price. At this stage, AIVOR acts like an expert advisor: for example, it might say “Your total cost per unit is R8; consider a price of R12 for a 50% margin.” AI tools can quickly crunch numbers and even recommend pricing strategies, giving small business owners data-driven guidance. This instant feedback equips the owner with information that would otherwise require complex calculations or expertise.
4. Decision-Making & Price Adjustment:
The user reviews AIVOR’s suggestions and adjusts their pricing accordingly. With AI-generated insights in hand, the owner can experiment within the tool – for instance, adjusting the price to see projected profit margins or the impact on profitability. AIVOR might show “At R220 sale price, your profit margin is 30%”, allowing the user to make informed decisions on final pricing. This interactive phase empowers the owner to find a price point that covers all costs and meets their profit goals. It prevents the common pitfall of setting prices too low (which can lead to selling at a loss or unsustainable margins). In short, AIVOR ensures the price is neither too high (scaring off customers) nor too low to sustain the business, striking a healthy balance.
5. Profit Clarity & Confidence:
By seeing the breakdown of costs and profits, the user gains clarity into their business’s profitability. This phase is about learning and confidence-building. The owner now clearly understands how each expense affects their bottom line and what their profit margin is at the chosen price. AIVOR’s easy-to-read reports or explanations turn financial data into insights the owner can grasp, dramatically improving the owner’s financial literacy and comfort with numbers. Many small business owners start with limited financial knowledge – in fact, about 28% lack confidence in their financial know-how and this often leads to costly mistakes. With AIVOR, the user can avoid being among the 45% of owners who lose significant profit due to low financial literacy. Instead, they feel in control of pricing and understand their profitability at a glance. This confidence is a turning point: the user is now empowered to make proactive decisions to improve their business, rather than guessing or feeling overwhelmed by accounting.
6. Seamless Transition To Full Accounting:
Having gained trust in the numbers, the user now connects with or uses their full accounting software to manage broader finances. AIVOR serves as a stepping stone – after using it, the once hesitant business owner is ready to engage with their accounting package with far more confidence. This might involve exporting the calculated cost and pricing data to the accounting software or simply using the newfound knowledge to utilize the accounting software’s features (like invoicing, inventory, or financial reports). With the clarity AIVOR provided, the user can now appreciate the value of their accounting software. They’re likely to use it more effectively for automation and tracking, reaping benefits such as time savings and up-to-date financial information. In essence, AIVOR has bridged the gap – the owner transitions from avoiding their accounting tool to embracing it. Now, tasks like bookkeeping, invoicing and cash flow monitoring become less daunting because the owner understands the underlying financial principles. The result is a micro-entrepreneur who not only has accurate cost calculations and pricing but is also set up to maintain their books properly going forward, using professional tools.