Growth SMEs: AI Business Services

Business Services SME (Zimbabwe): AI that Sped Up Business Services

Industry:Business Services (Company Registration & Tax Clearance)
Location:Zimbabwe
Engagement:6 months
Services:AI strategy, workflow automation, chatbot deployment

Confidentiality Notice

To honour the non-disclosure agreements we sign with every client, we have anonymised company names and any uniquely identifying details in the case studies that follow. All results, metrics, and implementation insights are real. Only the identities are withheld to protect our clients’ confidentiality.

The Client

A Zimbabwean business services SME that streamlines company registration, tax clearance and other business services for new and growing businesses. The engagement began on 04 January 2025 with XcellentAI as the consulting partner.

The Challenge

The client faced several operational bottlenecks:

  • Website converted under 2%, with most clients arriving via commission-based agents
  • Research for unfamiliar sectors took 2–3 days before any work began
  • Standard registrations ran 3–7 days with frequent registrar rejections
  • Social media usage was infrequent and unstructured
  • Inbound inquiries repeated the same FAQs

Impact: Slow decision cycles, low direct acquisition, and avoidable back-and-forth on requirements.

Objectives

Lift website conversion to at least 5% in 6 months
Cut unfamiliar-industry research time by ~70%
Shrink registration turnaround to 5 days
Grow direct (non-agent) client acquisition by ~30%

What XcellentAI Built

AI Website Chatbot (24/7)

Answers FAQs and guides prospects through company registration and tax clearance, reducing drop-offs and handling repeat queries.

Name-Search Assistant

Suggests compliant, alternative business names aligned to registrar conventions, cutting avoidable rejections.

Industry-Requirements Generator

Surfaces common requirements for unfamiliar sectors from past cases, speeding guidance.

Premium AI Research & Doc Prep

Perplexity, Gemini and ChatGPT subscriptions for quicker policy lookups; AI-assisted document preparation and compliance checks.

Lead Gen & Nurture Automation

Targeted campaigns with AI-driven segmentation and automated, personalized follow-ups.

Results & Impact (6 Months)

Website Conversion: Reached slightly ≥5%, meeting the target set in consultation
Research Time: ≈65% faster guidance for unfamiliar industries (from 2–3 days to same day)
Registration Turnaround: Down to 5 days max, aligned with the goal
Direct Client Acquisition: ≈25% increase in non-agent leads

Operational Efficiency: Fewer registrar-name rejections and less back-and-forth on requirements thanks to AI-assisted name checks and sector templates.

Implementation Approach

1

Phase 1 - Quick Wins

Deploy chatbot + FAQ flows

2

Phase 2 - Back-Office Acceleration

Roll out Name-Search Assistant and Requirements Generator; enable AI-assisted research

3

Phase 3 - Demand Engine

Launch segmented campaigns and automated nurture sequences

4

Phase 4 - Iterate & Scale

Track conversions, refine flows, and expand automations

Tech & Integrations

AI Chatbot integrated with the website for triage, FAQs, and guided intake
Perplexity, Gemini and ChatGPT subscription for accelerated research and document preparation
Marketing Automation for audience segmentation and personalized nurture sequences

Why It Worked

Clear Targets

Tied to real bottlenecks: conversion, research, turnaround, direct acquisition

Embedded Automations

Integrated where work happens: website, research, campaigns

Pragmatic Roadmap

Fast wins, measurable tracking, modest budget, iterative scaling

What's Next

Together with the client, we're extending the roadmap to deepen automation in intake → document prep → submission, and continuously optimize campaigns based on analytics insights.

Confidentiality Notice

The information contained in this case study is confidential and intended solely for the use of XcellentAI and its client. Unauthorized dissemination, distribution, or copying is strictly prohibited.

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