“Is there anyone local who'll actually come in and see how we work?”
AI consultancy in Sussex, from a business owner based in Eastbourne.
Yes. I'm based in Eastbourne, and I'll come to you anywhere in East Sussex.
I'm Daniel Andrews, and for years I worked 60 to 70 hours a week, often until 2am. Putting my firm on systems changed that. Now I help firms across East Sussex and Brighton and Hove get their time back with AI and automation, in person or by video. Below are the official figures for each district, and the free help already on offer.
Help with AI always seems to be somewhere else
You started a business to be free, not to do admin at night. And when you look for help, it's never local.
“Every AI firm I find is in London, or wants to build us an app.”
“I want someone who'll come in and see how we actually work.”
“There are five of us. Surely we're too small for this.”
“I've heard there's free help around. I just don't know where.”
Where do you offer AI consultancy in Sussex?
I'm based in Eastbourne and work across all five East Sussex districts: Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother and Wealden. I also cover Brighton and Hove. First meetings are usually at your premises, and much of the work after that happens by video. I work in West Sussex and over the Kent border too.
I've been in BNI for 20 years, so I know how small firms here run: the cash-flow worries, the chasing and the admin that eats evenings.
Eastbourne, Hastings, and Brighton and Hove each have a page of their own, with local figures, main sectors and support. Lewes, Wealden and Rother are covered further down this page, in the same detail.
Eastbourne
Where I'm based. 3,075 businesses, with a bigger share of hotels, cafés and care providers than England as a whole.
AI and automation in EastbourneHastings boroughHastings
Hastings and St Leonards: 2,930 businesses, led by construction, with the highest share of shops in the county and a strong creative streak.
AI and automation in HastingsCity of Brighton and HoveBrighton and Hove
The biggest business base nearby: 14,035 firms, heavy on professional services and digital. Hands-on AI training for teams, plus practical automation.
AI and automation in Brighton and HoveWhat do businesses in East Sussex look like?
Small, mostly. In March 2026 East Sussex had 23,230 VAT or PAYE-registered businesses, and 90.4% employed fewer than 10 people. Brighton and Hove had another 14,035. Construction and professional services lead almost everywhere, but each district has its own mix, as the table shows.
| Area | Businesses | Fewer than 10 staff | Largest groups | Main towns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | 3,075 | 88.1% | Construction, professional services, hotels and food | Eastbourne, including Meads, Old Town, Hampden Park, Langney and Sovereign |
| Hastings | 2,930 | 88.9% | Construction, professional services, hotels and food | Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea |
| Lewes | 4,220 | 90.2% | Professional services, construction, arts and other services | Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven, Peacehaven |
| Rother | 4,280 | 91.4% | Construction, professional services, farming, forestry and fishing | Bexhill-on-Sea, Battle, Rye |
| Wealden | 8,725 | 91.3% | Construction, professional services, business support | Crowborough, Hailsham, Heathfield, Polegate, Uckfield |
| East Sussex (all five) | 23,230 | 90.4% | Construction, professional services, business support | Largest urban areas: Eastbourne and Hastings with Bexhill |
| Brighton and Hove | 14,035 | 90.1% | Professional services, information and communication, construction | Brighton, Hove, Portslade, Rottingdean, Woodingdean |
| England | 2,423,150 | 89.2% | Professional services, construction, business support | For comparison |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts via Nomis, March 2026, released 24 September 2026. It counts VAT or PAYE-registered businesses where their main office is registered. ONS rounds each count to the nearest 5, so the percentages are approximate.
"Professional services" is the ONS group for professional, scientific and technical firms, such as accountants, solicitors, architects, consultants and agencies. Towns from Wealden District Council, Rother District Council, ONS ward names and legislation.gov.uk.
In a business that size, there's rarely anyone whose job is IT. The owner fills the gap, usually in the evenings. If everything stops when you stop, you've built a job, not a business.
The county's economic prosperity strategy puts output per job at 73% of the UK figure, and notes gaps in management skills across every sector. Automation alone won't close that gap.
What it can do is give small teams back the hours lost to retyping, chasing and building reports by hand. It's the method I used on my own firm: see where the time goes, put the repeat work on systems, and spend the hours you win back on the business.
Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven and Peacehaven
Lewes district had 4,220 businesses in March 2026, and 90.2% had fewer than 10 staff. It's the only East Sussex district where professional, scientific and technical firms are the biggest group, at 17.1%. Construction is close behind at 16.2%, and manufacturing makes up 5.7%.
The county strategy describes Lewes as the historic county town. Seaford, Peacehaven and Newhaven run along the coast towards Brighton, and Newhaven is a light industrial centre and ferry port.
In a professional firm, the time usually goes on documents: letters, proposals, file notes and chasing clients for information. That's where I'd look first.
- Proposals and letters drafted from your notes, checked by you before they go.
- Requests for client information sent and chased automatically until everything's in.
- Meeting notes written up, with actions sent round after each call.
Local support: Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven and Peacehaven and District each have a chamber of commerce.
Crowborough, Hailsham, Heathfield, Polegate and Uckfield
Wealden is the county's biggest business district. It had 8,725 businesses in March 2026, which is 37.6% of the East Sussex total. Of those, 91.3% had fewer than 10 staff.
Construction is the largest group at 18.3%, the highest share of any East Sussex district. Farming, forestry and fishing make up 7.4%, twice the England figure of 3.7%. Wealden District Council says half its residents live in the five main towns, and the rest across 37 rural parishes.
For builders and trades, the paperwork often happens in the van or late at night. Quotes, job updates and invoices are the usual culprits.
- Quotes drafted from your site notes and price list, ready for you to check.
- Customers kept up to date automatically as a job moves along.
- Invoices chased politely on a schedule, and the reminders stop once they're paid.
Local support: Uckfield, Crowborough and District and Heathfield have chambers of commerce, and Wealden District Council sends out a monthly business newsletter.
Bexhill-on-Sea, Battle and Rye
Rother had 4,280 businesses in March 2026. At 91.4%, it has the highest share with fewer than 10 staff in East Sussex, and four in five employ fewer than five people.
Construction leads at 17.6%, followed by professional services at 14.3%. Farming, forestry and fishing make up 8.5%, the highest share in the county. Retail (8.1%) and hotels and food (7.6%) come next.
When a business is one or two people, every hour of admin is an hour not earning. So for very small firms I start with the basics.
- Enquiries from your website and inbox logged in one place, with a reply drafted.
- Bookings confirmed and reminders sent without you picking up the phone.
- Receipts and invoices captured as they happen, so the books stay up to date.
Local support: Rother District Council sends a monthly Business Alerts email, and the East Sussex Growth Hub covers the whole district. Bexhill businesses are also close to the support listed on my Hastings page.
Council changes are on the way. On 16 July 2026 the Government announced, subject to Parliament, that one new council will replace East Sussex County Council and the five district and borough councils from April 2028. Brighton and Hove would also take in East Saltdean, Peacehaven and Telscombe. Council business pages and schemes may move, so check the latest announcement before relying on one.
What free business support is there in Sussex?
More than most owners realise, and it's worth using first. The East Sussex Growth Hub offers free, impartial support, including digital skills workshops and specialist help with AI. Brighton and Hove has its own Growth Hub. Libraries in Eastbourne, Hastings and Brighton host Business & IP Centre services, and most towns have a chamber of commerce.
| Support | Who it's for | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| East Sussex Growth Hub | Businesses in the five East Sussex districts | Free, impartial advice. New for autumn 2026: a Digital Growth Series of workshops and Time to Grow, which links firms with specialists in areas including AI |
| Brighton & Hove Growth Hub | Businesses in the city | A free city council service, funded by the UK Government, working with the city's Business & IP Centre |
| Business & IP Centre (BIPC Sussex) | Start-ups and small firms | Free business databases, events and one-to-one advice at Eastbourne and Hastings libraries, and at Jubilee Library in Brighton |
| Chambers of commerce | Any local business | Membership-based networking and a local voice. The Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex links every town chamber and the FSB |
| GOV.UK Business Support Service | Any UK business | A national helpline for advice on starting and growing |
| AI Skills Hub | Every UK adult | Free AI foundations courses |
Use the free programmes to learn the ideas. I come in at the next step: looking at your business in particular, then building and testing the changes with your team. My services page explains how that works.
Wherever you are in Sussex, start with a free 30-minute call. No jargon and no hard sell.
Book a free 30-minute callDo you come to us, or is it all done by video?
Both. I like the first proper meeting to be at your premises, because seeing how the work gets done is where the useful ideas come from. After that, most of the building and testing happens remotely, with short video check-ins. Training can be in person or online, whichever suits your team best.
If you're not sure where to begin, an AI readiness assessment maps where your week goes and ranks the fixes. If you already know the job you want gone, business automation is the quicker route.
A free call
By phone or video, wherever you are. You tell me what's eating your time.
A visit
I come to you, watch how the work flows and meet the people who do it.
Build and test
Mostly done remotely, with short check-ins and a visit when it helps.
Train and hand over
At your office or online, with everything written down for your team.
Questions about the areas I cover
Why do only three towns have their own page?
Eastbourne is my base, and Hastings and Brighton and Hove are the biggest urban areas to the east and west. Everywhere else is covered on this page. If you're in Lewes, Wealden or Rother, you get the same work and the same care.
Do you work outside East Sussex?
Yes. I work in West Sussex and over the Kent border up to Tunbridge Wells, and much of the work can be done by video from anywhere.
Is my business too small for AI and automation?
Almost certainly not. Nine in ten East Sussex businesses have fewer than 10 staff, and in Rother four in five have fewer than five. For a very small firm, the right automation is usually small too, and it often runs on software you already pay for.
Can we meet somewhere other than our office?
Yes. A shared workspace, a café or your kitchen table all work. All I need is to see the jobs you want to change and to talk to the people who do them.
Will the council changes affect the free support?
They might. The Government's plan, announced in July 2026, replaces the current East Sussex councils from April 2028, subject to Parliament. Growth hub programmes and council business pages may move. I'll point you to whatever is current when we speak.
Wherever you are in Sussex, let's find the hours in your week
Book a free 30-minute call. Tell me what's eating your time, and I'll tell you honestly what I'd do about it. You can read more about me first.