AI Solutions Consultant · Chelmsford, Essex

Helping businesses solve real problems.Faster. Cheaper. Smarter.

With 50 years of business experience, I bridge the gap between human expertise and AI capability — delivering practical results without the jargon.

"If you can dream it, AI can probably build it."

Start a Conversation 📞 07802 670661
Meet Norman

A message from Norman

Norman Ellis
About Norman

Real-world experience. Cutting-edge AI.

But Norman has always been a creator. When AI technology began to emerge, it arrived at exactly the right moment. Four years on, he has developed a wide range of AI skills — from content creation and workflow automation to custom app development and digital storytelling.

Today Norman helps business owners, creators, and entrepreneurs streamline their work, elevate their branding, and unlock new creative possibilities — blending decades of real-world experience with cutting-edge AI tools.

What I Do

What I've been building

Everything here started as someone's half-formed idea. I take on a small number of projects a year, and the ones I enjoy most are the ones nobody's asked for before. If you've got something odd in mind, tell me about it.

01
🎬
Step Into The Scene AI video
Step Into The Scene
AI Video & Avatar Production
Professional video content using AI avatars and lip-sync technology. Onboarding videos, training modules, social content, and promotional videos — without a camera crew.

Step Into The Scene — a personal gift →
02
📱
Belsteads social media mascot
Social Media Content & Automation
AI-powered content calendars, automated post generation, and platform-optimised visuals. I manage Belsteads Coffee Shop's entire social presence using these tools.
03
⚙️
Salonteur pricing calculator
Custom AI Apps & Tools
Bespoke HTML/JavaScript apps deployed via Netlify. Booking systems, trackers, membership portals — built to solve your specific problem. No generic software.
04
🎓
AI training module screenshot
AI Training Modules
Complete e-learning content — scripted, structured, and produced with AI avatars. Fully accredited modules already delivered and in active use. If you need professional training content without a film crew, this is proven and ready.
05
🎵
The Vets AI band
AI Music Production
Original AI-generated songs — with professional lyrics, style prompts, and AI-produced music videos. My band The Vets is live on Spotify and Apple Music.
06
📖
Published book
AI-Assisted Publishing
From manuscript to Amazon KDP — ebooks, audiobooks, and print-ready formats. I've published The Generational Chameleon series myself using these exact methods.
07
Salonteur product range
Product Range Creation
AI-driven product naming, packaging concepts, and brand identity. Built for the professional hair and beauty industry under my SALONTEUR range concept.
08
📞
AI Receptionist
Voice-controlled AI front-of-house — answers calls, books appointments, handles FAQs, and manages enquiries around the clock. Never miss a client again. Currently powering Salonteur, my AI voice business mentor for self-employed hairdressers.
New
Real Results

Case Studies

Four real projects. Real clients. Real outcomes.

Belsteads Coffee Shop mascot
Belsteads Coffee Shop · Channels Hotel, Chelmsford
Social Media Automation & Content Strategy
Built a fully autonomous AI agent that generates daily Facebook and Instagram content, emails it in HTML format, and maintains a consistent weekly rhythm of food photography, signature coffee content, and chalkboard posts.
✦ Daily content delivered without manual input · Analytics confirmed real photography outperforms AI imagery · Engagement driven by a clear weekly content rhythm
LAPA training module
LAPA Award · Leading Accessible Physical Activity
Accredited AI-Produced Training Modules
Scripted, structured, and produced a full suite of accredited e-learning video modules for the Leading Accessible Physical Activity Award using AI avatar technology. Multi-module content targeting nine-minute delivery per module — covering inclusion, accessibility, communication, and physical environment design. Fully delivered and in active use.
✦ Multiple accredited modules completed · AI avatar production throughout · Professional assessment questions included · Ready for learners
The Rent A Chair Specialists · 6,200 Members
Community Monetisation & Digital Tools
Transformed a Facebook community into a multi-revenue platform — tiered memberships, partner sponsorships, a Rental Agreement Generator app, colour price comparison guide, and salon software comparison guide, all live on the website.
✦ Multiple digital tools live and in active use across the community · therentachairspecialists.com
Salonteur · AI Voice Business Mentor
The UK's First AI Voice Mentor for Self-Employed Hairdressers
Salonteur puts 50 years of Norman Ellis's hairdressing and business knowledge into a voice app you can talk to any time of the day or night. Ask it anything — pricing, chair rental, insurance, colour and products, booking systems, self-employment, business growth, client management — and get instant, expert guidance based on Norman's real-world experience. No appointment. No waiting. Just answers. Live at lifebehindthechair.co.uk on a simple monthly subscription.
✦ lifebehindthechair.co.uk
The Books

Published Works

Three books. Real experience. No fluff. Available on Amazon.

The Generational Chameleon Essentials

The Generational Chameleon: Essentials

£3.75

The accessible entry point. Understand how to communicate with, retain, and serve clients across five distinct generations. Practical. No fluff.

Buy on Amazon →
THE
GENERATIONAL
CHAMELEON
—
ADVANCED
MASTERCLASS

The Generational Chameleon: Advanced Masterclass

£9.50

The deep dive. Advanced strategies for salon owners and service professionals who want to build lasting multi-generational client loyalty.

Buy on Amazon →
The Luck Percentage book cover

The Luck Percentage

Audiobook · Norman Ellis

You Make Your Own Luck? Think Again. A bold counter to the self-help myth — Norman's theory that everyone is born with a different, unprovable percentage of luck that shapes everything. Raw, honest, and unlike anything else in the genre.

luckpercentage.com →

50 years experience · Practical · No fluff · Available on Amazon

The Vets · AI Rock Band
The Vets band
THE VETS
AI-Generated Female Rock Band

The Vets are proof that AI music production is a genuine creative and commercial skill. An entirely AI-generated female rock band — from the lyrics and production to the avatars and music videos — now live on Spotify and Apple Music.

Songs written and produced with AI, with AI avatar lip-sync videos, professional-quality production, and a growing catalogue distributed to major streaming platforms.

This is a service I can deliver for your brand, product, or project. Original music. Real streaming presence. AI-powered, human-directed.

🎵 Spotify 🎵 Apple Music ▶ Music Videos
🎤
Lead Singer
Long black hair · Black hoodie · Dark eyeliner · AI-generated avatar
🎸
Lead Guitarist
Choppy dark brown hair · Leather jacket · Raw energy
🥁
Drummer
Platinum blonde shaved-side · Tattoos · Nose ring
🎵
Tracks include: Anna · Karma · Patient · Too Late
Radiohead-inspired alt-rock · Available for sync licensing
Common Questions

What business owners ask me most

Straight answers to the questions I get asked every week about AI, cost, and what's actually involved.

What does an AI consultant actually do?

An AI consultant looks at how your business runs day to day and identifies where AI can genuinely save you time or money — then builds and implements it for you. In practice that means things like setting up an AI receptionist to answer your calls, automating your social media content, building a custom app to replace a manual process, or producing training and marketing content without a film crew. The consulting part is knowing which tools are worth your money and which are hype.

How much does an AI receptionist cost?

AI receptionist services typically start from around £150 per month. That covers a dedicated phone number, 24/7 call answering, enquiry handling and message taking. For most small businesses that is considerably less than the cost of missed calls, let alone a part-time receptionist. Setup costs are quoted separately depending on how complex your requirements are.

Do I need to be technical to use AI in my business?

Not at all. I handle every part of the technical side — the setup, the configuration, the testing and the ongoing adjustments. You tell me the problem in plain English and I solve it. If you can describe what frustrates you about your working week, that is genuinely all I need to get started.

What size of business do you work with?

Mostly small and independent businesses — salons, cafés, professional practices, trades, agencies and sole traders. These are the businesses where AI makes the biggest proportional difference, because there is no admin team absorbing the workload. If you are a business owner doing three jobs at once, that is exactly who this is built for.

How long does a project take?

Most projects start within a week of our first conversation. Simpler work like a social media automation setup can be live in a few days. A custom app or a full AI receptionist implementation usually takes two to three weeks from brief to launch, depending on how much of your own content and information needs building in.

Which areas do you cover?

I am based in Chelmsford and work with businesses right across Essex — Colchester, Braintree, Basildon, Brentwood, Southend and the surrounding towns — as well as London and further afield. Most of the work is delivered remotely, so location is rarely a limitation. If you are local I am always happy to meet in person.

Is AI worth it for a small business?

Only if it solves a real problem you actually have. AI applied badly is an expensive distraction. Applied well, it removes the repetitive work that eats your week — the calls you miss, the posts you never get round to writing, the admin that piles up on a Sunday evening. My honest advice is always to start with one clear problem rather than trying to transform everything at once.

What happens on a first call?

We have a conversation. You tell me about your business and what is frustrating you, and I tell you honestly whether AI can help and roughly what it would cost. Sometimes the answer is that it is not worth it yet, and I will say so. There is no charge for that first conversation. Call 07802 670661.

Get In Touch

Let's solve a real problem

Whether you need a quick conversation or a full AI project, I'm happy to talk. No pressure. Just honest advice.

I work with small businesses, salon owners, community builders, and anyone who wants to use AI practically — without the overwhelm. If you've got a challenge, I've probably already solved a version of it.

📞
07802 670661
🌐
Trading as N Ellis T/A OP-TEC
📍
Chelmsford, Essex

Services available

  • AI Video & Avatar Production
  • Social Media Content & Automation
  • Custom AI Apps & Tools
  • AI Training Modules
  • AI Music Production & Music Videos
  • AI-Assisted Publishing (KDP)
  • Product Range Creation
  • AI Receptionist & Voice Management (NEW)
  • Creating Animation Characters with Voice (NEW)