It is the first question every SME owner asks, and the hardest to get a straight answer to. Most agencies dodge it with "it depends". It does depend, but you still deserve real numbers and a clear method. Here is how we think about pricing a data project for a small or mid-sized company.
What actually drives the price
A data project cost is not driven by the volume of data, as many assume. It is driven by three things: how scattered your data sources are, how clean the data is, and how much the result needs to be automated versus done once.
- Number and type of sources to connect (a CRM, three Excel files and an ERP is more work than one clean database)
- State of the data: duplicates, missing fields and inconsistent formats all add cleaning time
- One-off deliverable or a system that runs every week automatically
- Compliance requirements (GDPR, PDPA), which add governance work but protect you long-term
Realistic ranges
For an SME, a focused data audit with a costed roadmap typically starts in the low four figures and is the smartest first step: it removes the guesswork before you commit to a build. A complete project (unifying sources, dashboards, automation) usually lands in the four to low five figures depending on scope. The point is not the exact number here, it is that you should get that number as a fixed price before work starts.
Why fixed price matters
The real budget killer is not the headline price, it is the open-ended day rate that drifts for months. We quote a fixed price after a short scoping audit, so you know the total before committing. No surprises on the invoice.
A clear, firm quote after the audit beats a cheap day rate that never stops counting.
The pragmatic first step
If you are unsure, start with the audit. It is low-commitment, gives you a costed roadmap you own, and you can stop there or continue. Book a 20-minute call and we will tell you honestly whether your project is a small fix or a real build.