I started this for my cousin Claire.
And my cousin Christopher.
And every business like theirs.
I'm Kirsty. I built Darlington AI because small businesses deserve the same tools big companies use, without the faff, the jargon, or the agency price tag.
Two cousins. Two brilliant people. Completely overwhelmed.
My cousin Claire is a brilliant beauty technician. Loyal clients, a great reputation, a waiting list. But she was posting on Instagram once a month, her Google profile was two years out of date, and she was missing calls because she was with clients.
My cousin Christopher is a plasterer. Same story. Beautiful work, word-of-mouth reputation, but nearly invisible online. He was spending his evenings trying to write Facebook posts when he should have been resting.
They weren't failing at their jobs. They were failing at running a marketing department, an admin team, a social media manager, and a PA, all unpaid, all on top of the actual work.
That's when I thought: this is exactly what AI is for.
AI should work for small businesses, not just big ones.
I've been following AI since 2019. I saw what was coming and I knew it would change things for businesses like Claire's and Christopher's. The question was whether it would be used to help them, or just sold to the people who already had everything.
I watch local high streets struggling and it bothers me. Pubs, cafes, independent shops, closing one by one. Not because people don't want them. Because running a small business is relentless and the odds feel stacked. I can't fix everything. But I can help you stop doing ten things you shouldn't have to be doing.
AI is a genuine leveller. A sole trader in Wallasey can now have the same kind of always-on, consistent, professional presence that a business ten times their size has. That matters to me.
How we work
Plain English, always
If I can't explain it without jargon, I won't charge you for it. No tech-speak. No baffling acronyms.
Simple things first
You don't need a complex AI strategy. You need a few things that actually work. We start there.
Less work, not more
AI should reduce what lands on your desk, not add to it. Everything we build is designed to run quietly and save you hours from the first week.
Your time is the point
Every tool I build gets measured against one question: does it give you your time back?
Fancy a chat?
Book a free 20-minute call. Tell me what you're spending too much time on and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help, and how.
Book a free call