FAQ18 questions
Questions, answered.
Straight answers on price, timing and what you keep. Question not here? Book a free 15-min AI review.
The basics
What does Artery do?
Artery is the AI partner for small businesses. We find where you lose customers and time, then build and run the fix: websites, Google, ads and social to get found; an AI receptionist, website chat, and email and text so you never miss a lead; automation and custom AI work so the routine runs on autopilot. It starts with a free 15-min AI review.
Who is it for?
Small businesses that run on calls, messages and bookings: trades, clinics, salons, shops, offices. We are based in Northern Virginia, near DC, and work with businesses worldwide. You do not need to know what AI could do for you; finding that out is what the review is for.
Can you do something that isn’t listed here?
Yes. Video, a custom app, an AI tool built around how you work, a booking or payment system, a connection to the software you already use: that is what a partner is for. Tell us on the free 15-min AI review. We scope it, quote it in writing, build it and run it.
What does it cost?
The AI receptionist starts at $750 setup and $249 a month, which includes 300 minutes; extra minutes are $0.25 each. The web concierge starts at $500 and $79 a month. Websites start at $1,000, $1,500 or $2,000, by tier. Your phone number and text messages are passed through at cost on your monthly invoice; you pay your other vendors directly. Get Found on Google starts at $500 a month, and Ads That Bring Calls at $400 a month plus the ad spend you pay Google or Meta directly. Automation, email and text marketing, social media content and custom AI work are quoted after a free 15-min AI review. An optional care plan starts at $99 a month. Every price is a starting price, and your number is fixed in writing before any work starts. See pricing for the detail.
How do I pay?
For a website or a setup, half when you sign, which books your start date, and half at launch. Monthly plans are billed monthly by card. Nothing is due before you have signed a written scope, and any change outside it is quoted in writing before the work starts.
Is there a launch offer?
Yes. The first 3 businesses that buy a website get the AI Receptionist setup fee waived ($750 value). Add the receptionist with your website or any time after: the $750 setup fee is waived, then $249 a month on the normal terms, with no minimum term. Only the setup work is free; call minutes past the included 300, the phone number and texts are billed as usual. It ends when the 3 places are taken; the conditions are in our Terms.
Can the receptionist use my existing number?
Yes, in almost every case. Your number stays with your carrier and calls forward on a schedule you choose; we check your carrier supports it before you sign. Callers dial the number they already know.
What happens when the receptionist doesn’t know something?
It says so. It is set up not to guess a price or a time: it takes a message or transfers, and the question shows up in your summary.
Will the receptionist sound robotic?
It is set up to talk in short, plain turns, one question at a time, and to stop and listen when a caller interrupts. You pick the voice with us before launch. It does not pretend to be a person: the first sentence of every call says it is an automated assistant.
Will it book the wrong jobs?
It books only open times on your calendar, and only after it has checked the address is in your service area. When it isn’t sure, it takes a message instead.
Is there a contract or minimum term?
Each build runs on a written scope you sign. Every monthly plan is month to month, with no minimum term. Cancel with 30 days’ notice.
What do I keep if I leave?
Everything that is yours. With the receptionist: your phone number, the number it answers on (we transfer it to you on request), your calendar, and an export of your leads. With a website: your domain, your site, and its content; the code is handed over as a zip or a repo transfer, and the hosting project can move to your own account.
How long until it’s live?
A receptionist is planned as eight working days from signing. A one-page website is live in under a week once we have your copy and photos, or $100 off; the conditions are in our Terms. Automation depends on how many systems we connect; the date goes in your written scope. Texting starts when the carriers approve registration, which can take longer.
What if I change my mind?
If design work hasn’t started, you get the full deposit back. After work has started, you pay for the work done so far, and we refund any unused part of the deposit.
What does a change cost after launch?
The $99 care plan covers monitoring, security updates, a monthly form test and broken-link check, and small script or prompt adjustments for the receptionist, automation, and concierge. On an Editable site you change text, images, and posts yourself in the editor, and one training call is included. On a Custom site, we make every change for you. On a Starter site, and for anything else, it is $75 an hour, billed in 30-minute blocks, and quoted in writing before we start.
What do I supply for a website?
Your services, area, hours, copy, and photos. Three things we pick together on the call: the hosting service, the domain (one you own, or a new one registered in your name), and the stack the site is built on, such as an editor you can update yourself or fully custom code. We walk you through the options and what each one costs before anything is set up.
Do you run Google and Facebook ads?
Yes. Google Search ads, Google Local Services Ads, and Facebook and Instagram ads, with calls and forms tracked and a short report every week. The ad accounts are in your name; we get manager access. You pay for the ads directly: Google and Meta bill the card on your own ad accounts, at their prices, with no markup by us. Our management starts at $400 a month on top.
What is Artery Systems?
Artery Systems LLC (Artery Systems) is a technology company in Herndon, Northern Virginia: websites, an AI receptionist and automation for small businesses. It is not a medical or anatomy term. A Virginia LLC since 2026. Services and prices are at https://www.arterysystems.com, confirmed in writing before any work starts.
Start with a free 15-minute AI review.
We look at where you lose customers and time, and say what we would build. If you go ahead, you get a scope and a launch date in writing.
Not ready to talk? Take the 2-minute AI checkup
- 15-minute call
- Google Meet, or phone if you prefer
- No obligation