Proudly based in Rockhampton, QLD

AI for the people who keep regional Australia running.

AI that works for people, not the other way around.

You run a real business in a real town. We help you put AI to work without the hype, the jargon, or the Sydney-sized invoice. Plain English. Practical results. Local accountability.

Talk to Charlie, our receptionist See how it works

No jargon, ever Australian-owned Built for under-50 staff

A small business owner smiling in their workshop

Real people. Real region. Working with SMEs from Rocky to Roma to Townsville.

3.2×

AI adoption gap between Brisbane metro and regional QLD

Source: QLD AI Adoption 2026

60%

Of QLD small businesses haven't started using AI at all

Source: AI Lab Australia, 2026

1–2 wks

Typical time for an SME team to reach basic AI proficiency with the right guide

Source: Australian SME training data

About the business

You should know who you're dealing with.

AI that works for people, not the other way around.

No faceless overseas chatbot factory — People First AI is a one-person Queensland operation, with Charlie, our virtual receptionist, on the front desk around the clock. Here's the founder you'll be working with.

Tanya Webber, founder of People First AI

TWADD photos/tanya.jpg

Tanya Webber GAICD

Founder · Regional Business Advisor

Hello, I'm Tanya. I've spent two decades helping regional Australian businesses — over 400 of them, from Alice Springs to Rockhampton — and I've built and sold one of my own. I've consulted to Deloitte on the Northern Australia Development Program and worked across every level of government and the private sector, including sustainable procurement. I'm GAICD-qualified through the Australian Institute of Company Directors. I built People First AI because the owners I meet are either ignoring AI or being sold something they don't need. Plain English, honest advice, and a coffee if you're ever in Rocky.

LinkedIn Email 0427 614 759

Based in Rockhampton, Queensland.

Same time zone as you. Same internet headaches. Same understanding that "I'll send you a meeting link" sometimes means "I'll drive over." We work across Central Queensland in person, and Australia-wide via video.

Why People First AI

Most AI consultants are built for big-city corporates. We're not.

Regional and rural businesses have been quietly written off by the AI industry. Patchy connectivity, smaller budgets, fewer specialist staff. We built the business to fix that — not to overcharge for problems you don't have.

Plain English. Always.

You'll never hear "LLM-orchestrated agentic workflow" from us. If we can't explain it to your bookkeeper in two sentences, we don't recommend it.

Built for regional reality.

Patchy 4G, mixed-tech-comfort teams, busy seasons that don't care about software updates. Our tools and training work in the world you actually live in.

Quick wins, not 12-month projects.

Most clients see real time savings inside the first fortnight. We start with the one task you hate most and prove it works before going further.

Fixed prices, no lock-in.

You'll know what it costs before we start. No surprise invoices. No retainer trap. If we're not earning our keep, you walk away.

We train your people too.

It's not enough to install something clever. Your team needs the confidence to use it on a Tuesday afternoon when we're not there. Training is included.

Australian privacy, no exceptions.

Your data stays where it should. We design every solution around the Australian Privacy Act and only use tools we'd put our own business on.

People First AI

Direct line to a real local human
Designed for under-50-staff businesses
Onsite visits across Central QLD
Plain-English deliverables
Charlie answers your enquiry 24/7

Typical big-city AI agency

Sales rep today, "implementation team" tomorrow
Built for enterprise — small biz pays anyway
Big project minimums and lock-in contracts
"We don't service that postcode"
Decks full of acronyms

What we do

Services that fit your business.

Pick the option that fits where your business is right now. You can move up later, or stay where you are. No pressure, no upsell. Some services are still in the oven — flag them with Charlie to be first in line when they launch.

Available now

AI Health Check

A 90-minute walk-through of your business with a written report on the three highest-value places AI could save you time. No commitment to anything else.

Small business owner taking a phone call

Available now

Voice Reception & AI Phone Bots

An Australian-sounding voice bot that answers your phone 24/7, takes messages, books jobs, and forwards the urgent ones to your mobile. Never miss a lead while you're on the tools again.

Australian rural landscape with farm shed

Available now

Trusted Advisor

A monthly retainer for businesses that want a steady hand on the wheel. Quarterly site visit, monthly check-in call, and we're on the phone when something breaks.

Coming soon

Team Training Day

Practical workshop for your whole team. By the end of the day, every person has used ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot to do real work from their own job. Register interest with Charlie to be first to know when this launches.

Tradesperson reviewing job notes on a tablet

Coming soon

Custom Project

Pick the one task that drains your week — quoting, invoicing, rosters, reporting. We'll design and build the AI workflow that handles it. Register interest with Charlie to join the waitlist.

Products & resources

Want to get started yourself?

Not everyone's ready for done-for-you. Start free, do it yourself with the Kit, or map your own path. Three ways in, at your pace.

Free

AI Readiness Tool

A five-minute self-assessment that shows you exactly where AI could save your business time — and where you're not quite ready yet. Get your AI Exposure Score and a tailored roadmap. Plain-English results, no jargon.

Take the free assessment Best first step

$297

The AI-Ready Business Kit

A complete do-it-yourself system for setting up Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot in your business. 65 pages, a 50+ prompt library, your core business documents, and a 30/60/90-day rollout plan. Built for regional SMEs who want to start without hiring anyone.

Get the Kit Most popular

How it works

Four steps. No mystery.

You shouldn't need a technical degree to figure out what working with us looks like. Here's the whole process, start to finish.

Initial AI Audit

We sit down with you — in person or on a call — and map exactly where AI can save your business the most time and money. No pitch. No pressure. Just an honest assessment.

We Build It For You

We handle everything — the technology, the setup, the testing. You don't need to know how it works under the hood. You just need to see it working for your business.

You Call Your Own Bot

Before anything goes live, you test it yourself. Call your voice bot. Run your automation. We refine until it feels exactly right — like it's been part of your business for years.

We Stay With You

Monthly support, updates, and optimisation included. As your business grows, your AI grows with it. One call away — always a real Australian, never a chatbot.

Where we work

Boots on the ground in Central Queensland. Online, Australia-wide.

We service onsite across Central Queensland and the Capricorn Coast. Anywhere else in Australia, we work with you over video and phone — same outcomes, just no driveway visit.

Home base (onsite) Major capitals Onsite service area

Onsite across Central Queensland

Rockhampton, Yeppoon & Capricorn Coast
Gladstone, Biloela, Mt Morgan
Emerald, Blackwater, Capricorn highlands
Longreach, Barcaldine & the central west

Remote support, Australia-wide

Anywhere with a phone signal — we work with you over video and voice. We support businesses from Broome to Alice Springs to Mount Isa to Kalgoorlie. Distance isn't the problem. Lack of plain-English help is.

AI that works for people, not the other way around.

Let's have a yarn.

Charlie, our virtual receptionist, can take your details, book an appointment, or answer a quick question right now. Or get me direct on the mobile.

Talk to Charlie now Call 0427 614 759 Email hello@peoplefirstai.com.au

Hello, I'm Charlie Need a hand? I can book you in or answer a quick question.