Summer at Mercia AI: New Guides, New Services, and More

Chris Howell
Aug 22
2 min read

Summer continues at Mercia AI HQ, and I’ve been busy strengthening how we help individuals, small businesses, and communities make AI useful. Here’s a round-up of what’s new.

Sunny park with green trees and "MERCIA AI: Simplifying AI For You" text in bold white letters, creating a calm, inviting mood. — Hello Summer. Please stay. Just, don't burn us to a crisp, ok?

Re-Introducing the PDF Guides

When the nation was melting in the heat, I quietly launched the new PDF Guides section. The aim is simple: provide practical, free resources for people and businesses who want to use AI — or who are already using it and want to get more out of it.

The first release was the AI Holiday Planner, packed with useful prompts and tips to help plan your ideal break. Today, we’ve added a second guide: AI Quick Wins for Small Businesses. Inside, you’ll find four quick wins that can help save time and boost productivity.

As always, Mercia AI offers more in-depth support for SMEs and anyone who wants to go further.

Community & Events

As a Black software developer, I made the trip to Birmingham for Black Tech Day 2025. As I wrote in my recap, I want to see more Black people in tech. AI brings tremendous opportunities, and in line with Mercia AI’s mission, I’m determined to help everyone seize them — if they’re willing to take the step. I have some ideas how to do that via Mercia Minds, more on that chain-of-thought later.

On the home front, I finally got the garden done! 😆

And erm, I’ve added a proper Stay Connected page. You can access that via the main menu (under 'More' on desktop) and also via the Stay Connected button in the footer. Now it’s easier to subscribe to updates, from blog posts to upcoming events.

Services Update

The AI Data & Insights services have had a quiet (until now) relaunch. They’re designed for those who want clarity from their data:

Starter Data Insight – For small businesses, freelancers, and local teams who want practical answers from spreadsheets, sales logs, surveys, or forms. Clean data, clear visuals, and actionable takeaways — all in plain English.
Pro Data Insight & Forecast – For organisations with richer datasets who need forecasts, segmentation, and real insight to guide decisions. Powered by AI/ML techniques and a human touch (mine!).

Alongside these, Mercia AI now offers Tailored AI Solutions. From custom chatbots to workflow automation, I provide free quotes and bring 30 years of software development experience, with certified expertise in AI, Data, and Cloud.

And one more tweak: many services now come with add-on options for session recordings and transcripts — handy if you want to revisit the detail later.