Write a supplier or contractor brief
A practical way to use AI for this job in a small business, with a prompt you can copy.
You hired a contractor and got back something completely different from what you imagined. Turns out 'make it pop' means different things to different people.
The prompt
Write a brief for a [contractor type] for [project]. Background: [context]. What I need: [deliverables]. Deadline: [date]. Budget: [range]. How I'll judge success: [criteria]. Questions I need answered in their quote: [list].
Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. Don't paste in anything you wouldn't want stored by the AI provider.
Steps
- Fill in the facts.
- Run the prompt.
- Send the same brief to 2-3 contractors.
- Compare quotes using the finance use case above.
A worked example
A Brisbane real estate agency needs a photographer for a property shoot. The office manager asks Claude for a brief with: the property type, shots needed, style references, access times, deliverables (format, number of images, deadline), budget, and what's not included. It also suggests questions the photographer might ask.
The photographer replies, 'This is the clearest brief I've had all year.' The photos arrive on time and match what they wanted.
Where it goes wrong
AI briefs can be vague in the places that matter most: deadlines, formats and budgets. Be specific. It also adds unnecessary sections. Cut anything the contractor won't use. Send it to someone else first and ask if it makes sense. If they have questions, the contractor will too. Finally, keep a copy of the brief with the invoice, so if there's a dispute later you both have the same record of what was agreed.
Time saved
A good brief takes 1 to 2 hours to write. With AI, 20 to 30 minutes. The real saving is not redoing the work. These are my estimates for a typical small business, not measured results.
What it costs (AUD)
Free plans are fine.
The free plans of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini handle this fine. If you end up using AI every day, the paid plans are roughly: ChatGPT Plus approx. A$30 a month, Claude Pro approx. A$29 a month billed monthly (US$20, or about A$24 a month if you pay yearly), and Google AI Pro approx. A$33 a month through the App Store. Prices approx., October 2026. Some are billed in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Australian notes
Confirm the contractor has an ABN and any required licences or insurance. For larger jobs, put the brief in a written agreement. Be clear on who owns the work, such as copyright in photos or designs; by default in Australia the creator usually owns copyright unless your agreement says otherwise.
Privacy: the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) cover most businesses turning over more than $3 million, plus some smaller ones such as health providers. Even if you're under the threshold, treat customer details with care: strip names, phone numbers and addresses before you paste anything into an AI tool.
My verdict
Clear briefs get better quotes. Good use of 10 minutes.
Common questions
What should a brief include?
Goal, deliverables, deadline, budget, style examples and what's not included.
Should I include the budget?
Yes. It saves everyone time.
Who owns the work?
Agree it in writing. Don't assume you own it because you paid.
Do this today
Think of your next contractor job. Write five dot points on what success looks like and run the prompt.
More operations use cases
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