Frequently asked questions
What is Crema?
Crema is a studio based in Costa Rica that designs and builds solutions for businesses
across four areas: branding, products, systems and artificial intelligence. It also builds
its own products for restaurants: Sistema Financiero and Sistema Adquisición.
What kinds of businesses do you work with?
Small and mid-sized businesses in any industry: retail, professional services,
distribution, food and beverage, tourism and restaurants. What changes from one to another is
what needs to be measured and how they sell.
Do I have to hire all four areas?
No. You can start with just one, such as automating a process or refreshing the brand, and
add another when it makes sense.
Do I have to replace the tools I already use?
Rarely. We build on top of what the business already has: point of sale, spreadsheets,
email and messaging. If something needs to change, we agree on it before we start.
What can artificial intelligence do for a small business?
Concrete, repetitive tasks: reading invoices and entering them into a system, answering the
questions that always come in, categorizing expenses, summarizing the week or flagging a
number that looks off. Each agent is designed around a task that takes someone's time
today.
How much does it cost?
The first conversation is free. Custom projects are quoted by scope. Sistema Financiero
has a setup fee starting at $300 plus a monthly fee based on the size of the
business, with no lock-in contract.
Is the ad budget included in Sistema Adquisición?
No. Sistema Adquisición has a setup fee plus a monthly fee for running the system:
creatives, ads, replies and reporting. You set the ad budget and pay it directly to Meta
with your own payment method. We manage it, optimize it and show you every month where it
went and what it brought in.
How does Sistema Adquisición get started?
In three steps. Assessment: we review your social media, your offer and your goals.
Setup: we build the ad account, the first creatives and the reply assistant. Monthly
operation: we produce, optimize and report.
How long does a project take?
It depends on the scope. As a reference, Sistema Financiero is usually up and running in a
single-location restaurant within one to two weeks.