How a build runs, start to finish
Everything below is written down in the proposal you sign. Nothing here is a sales promise that disappears once work starts.
The first 72 hours
- We reply within one working day, usually by email, to arrange a call.
- A 20-minute call to understand the problem. We tell you honestly whether we can help.
- If it makes sense, a written proposal with a fixed price and a date.
The six steps
From the first conversation to the support that follows go-live. Each step ends with something in writing that you can check.
A conversation
Free. 20 to 30 minutes by phone or video.
You receive: A straight answer on whether bespoke software is right, and if not, a suggestion of what is.
20 to 30 minutes
Scoping
We write down what the system must do: who uses it, the screens, the lists, the reminders, the reports, what it connects to. For most first builds this is included.
You receive: A plain-English scope document to check and correct.
A written proposal
Fixed price, delivery date, what is included, hosting and support terms, payment schedule. The payment schedule is set out in the proposal.
You receive: A proposal you can sign, with nothing left to a later conversation.
The build
The delivery date is in the proposal, not in a sales pitch. You see a working version early and every week after, and you try it with your real data. Anything outside the scope is quoted separately in writing; the agreed price does not move.
You receive: A working version to try, every week.
Go-live
We import your existing data, set up logins and permissions, train your staff on site or by video, and hand over a written guide.
You receive: Your data imported, your staff trained, a written guide.
Afterwards
Hosting, backups, monitoring, security updates and support with a written response time. Small changes are quoted the same way as the original build.
You receive: A system that is looked after, with a written response time.
How the fixed price and the monthly fee are worked out is explained on how we price work.
What is included in every system
- A web application that works on phones, tablets and PCs, with nothing to install.
- Logins for each member of staff, with permissions (what a carer sees is not what the manager sees) and a log of who changed what.
- An admin area where you manage your own lists: staff, courses, sites, customers, prices.
- Reminders by email for anything with a date.
- Exports: CSV for the accountant, PDF for the inspector. Accounts integration where it is in scope (Xero at minimum).
- Hosting, backups, monitoring and security updates.
- Hosting we manage under UK GDPR, with a written data-processing agreement.
- Your data is yours and you can export it at any time. The agreement sets out your rights to the software so you are never locked in.
- Data import from your existing spreadsheet at go-live, staff training and a written guide.
How one engineer builds this quickly
Every system we build sits on the same foundation we maintain: logins, permissions, admin screens, backups, hosting and billing. We do not start from a blank page; we start from a working platform and build your screens and rules on top. We also use modern AI-assisted development tools, which is part of why a small firm can build fast. Every line is still reviewed and tested by the engineer you speak to, and the agreement says so.
The agreement lets us reuse the generic parts of what we build (the plumbing, never your data or your business rules), which keeps the price down for you and lets us improve the platform for everyone.
Our commitments
- The fixed price does not change unless the scope changes, and scope changes are agreed in writing first.
- The delivery date is in the proposal, not in a sales pitch.
- Your data is yours and you can export it at any time. The agreement sets out your rights to the software so you are never locked in.
- Hosting and support terms are written down, with a written response time.
- If an off-the-shelf product would serve you better, we will say so and point you to it.
- We reply to every enquiry within one working day.
- You will always be dealing with the person who builds the system.
Questions we are often asked
Who owns the code?
Your data is yours and you can export it at any time. The agreement sets out your rights to the software so you are never locked in.
What if we want changes halfway through?
We write down what the change is and what it costs, and start it only when you have agreed. The original price does not move.
Where is our data stored?
Hosting we manage under UK GDPR, with a written data-processing agreement. The privacy notice says exactly who processes what.
What if we want to move to another supplier?
You export your data at any time, and the handover pack describes how the system runs. Cancel with the notice period in the agreement; you keep your data.
Do you work with our accountant's software?
Xero is the integration we build most often. Others are quoted where they are in scope, and we say so in the proposal rather than promising them as standard.
What happens if Anthony is ill or on holiday?
Every system is built on version-controlled code with a written handover pack (how it is hosted, how to deploy it, where the backups are), so another engineer could take it on; monitoring and backups run automatically whether or not anyone is at a desk. Support requests always get a written acknowledgement, and the response time is in the agreement.
- Fixed price, agreed in writing before we start.
- A working version in weeks, not months.
- Hosted, backed up and supported afterwards.
Tell us what is not working
A short call costs nothing and we will tell you plainly whether we can help.