Questions owners ask
Plain answers on bespoke software, spreadsheets and support, whether or not you ever work with us.
- Who looks after bespoke software when the developer leaves? Whoever you choose, as long as three things are in place: you own the code, you hold the data, and there's a manual someone else can work from. Without those, you're close to starting again.
- When has a spreadsheet grown too big for your business? When more than one person depends on it, when it's the only place something is written down, and when you're the only one who really understands it. Any one of those is a warning. All three is a system waiting to be built.
- What should software support for a small business include? Six things, in writing: what's watched, how bugs and changes are handled, your say-so before anything changes, who owns what, what happens if you leave, and how it's charged. If any of those is vague, ask before you sign.
- Bespoke or off-the-shelf software: which does a small business need? Off-the-shelf, when it fits how you work and you're happy to fit around it. Bespoke, when the way you work is part of what makes you good, and the off-the-shelf options keep making you work round them. Often it's both.
Join the waitlist
We take on a few businesses at a time, because each team is built around one owner's world. When there's a seat, one of our systems specialists will call you, usually within a week. Joining costs nothing.