Questions
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up before someone gets in touch. If yours is not here, ask it in the chat or by email and we will answer it properly.
What should I start with?
Pick the service that matches where the work gets stuck. If customers cannot find you or reach you, start with Website Design & SEO Setup. If work gets typed in twice or lives in a fragile spreadsheet, start with Custom Software & Automation. If nobody is sure who owns the domain, the email or the accounts, start with Fractional IT & Infrastructure. If something is already live and needs looking after, start with Ongoing Systems Support. Not sure? Send a short email about where the work gets stuck and we will name the sensible next step.
What is the difference between your services?
Custom Software & Automation builds web apps, internal tools, integrations and AI assistants around how you work. Website Design & SEO Setup builds fast websites, with Google Business Profile, business email and monthly care available alongside. Fractional IT & Infrastructure sets up the foundations: domains, DNS, email, cloud accounts, permissions and suppliers. Ongoing Systems Support keeps live systems working with a set number of hours each month.
How much does a website cost?
Each website is a fixed price for the job, agreed in writing before work starts. What moves the price is the number of pages and what the site has to do, such as a quote calculator or online bookings. Current prices are on the Websites for small businesses page. Larger systems, such as customer portals, are quoted on scope.
What do you build websites with?
Mostly Astro and React on managed hosting. Pages load fast, and there are fewer plugins and updates to keep on top of. We use WordPress when a project calls for it, for example when your team already edits content there. Either way, the domain is registered in your name.
Do you build web apps as well as websites?
Yes. Customer portals, booking and quoting systems, dashboards and internal tools with secure logins, accounts and payments sit under Custom Software & Automation. The rough line: a website brings enquiries in, and a web app is software your team or your customers use every day.
Do you always build something custom?
No. The job is to fix the friction and pick the right shape for it. Sometimes that is a custom tool. Sometimes it is an off-the-shelf product, a cleaner connection between two systems, better account ownership, or one automation inside something you already pay for.
Will it work with the tools we already use?
That is usually the point. We keep what works, connect what should be talking, write down how it fits together, and only suggest replacing something when keeping it costs more than moving.
Do you build AI assistants and automations?
Yes. Chat assistants and phone receptionists that answer and qualify enquiries, document and email classification, extraction into structured records, and AI inside internal tools. We use it where the input is messy enough to justify it.
When does AI actually add value?
When the input is unstructured: emails, PDFs, documents, conversations, free-text requests, and routing that needs judgement. For predictable steps such as invoicing, records and fixed approvals, plain automation is better and cheaper to run.
What platforms and tools do you work with?
If a service has a sensible way to connect, we can usually work with it. Integrations use the automation tools you already pay for, or direct API work and custom code where those run out. Websites are usually Astro or React, with WordPress where it fits. Anything built from scratch uses TypeScript with React, Next.js, Astro and Node.js. On the business side: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero, HubSpot, Stripe and Slack. Hosting is Cloudflare, AWS or GCP. None of that is a fixed list. The tool follows the workflow, not the other way round.
How is this different from an MSP?
An MSP is useful for devices, helpdesk, patching and day-to-day tickets. We sit around the systems behind the work: domains, email, hosting, backups, suppliers, automations, websites, internal tools, documentation, and somebody owning it.
Do you do paid discovery?
Where the risk or the complexity justifies it. Email migrations, business IT cleanups, multi-system rebuilds and anything touching sensitive data usually need a bounded discovery stage first. Websites and smaller builds are scoped directly.
Do I own what you build?
Yes. Code, configuration, documentation, accounts and data belong to the business, with the important accounts in your name. Everything is handed over with a written map, so another technical partner can pick it up if you ever want one.
What does ongoing support cover?
For a website, monthly care covers small text and image changes, security updates, DNS, and domain and certificate renewals. For wider systems, Ongoing Systems Support covers agreed checks, small fixes, access housekeeping, automation monitoring, backups, documentation updates, and practical changes as the business moves.
Why is something you built easier to support?
Because it was designed to be looked after. It comes documented, owned by you and straightforward to change, so support hours go on the change itself rather than on working out how everything fits together.
Where are you based?
Colchester, Essex, in the UK. We work remotely with businesses in the UK, Europe and the US, and book calls at a time that suits your time zone. On-site visits are practical across Essex and the counties around it.
How do I know if we are a fit?
Usually you are a small business, charity or professional practice where the technology has grown faster than the setup: repeated admin, unclear ownership, fragile handovers, systems that do not talk, or one person holding too much of it in their head. Or you are a trade or local business that needs a website customers can find and contact.