“I Wish There Was an App for This”: How to Turn a Business Problem Into Software
Nine steps from the thing that drives you mad to the thing that fixes it — including the steps where you find out you don't need software at all.
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If you're trying to work out what a website should cost, what you could stop doing by hand, or whether you need software at all — start here. These are the answers I'd give you on a call, written down so you can read them without one.
Looking for what I'm building rather than what I know? Build Notes is the behind-the-scenes version. And if the thing you need an answer to isn't written down yet, tell me about the problem.
Business problems & ideas
Websites
How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in 2026?
Real ranges, what actually moves the price, and the questions to ask before you hand anyone a deposit.
ReadWebsite Builder vs Hiring a Web Designer: What's Better for a Small Business?
A fair comparison from someone who gets paid for one of them — including the cases where you should absolutely not hire me.
ReadWhat Should a Small Business Website Include? A Practical Checklist
Everything that actually belongs on a small business site, in the order it earns its place — usable as a build checklist.
Read7 Signs Your Small Business Website Needs a Redesign
Most of these have a cheap fix before they have an expensive one. Here's how to tell which you're looking at.
ReadDo I Need a Website If I Already Have a Facebook Page?
Sometimes no. Here's how to tell which side of the line your business is on, without anyone scaring you into it.
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Automation
What Can I Automate in My Small Business? 15 Tasks You Shouldn't Be Doing Manually
Fifteen jobs worth handing to a machine, plus the ones you shouldn't — and how to tell which is which before you buy anything.
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Custom software
When Does a Small Business Need Custom Software?
Eight situations where building something is genuinely the cheaper option — and five where it definitely isn't.
ReadCustom Software vs Off-the-Shelf: Which Does Your Business Actually Need?
A decision framework instead of a winner, including the total-cost arithmetic both sides of this argument usually skip.
ReadHow Much Does Custom Software Cost for a Small Business?
Why quotes for the same idea differ by a factor of ten, what each feature really adds, and how to make the number smaller on purpose.
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Kit & must-haves
What You Actually Need to Start an Online Business
A short list, and a much longer list of things people buy first and use never.
ReadAffordable Office Upgrades for Small Business Owners
The cheap changes that make a working day noticeably better, in the order I'd make them.
ReadBest Tools for Packing and Shipping Orders from Home
How to set up a packing bench that turns an evening of orders into half an hour.
ReadHome Office Organization for Founders
Storage only works if putting things away is easier than leaving them out. Everything else follows from that.
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and when you'd rather just ask…
Website Development
Small-business websites, managed hosting and the ongoing maintenance that keeps them working.
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Applications, dashboards and automation that take the manual work out of how your business already runs.
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