Bespoke software development
Bespoke software is built around how your business actually runs, instead of bending your business around a product. We build it for companies with no IT team of their own, so we do the translating: from your problem to a plain-English specification, then to working software you own.
What we build
- Internal systems that replace spreadsheets and paper
- Customer and supplier portals
- Booking, scheduling and job management systems
- Extensions to your CRM or ERP, and the connections between them
- Automation that joins the tools you already pay for
- AI features inside your software, where they earn their place: reading documents, drafting replies, spotting patterns in your data
- Platforms for regulated work, built to pass certification
Who it's for
Telecoms providers, and businesses that live on the phone: clinics, agencies, brokers and anyone whose day runs on calls. Businesses that have outgrown spreadsheets and off-the-shelf products, with nobody technical on the payroll. You know what the business needs; we work out how to build it, and say so plainly when you don't need bespoke software at all.
It's also for founders building a product without a technical co-founder. For the right business, we'll take part of our fee as equity and stay on as your technical partner.
Fractional CTO and product team
How a project runs
At the speed you need: prototypes and MVPs start within 24 hours of you saying go, or a smaller team builds steadily at a pace that suits your budget.
Free systems review.
A call with Paul about what you want the software to do.
Discovery and specification.
We map how your business works and write down what we'll build, in plain English. The specification is yours to keep.
Build.
Built and tested against the specification, documented as we go.
Handover.
Code, documents and accounts handed to you.
Support.
We host, monitor and change it, if you want us to.
What you get that most software firms don't offer
- Your phones connected to your software, and the lines supplied by us
- Certification-ready from the first release: our in-house lawyer writes the policies and agreements
- A UK consultant as your CTO and project manager throughout
Proof
We built CX Assist and had it live, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified, SOC 2 Type 1 attested and taking client calls within 18 months.
Questions
How long does bespoke software take to build?
A focused internal tool takes weeks; a full platform takes months. The specification gives you a timeline before you commit to the build.
Do we own the code?
Yes. Anything that needs certification sits in your business's name from day one. For smaller systems we look after day to day, we hold the code for you and hand it over whenever you ask.
Can you work with the software we already have?
Usually. We connect what you have and replace something only when it costs you more than it saves.
Will you tell us if we don't need bespoke software?
Yes. If an off-the-shelf product would do the job for less, we'll say so.
Do we have to pay for it all up front?
No. You can pay for the build monthly, from £3,000 a month, invoiced at the start of each month for that month's work. If you stop, you own everything built so far.
Will you take equity?
As part payment, for the right business, never the whole fee. We agree it in writing before the build starts. Equity partnership
Find out what your systems should be doing.
A free call with Paul Hanner, then a written summary of what we'd keep, change and build first.
Book a free systems review