Custom app development for small business in the UK

I do custom app development for small businesses in the UK: software built around the way your business already runs, instead of bending your business around off-the-shelf software. Start with a free chat. If an app makes sense, I give you a fixed quote in writing before anything starts.

I've built software for big companies, and I built Patchline, my own cold-calling CRM, from scratch. The same skills work just as well for a five-person business with a spreadsheet that's got out of hand.

Signs you need a custom app

• Your business runs on a spreadsheet only one person really understands.
• You're typing the same details into three different places.
• You pay for several tools and still do the important bit by hand.
• Off-the-shelf software does 80% of what you need, and the other 20% is where the pain is.
• Customers ring you for things they could check themselves.

If none of that sounds familiar, you might not need one, and I'll tell you so. My guide on when you need a custom app helps you decide.

What I build

• Booking appsCustomers book slots, you see the diary, no back-and-forth texts.
• Job and quote appsLog jobs, send quotes and track what's won, in one place.
• Staff rotasShifts planned and shared, without the group chat chaos.
• Customer portalsCustomers log in to see their orders, documents or progress.
• DashboardsThe numbers you care about, on one screen, kept up to date.

These are examples, not a menu. Most apps I'd build for you are a mix, shaped around the jobs you do every day.

How it works

1. Free chat. You tell me how things work now and what's driving you mad. Screenshots and spreadsheets welcome.
2. I work out what to build. The smallest useful version first, not a wish list that takes forever.
3. Fixed quote. In writing, with what's included. You decide if it's worth it.
4. I build it. You see it as it takes shape and tell me what's right and what isn't.
5. You start using it. I help you get set up and moved across.
6. It grows with you. When you want more, we talk about the next bit.

Pricing

Every app is different, so there's no price list. What there is: a fixed quote after a free chat. You know the full cost before I start, and nothing gets added later that you didn't agree to.

I'd always rather build a small app that solves your biggest problem than a big one that tries to do everything. It's cheaper, it's quicker to get into your hands, and you find out what you really need by using it.

Custom app or off-the-shelf software?

Honestly, plenty of businesses are better off with an off-the-shelf tool plus a few integrations to join things up. If that's you, I'll say so. If you sell over the phone, have a look at Patchline before building your own CRM.

Common worries

"I'm not technical. Will I understand what I'm getting?"

Yes. I explain things in plain words and show you the app as it's built. You don't need to know how it works under the bonnet.

"What if my business changes?"

Then the app can change too. That's one of the big advantages over software you don't control.

"Isn't this just for big companies?"

It used to be. I've built for big companies with big budgets. Growthwright is about bringing that to small businesses at a sensible price, alongside things like a £25 a month website.

What makes a good small business app

Apps for small businesses should be boring in the best way. The ones that work well tend to:

• Do one job really well before they try to do ten.
• Work on a phone, because you and your team aren't always at a desk.
• Need almost no training. If your newest starter can't work it out in five minutes, it's too complicated.
• Keep data in one place instead of spreading it across inboxes and spreadsheets.
• Show the important numbers without you having to ask anyone.

That's how I build them: start with the job that costs you the most time or money, get it working, then add more when you need it.

What to bring to the free chat

The spreadsheet or paper form you use now, a rough idea of who would use the app, and the one thing you most want to stop doing by hand. That's plenty to start with.