"Good Enough" Software
Isn't Good Enough
One SaaS tool
It almost fit
Another tool
Another subscription
Add Zapier
They don't talk
5 tools
Still using spreadsheets
You started with one SaaS tool. It almost fit. So you subscribed.
Then you needed to track something else. Another tool. Another subscription.
Then those two tools didn't talk to each other. So you added Zapier.
Now you're here: 5 tools. £200/month in subscriptions.
And your team still keeps spreadsheets because none of them quite work.
Sound familiar?
Calculate Your Real Costs
Most businesses dramatically underestimate what "cobbling together" SaaS tools actually costs them.
Time spent on workarounds, manual or duplicate data entry, and fighting clunky interfaces
5-Year Total Cost
£62,080
That's 833 hours lost per year to inefficiency
The Three Hidden Taxes
1. The Data Hostage Tax
Your business-critical data is locked in someone else's system. Can't export properly, can't integrate, can't leave without losing everything.
The cost: Trapped paying forever or lose all your data
2. The Time Tax
Your team spends hours each week working around software limitations—manually copying data, reformatting exports, maintaining shadow spreadsheets.
The cost: ~£10,000-15,000 per year in lost productivity
3. The Bloat Tax
You're paying for software updates you don't use. Subscriptions increase over time, but the value you get doesn't necessarily increase—you're funding features that don't help you.
The cost: Rising subscription fees without rising value
When Does Custom Make Sense?
Perfect for custom if:
- 10-50 people and spending £100+/month on SaaS that doesn't fit
- 5+ hours/week wasted on manual workarounds
- One clear workflow causing pain, used for 2+ years
Probably stick with SaaS if:
- Under 5 people (Excel might be fine!)
- Workflow changes dramatically every few months
- Not sure what problem you're solving yet
Why Custom Makes Sense NOW
"But isn't bespoke software expensive?"
It used to be. Traditional agencies charge £30-60K because they:
- Have high overheads (office, sales team, project managers)
- Use old, slow development processes
- Build everything from scratch every time
We're different because:
Result: Custom software at prices that actually make sense for small teams.
Real Projects, Real Results
Concrete examples of custom systems we've built and the measurable impact they've delivered. Calculate your potential ROI
Strategic Planning Tool
Challenge:
School development plans lived in Word/spreadsheets with messy version control. Updates were fed back and managed manually. No overview of progress, no continuity, and no link between strategic objectives and day-to-day work happening across the school.
Solution:
Multi-school platform with AI that turns conversations into structured, trackable projects. Tailored reports for Ofsted, SLT and Governors. Supports SDPs, development plans, and personal to-do lists
Result:
- • £10,000 investment
- • Saves schools 5+ hours per week
- • Replaced £150+/month per-user SaaS system (10+ users)
- • Future licensable asset to recoup investment (for sale or as a service)
Weekly Tracker System
Challenge:
Writing detailed weekly trackers for an alternative provision was time-consuming as they grew. Inconsistent quality across staff with varying writing confidence. Senior staff spent hours proofreading. No existing solution on the market for APs specialised in SEN.
Solution:
Custom system that supports staff to produce high-quality, consistently-worded weekly trackers efficiently while maintaining their relational approach. Designed from day 1 to be multi-site to support company growth.
Result:
- • £7,000 investment
- • 5 hours per week saved on proofreading
- • Consistent quality across all trackers
- • Reduced senior staff proofreading time
Invoice Integration
Challenge:
Bookkeeper for a professional services firm spent 4 hours monthly manually transferring invoices from their time-billing CRM into Xero.
Solution:
Custom integration to automatically sync invoices from CRM to Xero every month.
Result:
- • £1,500 investment
- • 4 hours per month saved
- • Zero manual data entry errors
- • Frees bookkeeper for higher-value work
What could a custom solution save your business?
Use our calculator to discover the hidden costs in your current systems and see how a bespoke solution could deliver a similar return on investment for your business.
Next Step
Not sure if custom makes sense for you?
Book a free 20-minute audit.
We'll look at your situation honestly and tell you:
- If custom makes sense (or if you should stick with SaaS)
- Rough cost estimate
- Timeline
- What would be included
No pressure. No obligation. Just honest advice.