Ten questions we are asked most often.
Short, direct answers. If your question is not here, it is probably faster to send it than to keep reading.
Do you take commission from the software you recommend?
No. We do not resell licences, we do not take referral fees, and we are not paid by any vendor for a recommendation. If we ever arranged a paid arrangement of that kind it would be disclosed in writing before any work started. This is the single most common question we are asked, which is why it is answered first.
What do we actually receive at the end of an engagement?
One or more written documents, agreed before we start. A review session produces a one-page summary. A defined project produces a written review of the current workflow, an ordered list of changes with owners, and setup notes. A monthly arrangement produces a one-page note each month recording what changed.
We are only one or two people. Is this meant for us?
Yes. Independent professionals and small studios are the practice's main client group. The methods are sized for businesses without an operations role, so they assume the person running the process is also doing the work.
What do you need to know before the first call?
Three things: the tools you currently pay for, the jobs that repeat every week, and the single task that costs you the most time. A short email covering those is enough to make the first call useful.
Should we replace everything or change a little?
Change a little, almost always. Most small businesses are carrying one or two genuinely poor tools and several perfectly serviceable ones. We separate those two groups in the review, and we keep what works.
How long does an engagement take, and will it interrupt the work?
A review session is a single sitting. A defined project typically runs over two to four weeks with roughly an hour a week of your time. The changes are set up alongside your normal work, never as a shutdown.
Will we be able to maintain it ourselves afterwards?
That is the intention. Every recommendation has to be something your own team can keep running, and the handover includes the setup notes, the account and permission list and a short guide written for the person who inherits it.
Do we have to buy new software?
Often not, and never to our benefit. Where an existing tool covers the requirement we say so. If a new subscription is the right answer, we set out the annual cost and what happens to your data if you stop paying.
Can we do just one part, such as tool selection?
Yes. The service lines are priced separately so a single piece of work can be commissioned on its own. Many engagements are exactly one service line followed by nothing further.
Do you work remotely, and how do we start?
Remote working across the United Kingdom is the normal arrangement, with calls and screen sharing where access is needed. To start, send a short email describing the problem area; we will reply with a suggested first step and the band it falls in.
Still deciding whether to get in touch?
Send the problem in a sentence. If it is not something we handle, we will say so and point you at the kind of practice that does.
