// how it works

No black holes. Here's the whole thing.

Most owners have been burned by a vendor who started vague and stayed vague. So here's every step — what happens, what we need from you, what it costs and when, and what you actually own when it's done. Read it before you book. If something here doesn't sit right, that's a reason not to call, and that's fine.

// what it costs, and when

You pay nothing until we start building. The fit call is free. The fixed-scope proposal — the plan, the price, what's in and what's out — is also free. The first invoice only lands when you've accepted that proposal and we kick off the build. No paid discovery, no deposit to get a quote.

The fit call

~20 min · video or phone · free

You tell us what's not talking to what — and what changed recently to make it hurt. We tell you, honestly, whether it's something we can do well, roughly what it'd take, and whether we're the right people for it. It's a fit, both ways. If your problem is better solved by an off-the-shelf app or a setting you already pay for, we'll say so and point you at it.

WHAT YOU DO

Show up and talk through the problem. No prep, no spec, no slides. A screen-share of the actual mess is more useful than any document.

WHAT YOU GET

A straight read on whether it's worth doing, a ballpark range, and zero pressure to go further.

The fixed-scope proposal

2–5 business days after the call · free

We write down exactly what we'll build, what it will and won't do, the systems it touches, and a single fixed price — not a range, not an hourly rate that drifts. You read it on your own time. If the scope's wrong, we adjust it before anyone commits. The price doesn't move later unless you change what's being built.

WHAT YOU DO

Read it, ask questions, and tell us if we've misunderstood any part of how your business actually runs.

WHAT YOU GET

A fixed price, a clear plan, a payment schedule, and a written list of what's out of scope so there are no surprises mid-build.

Build & test

typically 1–4 weeks, depending on scope · first invoice here

We build it against test data and a staging copy first — never straight onto your live store or your real books. You watch it work on realistic data before it touches anything that matters: real orders flowing to draft invoices, GST landing right, refunds reversing cleanly. Only once you've signed off does it go live, and we're watching the first real runs with you.

WHAT YOU DO

Give us access to the systems we're connecting (we'll tell you exactly which, and you can scope the permissions), then check the test runs look right. Usually a couple of hours of your time across the whole build.

WHAT YOU GET

A working integration you've seen run on test data, a go-live you're in control of, and a rollback plan if anything looks off.

Handover & support

ongoing · support terms agreed up front

It's yours. The code, the credentials, the documentation — all in your name, written so another developer could pick it up. We hand over plain-English notes on what it does and what to watch for, and we stay on call for when a vendor changes an API or your business shifts. No lock-in: you're never held hostage to keep the thing you paid for running.

WHAT YOU DO

Nothing, day to day — it runs on its own. Reach out if something upstream changes or you want it to do more.

WHAT YOU GET

Full ownership, documentation, and a known person to call — with response times agreed before go-live, not invented when something breaks.

// what moves the price

Why a project lands at $7k versus $20k

Most builds sit between $5k and $25k. Where yours falls comes down to a few honest things — not how big your business is or how much we think you'll pay. The more of these that are simple, the cheaper it is.

how many systems Two systems talking is the baseline. Each extra system in the chain — a third app, a second store, a separate warehouse — adds work and edge cases.
how good the APIs are A clean, documented API is cheap to work with. An old system with a flaky or undocumented one, or a vendor with tight rate limits, costs more to do safely.
how many edge cases Refunds, partial shipments, multi-currency, deposits, GST-free lines, store credit. The rules that bite at BAS time are where the real work is — and where a cheap build cuts corners.
how much it carries A nightly sync of 20 orders is simpler than thousands of live transactions. Higher volume means more guards, retries and monitoring so a bad run can't quietly corrupt your data.
one-off or living A migration that runs once is cheaper than a connection that runs forever. Anything ongoing needs error handling, alerts and a way to recover when an upstream system has a bad day.

// your part

What we need from you

Not much, and we're specific about it — your time is the scarcest thing in this. Across a whole project it usually adds up to a few hours.

Access to the systems we're connecting — logins or scoped API permissions for, say, Shopify and Xero. We tell you exactly what and why, and you can keep it tight.
Someone who knows how the business actually runs — you, or whoever handles the books. The undocumented "oh, we always do it this way" rules are what make or break the build.
A bit of review time — to look at the test runs and confirm the numbers land where they should before go-live.
Your bookkeeper or accountant looped in, if you've got one — handy but not required. We're happy to talk to them directly so the accounting side is right.

// no lock-in

What you own at the end

This is the part that separates a build from a subscription. When we're done, you own the thing — not a seat in someone else's product you have to keep renting.

Typical SaaS / agency lock-in

Stops working the day you stop paying
Code and logins held by the vendor
Only their team can change it
Your data lives in their account

With us

The code is yours, in a repo in your name
Credentials and accounts are yours
Any competent developer can take it over
Plain-English docs so it's not a black box

// honestly

When we're not the right call

The fastest way to lose your trust is to take a job we shouldn't. So, plainly:

we'll point you elsewhere if…

An off-the-shelf app already does it well — we'll name the app rather than rebuild it for you.
The systems you want connected simply have no API, or one too closed to use safely. We'll tell you on the fit call, not three weeks in.
You need a full custom platform or an internal team — that's a bigger build than the $5k–$25k middle we work in.
The numbers don't add up — if the integration would cost more than the manual work it saves, we'll say so.

// common questions

Questions owners actually ask

Will this mess with my live store or my real accounts?

No. We build and test against a staging copy and test data first. Nothing touches your live systems or your books until you've watched it work and signed off — and there's a rollback plan if a go-live looks wrong.

What happens when Shopify or Xero changes their API?

It happens — vendors drift. That's what the support arrangement is for: we monitor for breakages and fix them under terms agreed up front, so you're not scrambling when something upstream shifts.

Is the fixed price really fixed?

Yes. The price in the proposal is what you pay. It only changes if you change what's being built — and then we agree the new scope and price in writing before doing the work.

Do you handle GST and BAS correctly?

That's most of the actual work. GST-free lines, rounding, refunds, the way it all reconciles at BAS time — getting these right is the difference between a build that helps and one that quietly creates a mess for your bookkeeper. The teardowns show exactly how.

Can my bookkeeper be involved?

Please — it helps. We're glad to talk to your bookkeeper or accountant directly so the accounting side is right the first time.

How long does it take?

Most builds run one to four weeks from accepted proposal to go-live, depending on how many systems and edge cases are involved. We give you a realistic timeline in the proposal, not an optimistic one.

What if we get on the call and it's not a fit?

Then we say so and you've lost twenty minutes. The fit call is free and there's no pressure — a clear "this isn't for us, here's what is" is a good outcome too.

Know what's not talking to what?

start with the free fit call · no obligation, no paid discovery

Book a fit call