Custom software, built around how you work

Custom software is software built for one business, around how it actually works. We build it when off-the-shelf software doesn't fit: internal tools, client portals and integrations.

We design it with your team, build the smallest thing that fixes the problem, then grow it from there. Every system Elevate runs on, we built ourselves.

What we build for you is yours once it's paid for. We keep our own tools, methods and templates, and we document what we build.

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Does your business need custom software?

Your team works around software that almost fits
Spreadsheets have become the system that runs the business
Clients ask for a portal or a better way to work with you
You've been quoted for a large system when you need something small and specific

What does custom software development include?

Internal tools for the jobs packaged software does badly
Client portals, so clients can see and do things without calling or emailing
Integrations through open APIs, connecting the systems you already use
Building in stages, tested with the people who use it
Documentation, so the software never depends on one person's memory
Changes as your business changes
Software your business sells to its own customers
Phone apps, and a second look at software someone else built

These are examples of what we do, not the limit of it.

How does custom software development work?

Custom software development starts from the work: who does what, where it slows down, and what the result should be. We design with your team, agree the smallest thing that fixes the problem, and build it in stages.

We test each stage with the people who use it, document what we build, and grow it once it's proven.

What affects the cost of custom software?

The cost of custom software depends on how much it has to do, how many people use it, how many other systems it connects to, and how much existing data has to come across.

It also depends on testing, documentation and the changes you want later. That is why we build the smallest useful version first. The quickest way to a real figure is a free IT assessment: a 30-minute call, no pitch.

Custom software or off-the-shelf software?

Off-the-shelf software is usually the right choice when it fits. It is quick to start, and someone else maintains it. We would rather help you set it up well than build something you don't need.

Custom software earns its place when the work is particular to your business, when you keep working around the software you have, or when clients need something nothing off the shelf provides.

Who needs custom software, and who doesn't?

Custom software fits a business where spreadsheets run critical work, where software almost fits but not quite, or where clients ask for a portal.

If a setting, a connection between two systems you already have, or a small automation would solve the problem, you don't need custom software. We check for those first.

What are the risks of custom software?

Custom software can depend on whoever built it, grow bigger than the business needs, or become hard to change. Those are real risks, and they are mostly avoidable.

We keep it small, document it, and build it so a change doesn't depend on one person's memory.

Can you build software we sell to our own customers?

Yes. Some businesses have an idea for custom software their own customers would use or pay for: a booking tool, a portal, an app for a trade they know well. We build the smallest version that proves the idea, put it in front of real users, and grow it from there. You own what we build once it's paid for, and the accounts it runs in are in your name.

Can you review software someone else built?

Yes. If you have custom software from another developer, or one who has moved on, we can look at it before you decide what to do next. We read the code, check where it runs and who holds the accounts, and look for security gaps and parts nobody can maintain. You get a plain-English summary of what's sound, what's risky and what to fix first.

How we start

1
We start from the work: who does what, where it slows down, and what the result should be.
2
We agree the smallest thing that fixes it, and build it in stages.
3
We test it with the people who use it, document it, and grow it once it's proven.

Questions

Who owns what you build?

You do, once it's paid for. We keep our own tools, methods and templates, and we document what we build for you.

Can we start small?

Yes. The smallest version that fixes the problem is usually the right first step, and it shows quickly whether the idea works.

Do we need custom software, or will what we have do?

Often what you have does, with the right settings or a connection to another system. We check that first and tell you if it does.

What if we need a change later?

Software changes as the business does. We document what we build, so changes are straightforward whether we make them or someone else does.

Do you build phone apps?

Yes, when a phone app is the right answer. Often a website built for phones does the same job and is simpler to keep up to date, so we check that first. When you do need an app, for example to work offline, use the camera or send notifications, we build it as custom software for iPhone and Android and look after it through each new phone release.

Talk it through with us. Thirty minutes, no pitch.

We work with growing businesses across the US, remotely and on-site.