Questions worth asking before you start.

It depends on the scope: how much the application has to do, how many kinds of people use it, and what it needs to connect to. We would rather give you a real figure after a conversation than a guess on a website.

Once we understand the work, we will tell you what it is likely to cost before you commit to building it. The project form asks for a rough budget range because it helps us suggest an approach that fits. "Not sure yet" is a fine answer.

That depends on scope too. A focused tool for one team is a very different job from a system that replaces several others. After discovery we can give you a realistic schedule, and we will tell you if a date you have in mind is not practical.

Starting with a smaller first version is often the best way to get something useful sooner.

Not always. If a packaged product does the job well, it is usually the cheaper choice, and we will say so. Custom software makes sense when the way you work is part of what makes your business different, or when you have run out of ways to bend the tools you have.

No. You know your business, and that is the part we need from you. We will explain choices in plain language and ask about your work, not about technology.

A plain description of the problem is enough. If you have spreadsheets, forms or reports that show how the work happens today, those help. You do not need a written specification. Working that out is part of discovery.

They usually do, and that is normal. You often see what you really need once you can use an early version. When something changes, we talk through what it does to cost and schedule, and you decide before we act on it.

Ownership is written into the agreement before work starts, so nothing is left to assumption. If owning the code outright or holding your own copy matters to your business, tell us early so we can work out what the terms can cover. Third-party components stay under their own licenses.

Your business data is yours. We only need access to what the work requires, and how it is handled is set out in the agreement. If your data is sensitive or your industry has rules about it, tell us at the start so the design can account for them.

Software needs looking after, the same as anything your business depends on. We offer ongoing support to keep the application updated and healthy and to make changes as you need them. What is covered is agreed separately, so you can choose what fits.

Usually possible, but it depends. We look at it first, then tell you honestly whether it is worth keeping, fixing or replacing.