Many businesses reach a point where off-the-shelf software no longer fits. Staff work around the gaps with spreadsheets, duplicate data entry and manual checks, and the tools that were meant to save time begin to cost it. Custom software development is the practice of building applications designed around how your business actually operates. My Geeks LLC provides this as a business-to-business service for companies that need a tool built to their requirements, or an existing system extended and integrated. This page explains what the service includes, how a project is run, what is excluded, and how it is priced.
The service covers six areas. Custom business applications are web-based tools built for a specific internal purpose — for example, managing jobs, quotes, bookings, inventory or client records in a way that matches your workflow. Client and customer portals give your customers a secure place to log in, view information, submit requests or track progress. Internal dashboards and reporting tools bring together data from several sources into clear, readable views for managers. System integration and automation connects the software you already use — accounting, email, forms, scheduling, payment providers — so that information flows between them without re-typing. Application programming interfaces (APIs) allow your systems to exchange data with partners or other platforms. Finally, ongoing maintenance and support keeps the software secure, updated and working as your business changes.
Every software project begins with discovery. We meet with the people who will use the software and the people who own the process it supports. We ask what the business does today, where the manual work and errors occur, what the software must do, who will use it and from which devices, which existing systems it must connect to, and what data it must store. We also ask what the software must not do, because clear boundaries keep projects on time and on budget. The result of discovery is a written requirements document in plain language, which you review and approve before any design or development is scheduled.
From the approved requirements we prepare a written quotation. It lists the features to be built, the integrations to be made, the exclusions, the project milestones, the delivery timeframe and the payment terms. Software projects are usually broken into stages — for example, a first working version with the core features, followed by additional features in later stages — so that you see working software early and can adjust direction before large amounts of effort are committed. Each stage is described in the quotation with its own deliverables and acceptance criteria.
Design comes next. For software that people will use directly, we prepare screen layouts that show how each task will be carried out — adding a record, approving a request, generating a report — and we review them with you before development starts. Changing a layout at this stage costs very little; changing it after the software is built costs a great deal more. We design for the devices your staff actually use, keep screens uncluttered, and make the most frequent actions the easiest to find.
Development follows a disciplined routine. We write the software using current, well-supported technologies and keep the code organised and documented so that it can be maintained — by us or by another developer — in the future. Work is tracked against the milestones in the quotation. Each feature is tested as it is built: automated tests cover the core logic, and manual testing checks that screens behave correctly with real data. Security is considered from the start, including secure authentication, appropriate access controls, encrypted connections and careful handling of personal data in line with our Privacy Policy.
Before a stage is released to you for review, it is deployed to a staging environment — a private copy of the application where you and your staff can try it with realistic data without affecting live operations. You test it against the acceptance criteria in the quotation and provide feedback. Corrections within the agreed scope are made within the revision allowance stated in the quotation. Requests that add new functionality are treated as changes of scope and quoted separately before they are built. When a stage is approved in writing, it is moved to the live environment.
Deployment and handover are handled carefully. The software is hosted in an account held in your company's name so that you own the infrastructure, with us holding only the access needed to maintain it. We provide documentation for everyday use and for administrators, and we walk your team through the system. On receipt of the final milestone payment, the source code and all materials created specifically for your project become your property. Third-party libraries and services keep their own licences, which we identify in the handover documentation.
Software is never finished in the way a document is finished. Operating systems, browsers, libraries and connected services change, security updates are released, and the business itself evolves. Our maintenance and support service is a monthly retainer that covers security updates, dependency upgrades, monitoring, backups, small corrections, and a defined number of hours for minor improvements. Larger enhancements are quoted as separate project stages. The retainer is invoiced monthly in advance and can be ended by written notice at the close of the current billing month.
Some items are excluded from the service and are listed in every quotation. Hosting, domain and third-party service fees — such as cloud infrastructure, email delivery, SMS or payment processing — are billed to you directly by the provider. Licences for commercial software components, if any are required, are quoted separately. Data entry and migration of historical records is quoted as a separate task once the volume and quality of the data is known. We do not provide servicing of computers or devices, and we do not take on projects intended for unlawful or deceptive purposes.
Pricing is by written quotation. The cost of custom software depends on the number of features, the complexity of the business rules, the integrations required and the level of design work. Because of this variety, we do not publish a price list. Projects are billed in milestones stated in the quotation — normally fifty percent on acceptance and the balance on completion, or in equal payments per stage for larger projects. Deposits are non-refundable once project milestones have commenced, as described in our Refund & Cancellation Policy. Delivery timeframes are stated in the quotation and depend on the same factors, together with how quickly requirements, feedback and test results are returned.
Custom software development is suited to businesses that have outgrown generic tools, that need their existing systems to work together, or that want to offer clients a portal or service that off-the-shelf products cannot provide. If that describes your situation, request a quote through our Contact page, send us an email, or telephone during business hours. We will ask about your current process and your goals, and send you a clear written proposal.