What we advise on
The expensive mistakes in business technology are rarely about code — they are decisions made without experience in the room: the platform that won't scale, the vendor contract with quiet lock-in, the cloud bill nobody questions. We bring the experience, without the salary.
- Architecture & platform decisions
- Tooling & vendor selection, without the sales pitch
- Cloud & software cost audits
- Technical review of agencies' and contractors' work
- Security & data-handling posture
- A technology roadmap tied to business goals
How an engagement runs
Consulting engagements are shaped to the question: a one-off review with written findings, a decision brief comparing your realistic options, or a standing arrangement where we join your planning as the technical voice. Every engagement ends in writing — what we found, what we recommend, and what it costs to act.
Who we work with
Founders and operations leads across the UK and US who are about to spend real money on technology and want an experienced, disinterested opinion first. We sell advice, not implementation hours — so our recommendation is never quietly shaped by what we'd like to build next.
Common questions
What does an IT consultant actually do for a small business?
In practice: prevents expensive mistakes. We review the decisions you are about to make — a platform choice, a vendor contract, an agency's proposal, a growing cloud bill — and give you the recommendation a senior engineer would give a company they cared about, in plain writing.
How is this different from hiring an IT support company?
Support companies keep machines running; we advise on decisions. If your laptops break, you want support. If you are choosing a platform, questioning costs, or unsure whether a proposal is sound, you want counsel — and we are deliberately not selling the implementation, so the advice stays honest.
Can you review work our agency or developer delivered?
Yes — it is one of our most common engagements. We review the code, architecture, or proposal and give you a written, plain-language assessment: what is sound, what is concerning, and what questions to put back to them. Your vendor never needs to feel ambushed; good ones welcome it.
What is a fractional CTO and do we need one?
A fractional CTO gives you senior technical leadership a few hours a month instead of a full-time salary — joining planning, owning the roadmap, and translating between the business and its technology. If technology decisions are starting to feel consequential and nobody in the room can evaluate them, that is the signal.
How do consulting fees work?
Fixed fee per engagement, agreed in writing before we start — a defined review, brief, or audit with a defined deliverable. Standing advisory arrangements are a simple monthly retainer with an agreed scope. No hourly meters running in the background.