How much does bespoke software cost?

How MUCH does bespoke software cost?

Let me give you a real answer with some real numbers.

Of course, it does depend still on a load of factors.

But this should give you a solid ballpark to ponder.

Initial Investment

Typically, to get a system launched, you're typically looking at £10,000 - £20,000.

With a delivery time of 8 - 12 weeks.

Bigger agencies you'll want to multiply this by 3 - 5.

Offshoring, you can half it or more (though tread carefully here, a LOT of my work comes from failed offshored projects).

So you may wonder, how can that price point or timeline be given without knowing the details of what we're building?

Good question! Of course, this is a guideline but, more than that, it's a cap that we try and stick to.

If the system is much more complicated, then launching a leaner, focused version 1 within these parameters makes more sense.

It's less risk for both sides and is absolutely the best way to develop software.

True sometimes in life you need to go "all in".

Software is not one these life moments.

Ongoing Support

You then need someone to support it.

Software is like a car (for the sake of this analogy), it needs:

• Servicing
• Tyres changing
• General upkeep

My support packages start at £150 per month.

So, a bigger upfront cost and then a small monthly fee.

Without support, you're really putting your investment at risk.

We promote that developing software is simple and straightforward. And that's true, it can be, but that's with years of experience on our side and us taking on the technical challenges.

Really, behind the scenes and in the coding weeds, software is complicated.

Where software is nothing like a car though is the idea of changing the oil yourself or a tyre. You can't do it unless you're a coder.

The Real Value Proposition

But let's forget the cash and look at what really matters...

...the ROI...

...it can be HUGE!

It's not uncommon for the systems I build to save at LEAST 20 hours a week of human effort.

Take someone on the average UK salary (and if it's your specialists and/or fee earning staff you'll want to multiply this), that's getting close to £20k worth of staff value added back in the business.

You can EASILY be in a positive ROI in 6 months.

And that's forgetting the value of the IP added to the business.

And that's forgetting the opportunity to scale and do things that wouldn't be possible without software.

Add that all into the mix and sometimes it can be an absolute no brainer.

Is Bespoke Right For You?

That's not to say every business is a good fit for bespoke software.

But if you're on spreadsheets or are finding a bottleneck in your process, it could darn well be worth exploring.

Likewise if you're spending thousands of pounds a year on licenses for off the shelf products… it's worth more of a thought.