Custom software for small businesses that need a real tool, not another subscription
Portals, dashboards, AI tools, booking, and messaging, built to fit how you actually work. You get full access to the code, and you are hiring the person who builds it, not a broker who marks up a freelancer.
Start with a discovery sprint →What we have shipped, and what we are building
We run our own software in production, not just build it for other people. Here is what is live and what we are building now.
CRM pipeline board
A login-gated, multi-tenant CRM that runs live for several businesses, each seeing only their own leads.
See the CRM →Shift 27
A platform we are building for a junior-hockey coaching company: an AI report engine that turns a coaching call into a branded player report, plus a player and parent dashboard, booking, and messaging.
What we build
Most of what small businesses need is some mix of these. We build the pieces you need and skip the rest.
Client & member portals
Logins, roles, and dashboards so your customers or team have one place to work instead of a pile of tabs.
AI tools & report generators
Turn a transcript, a form, or a spreadsheet into a branded document or a decision, automatically.
Booking & scheduling
Take bookings, sync to your calendar, and stop the back-and-forth of finding a time.
SMS automation
Reminders, nudges, and follow-ups that go out on their own so nothing slips.
In-app messaging
Private, on-brand chat between your business and your customers, inside your own tool.
Dashboards & integrations
Pull your numbers and your other software into one view you actually check.
How we work, and who builds it
You work directly with Giuseppe, who scopes and writes the code in Kelowna. No account managers, no offshore hand-off. The person who understands your build is the person who ships it.
We work in phases. Each phase has a fixed price and a clear deliverable, and you approve the number before it starts. You are never signing a blank cheque for a build that drifts.
You get the code. The repository, the accounts, and full access are yours, and you can take the project to any developer later. Exact IP terms are set per engagement and put in writing before you commit. We build on Next.js and Supabase, so any competent developer can pick it up.
Support, security, and capacity
A launch is the start, not the finish. We quote support and maintenance as a separate monthly line so it is predictable, and third-party costs like AI or SMS usage are passed through at cost.
Security is a build requirement, not an afterthought: row-level security, role-based access, and least-privilege keys so each business only sees its own data.
We are deliberately small, so we take on one to two builds a quarter. That keeps quality high and means the person who scoped your project is the person who builds it.
How to start
Every build starts with a paid discovery sprint, a fixed price of a few thousand dollars. In it we map what you actually need, design the architecture, and hand you a phased quote and plan that is yours to keep, whether or not you build with us. It removes the risk of committing to a big build blind.
From there, the build is scoped on the discovery work, phased, and priced per phase. Book a call and we will tell you honestly whether custom software is even the right move for you.
FAQ
Does a marketing agency actually build the software, or do you subcontract it?
We build it in house. You work directly with Giuseppe, who writes the code in Kelowna, not an account manager who hands your project offshore. Zio runs its own production software: Docket, a project-management tool we sell, and a multi-tenant CRM that runs live for several businesses. Same person who scopes your build ships it, on the same stack, Next.js and Supabase. You are not paying a marketer to broker a freelancer.
Who owns the code?
You get the repository, the accounts, and full access from day one, and you can take the project to any developer later. Exact intellectual-property terms are set per engagement and spelled out in writing before you commit, so there are no surprises. We do not hold your software hostage.
What happens if the build runs over?
We scope in phases with a fixed price per phase, so you approve the number before each stage starts. The paid discovery sprint exists to catch scope surprises before you commit to a full build, which is where most overruns start.
What does support cost after launch?
A launch is the start, not the finish. We quote support and maintenance as a separate monthly line, usually a percentage of the build, so a heavy month never surprises you. Third-party costs like AI or SMS usage are passed through at cost.
How is my data and security handled?
Builds run on Supabase with row-level security, role-based access, and least-privilege keys, so tenant isolation is a build requirement from day one, not an afterthought. Each business only sees its own data.
How long does a build take?
Most small-business builds run a few weeks to a few months depending on scope. The discovery sprint produces a phased timeline before you commit, so you are never guessing.
When is custom software worth it over off-the-shelf software?
Off-the-shelf wins when a standard tool fits. Custom wins when you are paying for several subscriptions that only half-fit, stitching them together with manual work, or your process is your edge and no tool respects it. If a standard tool already does the job, we will tell you to use it.
What is the smallest way to start?
A paid discovery sprint. It is a fixed-price engagement where we map the build, the architecture, and a phased quote that is yours to keep, whether or not you continue with us. It is the low-risk first step instead of committing to a full build blind.
