Custom business apps, product configurators and internal tools
I spec, manage and build custom business apps for Illawarra and Australian businesses: product configurators, quoting tools, customer and dealer portals, dashboards and data crawlers. I act as the digital product manager and, for most jobs, the developer too, using AI-assisted development to build faster without cutting corners. When a job needs a specialist, I bring one in and run it.
The software you need doesn't exist. The workaround is a spreadsheet.
Off-the-shelf tools get you most of the way. The last stretch is where your business is different, and it's usually held together by a spreadsheet, a macro and one person who understands both.
Reps quote from a price list that's three versions old. Dealers email for specs because there's nowhere else to look. Someone spends Monday morning copying tender notices into the CRM. The fix isn't another subscription. It's a small, well-specified app that does one job properly and talks to the systems you already have.
- Quotes built in Excel from a price list exported from the ERP last quarter.
- Customers who can't picture the product until a rep visits.
- Dealers ringing for information that could be self-serve.
- An old Microsoft Access database running a critical process, scaring everyone.
- Staff copying data from council and tender websites by hand.
- An app someone built years ago that nobody can change.
Apps that do one job properly
Every build connects to what you already run, usually HubSpot, your ERP and your website. No islands.
Product configurators
Customers pick options, see the result and get a valid specification and price. I handle requirements, architecture and development leadership, with your design team's 3D models hosted in Sketchfab so they load fast on any device.
Quoting and pricing tools
Quote builders fed from your ERP and product data, so prices, codes and options are always current. Quotes can land in HubSpot as deals with line items, ready to send.
Customer and dealer portals
Logins for customers, dealers or installers to check pricing, download specs and brochures, or lodge requests, without ringing your office.
Internal tools and dashboards
Admin screens, approval flows and dashboards that replace the spreadsheet everyone's afraid to touch. Built around the job, not a generic template.
Data crawlers and prospecting
Scheduled crawlers that pull council development data, tender notices and grant programs into a clean list or straight into the CRM. Your team sees new opportunities each morning.
Receipt and document processing
Receipts, invoices and forms read with AI, checked against rules and pushed into the right system, with a human review step where it matters.
Integrations and APIs
Connections to HubSpot, your ERP, WordPress and your databases through REST APIs, webhooks and proper authentication, with logging so failures get noticed.
Rescue and rebuild
Legacy Access databases, old PHP apps and abandoned builds reviewed, documented and either stabilised or rebuilt on something your team can maintain.
Specs and product ownership
Requirements, user stories, wireframes and acceptance criteria written before anything is built. Already have a developer? I can be the product manager between them and the business.
How I specify, manage and build
I'm a digital product manager who builds. That matters, because most software projects don't fail on code. They fail on a fuzzy spec, nobody owning decisions, and a developer guessing what the business meant.
Every build starts with a written spec: who uses it, what it has to do, what data it touches, which system owns that data, and what "done" looks like. You sign it off before anything gets built.
For most internal tools, crawlers, integrations and configurators, I build it myself with AI-assisted development. I use Claude Code and Codex alongside Python, Node.js, PHP, JavaScript and SQL, working against REST APIs and webhooks, with everything in Git. AI writes a lot of the boilerplate. I make the decisions, review every change and test against your real data.
When a job needs more, I bring in specialist developers and manage them: heavy 3D or graphics work, complex mobile apps, payment handling, or a codebase big enough to need a team. You know which parts are mine and which are theirs before we start, and I stay accountable for the lot.
What you always get
- A written spec you approve before the build
- A fixed quote against that spec
- Source code in a Git repository you own
- Documentation a new developer can follow
- Testing against real data, not demo data
- A plan for who maintains it after launch
Custom business app pricing
Fixed quotes after the spec, so you know the number before the build starts. All prices AUD. No GST is added. Hosting and software subscriptions are paid to the vendors directly.
Problem-Solving Session
- Pressure-test the idea
- Build, buy or don't bother
- Rough scope and budget range
- Good before you commit
Custom app or configurator
- Written spec and architecture
- Build, test and launch
- HubSpot, ERP or website integration
- Source code and docs you own
Ongoing product ownership
- Fixes, changes and small features
- Monitoring and data checks
- Roadmap and priorities
- Developer management if needed
Smaller jobs, like a receipt-processing automation or a scheduled crawler, may fit an automation build instead: single automations from $2,500, larger builds from $8,500. Apps that live inside HubSpot are covered under HubSpot integrations and custom apps, from $15,000. All rates are on the pricing page.
From idea to app in four steps
Discover
The job, who does it now, what it costs you and which systems it touches. Sometimes the answer is "don't build it, configure HubSpot". I'll say so.
Specify
A written spec, a data map and simple wireframes. Then a fixed quote. You sign off.
Build
Short cycles you can see and click on, tested against your real data. Specialists only where the spec calls for them.
Launch and own
Staff trained, docs handed over, code in your repository. Then a retainer or a clean handover to your team.
The kind of work I do
Illustrative scenarios, not client results. Plug in your own numbers.
The configurator that replaces the site visit
Example: a maker of modular products sells through reps who visit every buyer to explain the options. A configurator with 3D models lets buyers build their own layout, see it from every angle, and send a valid spec. Reps spend their time on qualified buyers instead of explaining options.
The quote tool fed from the ERP
Example: a sales team builds 40 quotes a week in Excel from a quarterly price export. A quoting tool reads current prices and codes from the ERP and creates the deal and line items in HubSpot. If each quote takes 20 minutes less, that's over 13 hours a week back.
The council data crawler
Example: a building products supplier wants to hear about relevant developments before the tender comes out. A crawler checks council datasets each night, filters by project type and size, and creates leads in HubSpot for the right rep.
The grant finder
Example: a business keeps missing grant rounds because nobody has time to check a dozen portals. A small tool monitors the portals, matches programs against the business's criteria and emails a weekly shortlist.
A product lead who can build
I sit between the business and the code. I've written configurator requirements, coordinated product data and specifications with design and engineering, and owned websites, CRMs, configurators and internal tools from spec to delivery. That's the job most custom builds are missing.
I'm based in Wollongong, work on site across the Illawarra, and build remotely for businesses anywhere in Australia. If you make or sell physical products, see the manufacturers page too.
Good fit
- Manufacturers and product companies with configurable products
- Businesses quoting from spreadsheets and ERP exports
- Teams running a critical process on an old database or macro
- Companies with a developer but nobody owning the product
Not a fit
- You're building a consumer app or software startup. You need a product studio
- You haven't decided what problem it solves
- You want the cheapest possible build with no spec
Custom app and configurator FAQs
How much does a custom business app cost?
From $15,000 for a properly specified app, configurator or portal, with a fixed quote once the spec is written. Small automations can cost less. Large multi-user portals cost more. The spec is where you find out.
Do you write the code yourself?
For most internal tools, crawlers, integrations and configurators, yes, using AI-assisted development with Claude Code and Codex. I review and test everything. For specialist work, I bring in developers and manage them, and you'll know up front which is which.
Is AI-assisted code safe to run a business on?
Code is only as good as the person reviewing it. I write the spec first, keep everything in Git, review every change, test against real data and document it. AI makes the typing faster. It doesn't replace judgement.
What does a product configurator need from us?
Your product rules (what fits with what), pricing logic, product codes, images or 3D models, and someone who can answer questions quickly. If the product data is a mess, we fix that first, because a configurator is only as good as the data behind it.
Can it connect to our ERP and HubSpot?
Usually, through an API, database exports or scheduled files. I've worked on ERP pricing, product and quoting integration and on the HubSpot API across contacts, deals and products. The spec confirms the method before you commit.
Who owns the code?
You do. It lives in a repository you own, with documentation. No lock-in to me.
What happens after launch?
Either a retainer from $3,500 a month for fixes, changes and roadmap, or a clean handover to your team or another developer. Software nobody owns rots, so we decide this before the build.
Related services
HubSpot integrations & custom apps
CRM cards, serverless functions and API integrations built inside HubSpot.
See how it worksSystems integration
HubSpot, ERP, website and project tools passing data to each other.
See how it worksManufacturers
Product data, quoting, configurators and catalogues for product companies.
See how it worksHubSpot services: HubSpot consulting · HubSpot migration · HubSpot admin retainer · HubSpot integrations & custom apps · HubSpot health check · HubSpot training
Tell me what the spreadsheet is doing
Describe the job, who does it now and which systems it touches. I'll reply within one business day with whether I'd build, buy or configure, and a rough budget range.
- Written spec before any build
- Fixed quote, code you own
- Wollongong-based, working Australia-wide
What do you want built?
I read every enquiry myself and reply within one business day.
Got it. Thanks.
I'll be in touch within one business day.