Services - How I can help
Software platforms that are easy to enter and hard to leave are a strategic risk. I help European businesses and organisations see that risk clearly, then choose or change their software so they stay in control of it.
I take no commissions and no partnerships, so my advice is not for sale. For more, read how I stay independent.
Three ways we can work together
Each service stands alone. Many clients do only one or two.
Not sure where to start? Most projects begin with the Assess option, whether or not we carry on afterwards.
Assess
Know what you run, what it costs, and who can cut off your access.
- I read your invoices, contracts and data-processing agreements, and map which tools connect to which.
- I test the exits: what you can export, in what format, with how much history, and at what cost.
- I write it up in plain language: what to keep, what to change, what to replace, and where to add an exit plan.
What you get
A written map of what you run, what it costs, and who can cut off your access.
Timing and fit
Two to three weeks. Best for organisations that want to know where they stand before deciding anything: before a renewal, a price rise, a new contract, or a change of team.
Plan
Choose software with the trade-offs written down, so you can still defend the decision at renewal.
- We work out what you really need before anyone opens a comparison spreadsheet.
- I use the tools properly, for days or weeks, testing documentation, support, and unusual cases. The usual 30-minute demo is not enough.
- I compare options on cost, legal jurisdiction, export, support, and what leaving would cost you later.
What you get
A recommendation with the trade-offs written down, so you can explain it to colleagues, auditors or your board.
Timing and fit
Two to six weeks. Best for organisations choosing a new tool, combining tools that overlap, or deciding whether and how to leave a platform.
Build
Move to the new setup without running the project yourself, and keep control of it.
- I coordinate the right specialists for each part of the work and hold them to the plan. They do the technical work; I oversee it for you.
- Email, files, CRMs and anything else move in an order that keeps your business running.
- Every account, credential and data export ends up in your hands, not mine or a supplier's.
What you get
A migration that is finished and working, with your team able to run it day to day.
Timing and fit
Six to twelve weeks, for a fixed fee or a retainer. Best for organisations that have already decided to move and want an independent person overseeing it.
What does it cost?
Prices depend heavily on what software you run today, so I don't publish a fixed list. After a first call I give you a fixed fee in writing, before any work starts.
What this looks like in practice
Three real projects.
A sustainable packaging company was running on a project management platform built for organisations three times its size: overcomplicated, slow, invasive, and hosted outside Europe. We replaced it with something that matched how they actually worked, open-source and hosted in Europe.
A bicycle leasing company needed a fairly specific set of email marketing features. A European option existed and we tried it seriously, but the support was unresponsive enough to be a genuine operational risk. We chose the American tool knowingly, wrote down why, and kept the European one on the list to revisit.
A European supplier of natural healthcare ingredients needed analytics that didn't contradict their own values. We ended up with a stack that gave them the funnels they needed, kept the data in Europe, and didn't quietly harvest the people they were trying to serve.
What I don't do
- I don't build or maintain software. No code, no sysadmin, no on-call. If you need that, I'll help you choose who does it.
- I don't design or build software, websites, or pick the agency. That's a different job, and one I no longer take on.
- I don't give legal advice or act as your data protection officer (DPO). For contracts, data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) or GDPR, you need a lawyer. I'm happy to work alongside yours.
How I stay independent
I take no commissions, no referral fees and no vendor or agency partnerships – not now, not ever. Nobody pays me to recommend against anyone either, so when I tell you to renew, switch, sign, or walk away, that's the honest answer rather than the profitable one.
How I work
- I start by finding out how you really work, not only what the brief says.
- I use the tools properly, for days or weeks, poking support and trying to go down odd paths.
- Before you commit, I map the exits: exports, jurisdiction, and what leaving would really cost.
Start here
Tell me what you are dealing with, and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help. If I can't, I'll point you to someone who can. There is no sales pitch at the end.
Book a call: 30-minute discovery call. It helps if you bring a list of your main tools, or just your latest software invoices.
Prefer to write? Send me an email with your questions. I usually reply within a day.