There is a dangerous middle ground for growing businesses. You are too big to run your company on Excel spreadsheets, but you are not big enough to justify the eye-watering cost of Enterprise Salesforce or HubSpot licenses.
Many London business owners feel stuck. They try to shoehorn their unique operations into "off-the-shelf" software, only to find themselves fighting against the system. They end up changing their successful business processes just to fit the limitations of the software.
At Custom Coded Websites, we build bespoke CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and Workflow Automation tools using Python and Django. Here is why building your own software is often cheaper and more effective than renting it.
1. The "Per-User" Pricing Trap
Most SaaS (Software as a Service) platforms charge per user, per month. It starts cheap: £20/user. But as you grow to 20, 50, or 100 staff, that bill explodes to £2,000+ per month—forever.
The Custom Solution: With a bespoke web app, you pay for the development once. Whether you have 5 users or 500 users, your cost remains the same. You own the code. For a company with 20+ staff, a custom build often pays for itself in less than 18 months through license savings alone.
2. Fit the Software to the Business (Not the Reverse)
Every business has a "Secret Sauce"—a unique way of doing things that gives you an edge. Off-the-shelf software forces you to work like everyone else. It standardises you into mediocrity.
We build software that maps exactly to your workflow:
- For Logistics: A dashboard that tracks drivers in real-time and auto-generates customs forms.
- For Recruitment: A pipeline that parses CVs and auto-schedules interviews based on specific criteria.
- For Construction: An app for site managers to upload safety checks from their iPad, which instantly syncs with the head office compliance dashboard.
3. Automation is the Goal
A standard CRM records data. A Smart CRM does the work for you. Because we build with Python (the language of automation), we can script complex tasks.
Example: When a prospect moves to "Stage 3" in your pipeline: The system automatically generates a PDF contract. It emails the contract to the client for e-signature. It creates a task in your project manager's calendar. It alerts the finance team on Slack.
No human touched a keyboard. This is how small teams outcompete big ones.
4. Data Sovereignty and Security
In the UK, you are responsible for your data. When you use a US-based SaaS platform, you are relying on their security measures and their compliance with international data transfers.
Our custom applications are hosted on your own private cloud environment (typically AWS London Region). You know exactly where your data lives, who has access to it, and how it is encrypted. This level of control is often mandatory for industries like Law, Finance, and Healthcare.
5. Legacy Integration
You might have an old accounting system or a warehouse database that "doesn't talk" to modern software.
We specialise in building API Bridges. We can write code that pulls data from your 15-year-old legacy database and displays it in a modern, mobile-friendly web app. You get the best of both worlds: a modern interface without the pain of a full data migration.
Conclusion: Build Your Intellectual Property
When you use HubSpot, you are renting a tool. When you build a custom CRM, you are building an asset. This software increases the valuation of your company because it proves you have scalable, documented, and automated systems in place.
Stop renting. Start building.
Book a Workflow Audit with our team. We will map out your manual processes and show you exactly what can be automated.