Looking for help on a software decision?
Before you compare another feature list or sign up for another free trial, let's take a step back. The problem isn't which tool to buy. The problem is which process to fix.
Before you compare another feature list or sign up for another free trial, let's take a step back. The problem isn't which tool to buy. The problem is which process to fix.
Someone likely pointed you here from a social media thread because you asked about software tools. It's a perfectly reasonable question. I bet you immediately got a flood of confident recommendations. Let me help you navigate the noise.
I'm Gareth. Since 2011, I have helped service businesses fix the operational leaks that software alone cannot solve. The issue is not a lack of good answers—it is that nobody asked what you actually need the tool to do. A prescription without a diagnosis is malpractice.
Process first. Then tools. Then implementation. It sounds simple, yet almost everyone skips straight to buying the software. Worse, they often do very little with it.
Name and plan the core marketing and sales processes your business actually needs to run. Most people are missing several without realising.
Once your processes are defined, tool choices become obvious. Stop comparing everything against everything—match specific jobs to capabilities.
The right tool configured badly is worse than no tool. Match your software to your actual workflow and measure whether it is doing the job.
I have mapped the eight marketing and sales processes that most service businesses need. Before you compare another feature list, spend five minutes with a coffee and this one-page sheet.
The value is not in ticking off what you are already doing—it is in spotting the one or two processes you had not realised are missing. Those are usually the ones quietly costing you leads, repeat business, or referrals right now.
Spotted a gap? That is exactly the conversation I want to have. Send me a WhatsApp and tell me which one surprised you.
"Gareth's transformed how we work, allowing us to track our orders through various workflows so the whole team knows what's happening, creating an efficient team."
Rhiannon Evans, Marketing Director, IH Flooring
"We struggled with Salesforce for years, but then we found Gareth. We now have a CRM that works for us and enables the team to function the way we like."
James Lott, Managing Director, Working Knowledge
"Gareth's put years of development into learning systems and how they can be used in businesses so he’ll challenge what it is that you’re trying to do based on his experiences."
Paul Barnes, Managing Director, My Accountancy Place
You know something feels disorganised, but you cannot name what is missing in a process you have never had. So you describe the feeling ("I need to get more organised") instead of the actual problem.
This is not an accident. The software industry is betting on complexity—that you will keep buying more tools and needing more connections between them. Every unused dashboard is that complexity playing out in your browser tabs.
15+ years helping service businesses stop the leaks in their sales and marketing. Author of the Amazon bestseller LEMONADE Plan, Podcast host (Zest for Business), and Founder of AskPip.
I work with solo directors—the person ultimately responsible for business outcomes, regardless of team size. I help you spot the business process gaps you cannot see from inside your own operation.