The Lab.
I run my own businesses and home setup on the same kind of tools I build for clients. If it isn’t good enough for me, I won’t sell it to you. Here’s what’s running right now.
- $4,700+
- saved per year
- on software I no longer pay for
- 15
- paid subscriptions replaced
- with tools I own and run
- 24/7
- failure alerts
- straight to my phone
- 150
- leads reviewed weekly
- at $0 cost
01
Flagship builds
An alarm that acts before someone gets in
Most alarms react after a break-in. This one acts first. It uses cameras and speakers I already had. If it detects movement at the wrong time, a loud warning plays through the speakers to scare them off. Touch screen customised to interact with it, complete with safety precautions.
No new hardware. No monitoring fee.
Receipts to accounts, with no typing
Snap a receipt or forward an invoice. It is read, checked and sent to the accounting software. I have adopted it myself, after building for a family business.
Replaces: Dext · $403/yr
Private AI assistants
No data retention, no training on my data, plus a fully local option for sensitive work. Integrated into my systems to enhance my output.
Client details never go into a public chatbot.
02
What I run
Business software I host and manage myself. My data stays mine.
Accounts and CRM
Contacts, quotes, invoices and bookkeeping in one place I own.
Replaces: Xero and HubSpot · $809/yr
Automations
The engine behind every workflow on this page.
Replaces: Zapier · $894/yr
Forms
Enquiry, intake and booking forms that feed straight into my systems.
Replaces: Jotform · $711/yr
Receipt capture
Snap a receipt. It is read, filed and sent to the accounts.
Replaces: Dext · $403/yr
Project management
Shared tasks, timelines and recurring jobs with partners.
Replaces: ClickUp/Asana · $383/yr
Databases and trackers
Flexible tables for leads, jobs and records, linked to everything else.
Replaces: Airtable · $365/yr
Meeting minutes
Recordings become transcripts and action items, on my own hardware.
Replaces: Sonix · $152/yr
Website hosting
This site runs on my own server.
Replaces: Web hosting · $132/yr
Security cameras
Recording on my own storage, tuned to last ~60% longer with no loss of useful footage.
Replaces: Cloud camera plan · $100/yr
Online document filing
Scans and PDFs are tagged and made searchable automatically for easy retrieval.
No subscription needed
Plus personal swaps: photo editing, office apps, music, video and photo storage. All prices AUD, conservatively based on the lowest plan that does the job. Used across two different businesses, so savings could be greater still.
03
Also running quietly
Know when things break
Alerts for failed backups, failing disks and cameras that stop recording.
Backups that check themselves
Copies run on a schedule and tell me if one did not finish.
Overnight lead research
I start each day with a short list of potential clients.
Shared digital photo frame
Our photos, contributed to by all family members with no cloud account or subscription.
04
How it’s kept safe
Private by default
My data is never kept or used to train AI models.
Local for sensitive work
The most sensitive jobs never leave my own hardware.
Backed up and tested
Three copies of every backup (local, offsite and cloud), checked so a restore actually works.
Only the access needed
Each tool and person gets the minimum they need, nothing more.
Want this running in your business?
I build the same systems for clients.