GuidesOff-the-shelf or custom software? A practical checklist for small businesses

I build custom software for a living, and I still tell some clients not to hire me. A good off-the-shelf tool is cheaper to start, already battle-tested and somebody else's problem to maintain. The question isn't which is better — it's which fits your business right now.

Start with off-the-shelf when…

• Your process is standard — the way you invoice, track leave or manage leads looks like everyone else's.
• You're still working out how the business runs. Software built around a process that changes next quarter is money spent twice.
• A small team will use it, so per-seat fees stay small.
• You don't need it to connect deeply with your other systems.

Custom starts to win when…

• Your process is your edge. If the way you price, schedule or fulfil is why customers choose you, forcing it into a generic tool erases the advantage.
• You're paying for workarounds. Spreadsheets beside the SaaS, copy-pasting between tools, staff doing by hand what the software can't.
• Per-seat or per-transaction fees grow faster than your profit. Commission-based platforms are the classic case — restaurants on aggregators, sellers on marketplaces.
• Several tools need to act as one. An order should update stock, notify a rider and land in finance without anyone retyping it.
• You need to own the data and the roadmap, rather than hope a vendor prioritises your feature request.

The questions I ask on a first call

1. 01What happens today, step by step, from a customer's first contact to money in the bank?
2. 02Where do people re-type information or check one system against another?
3. 03What do your current tools cost per month — and what will they cost at twice your size?
4. 04Which part of this process is genuinely different from your competitors?
5. 05What breaks first on your busiest day?

A middle path that often wins

You rarely have to choose all or nothing. Keep off-the-shelf tools for the commodity parts — accounting, email, payroll — and build custom only where your business is different: the booking flow, the inventory rules, the customer app. Connect them through their APIs. You get the leverage of mature products and the edge of software built around you.

What to ask any developer before you commit

• Will I own the source code, designs and accounts from day one?
• Is the price fixed, and what happens when requirements change?
• How often will I see working software — and can I click it myself?
• What will it cost to run per month, and who maintains it after launch?