I have written a technical, yet practical, guide to using advanced technology in a small business to improve productivity, efficiency and accuracy. In 40 years of running multiple companies, I have used technology extensively to help them become successful. This site covers everything from telephony through to CRM systems that use autonomous AI agents. As an example, our AI receptionist fields over 100 sales calls a month, for less than a dollar.
Technology to Aid Business Growth
Using the internet and e-commerce tools can help your business grow and reach more customers locally and globally.
Leasing Technology for Your Small Business
Leasing technology for your small business can save capital, keep you competitive, and let you upgrade equipment without big upfront costs.
Using the 3CX AI Receptionist to Stop Spam and Sales Calls
How we set up the 3CX AI receptionist to send around 25 sales calls a week to voicemail, the instructions we gave it, and what it costs: under $1 a month.
Building Our Own CRM in Laravel and PHP: Why We Left FileMaker and What We Learned
Why we left FileMaker and built our own CRM in PHP and Laravel: designing it on paper first, fixing the save button problem, and £20 a month to run.
How to Push a Company Phonebook to Yealink Desk Phones Automatically
How to put your company phonebook on Yealink desk phones automatically, from a remote XML phonebook or a spreadsheet, so callers show by name.
Why Your Business Phones Don't Show Who's Calling: Locked Handsets Explained
Seeing only a number when the phone rings? Often your provider has locked the handsets. How we found out and got caller names on every phone.
Choosing a SIP Trunk Provider and Getting Memorable Local Numbers
How we chose Telnyx as our SIP trunk, got memorable numbers ending 000 for a dollar each, and what our calls cost: $4.46 for 219 calls in October.
Choosing a Business Phone Provider: What I Tried and What I Chose
I tried Spitfire, RingCentral and Voipfone before choosing 3CX with Telnyx. What happened with each, why the handsets were locked, and what I chose.
AI Agents for Small Business Jobs: Reception, Customer Service, Sales and Admin
An AI agent is software that can carry out a task on your behalf, choosing its own steps and using tools you connect it to, such as your inbox, calendar or
Cyber Essentials: What It Is and Whether Your Business Needs It
If a customer has asked for a Cyber Essentials certificate, or you have seen it on a tender form, you may be wondering what it involves and whether it is w
What Is an AI Agent? A Plain English Guide for Small Businesses
You have probably seen the phrase "AI agent" in software updates, sales emails and news stories. It gets used loosely, and sometimes it is just a new label
3CX for a Small Business: Why We Switched and What It Really Costs
Why we left a hosted phone system for 3CX with Telnyx numbers and Yealink handsets, and what it really costs us: about £60 a month, AI receptionist included.
Writing an AI Use Policy for Your Staff
If your staff use computers, some are probably already using AI tools to draft emails, summarise documents or fix spreadsheet formulas. That is not necessa