Questions to ask before hiring someone to build a custom business app

Many small businesses run on a patchwork: spreadsheets for orders, a shared inbox for requests, a calendar for bookings and a handful of tools that were never designed to work together. At some point the workarounds cost more time than they save, and custom software starts to look appealing.

Custom software is a bigger commitment than a new subscription, so it pays to ask good questions before you choose who builds it. This guide covers what to settle internally first, what to ask any developer and how one provider, NULYNQ LLC, describes its approach. NULYNQ LLC has a profile in this directory.

Before you talk to anyone

Get clear on the problem you are solving:

• Write down the workflow. Who does what, in what order, with which information? Include the awkward exceptions, because that is where off-the-shelf tools tend to fall short.
• Name the users. Staff, customers, partners? Each group may need different screens and permissions.
• Define a first version. A focused first release that fixes the most painful step is usually easier to launch and learn from than a full system.
• List the tools you depend on. Accounting, email, calendars and payment services may need to connect to the new app.

It is also worth checking whether existing software already does the job. If an off-the-shelf product fits most of your process, configuring it may cost less than building something new, and a good developer will say so.

Questions about the work

1. How will you learn how my business works? Look for an answer that starts with your workflow, not with a list of features.
2. What will the first version include? Ask for it in writing, along with what is deliberately left for later.
3. How will I see progress? Regular demonstrations beat a big reveal at the end, because they give you chances to correct course.
4. What do you need from me, and how quickly? Slow feedback is a common cause of slipped schedules.
5. How are changes handled once work is under way? Ask how new requests are scoped and priced.

Questions about hosting, accounts and payments

1. Where will the app be hosted, and who manages it? Some providers handle hosting and deployment for you. Others hand over the code and expect you to arrange it.
2. How do sign-in and permissions work? If staff and customers will both use the app, you need secure accounts and roles so each person sees only what they should.
3. How are payments handled? If you will take payments online, ask which payment provider is used and who sets it up and maintains it.
4. Which of my existing tools can it connect to? Ask which connections are realistic and which would be extra work.
5. Do I need a web app, a mobile app or both? Ask why, and what each option adds to the cost.

Questions about ownership and the long term

1. Who owns the code, the data and the accounts? Get the answer in the written agreement.
2. What happens if we part ways? Ask how you would retrieve your data and who could take over maintenance.
3. Who fixes problems after launch? Software needs updates as browsers, devices and connected services change, so ask how requests are handled and how quickly.
4. How is the work priced? Ask for a proposal with a clear scope, including what ongoing hosting and maintenance do and do not cover.
5. Can you show similar work? Ask whether the examples are finished client projects or concept designs.

How one provider describes its approach

To show what answers can look like, here is how NULYNQ LLC describes its app development and hosting service. These are the company's own statements, not independent findings. The company says it:

• starts from the workflow the application needs to support, then designs and builds in stages and shares progress along the way;
• builds web and mobile applications such as customer portals, booking and ordering tools, internal dashboards and workflow systems;
• handles hosting, deployment, user accounts and access roles, and online payments as part of the project, and can often connect an app to tools a business already uses, after reviewing them during discovery;
• keeps the application running after launch with updates and support; and
• often recommends starting with the essentials and adding features later.

It also says pricing depends on what the application needs to do, and that after a consultation it recommends a scope, outlines the cost and agrees the details before work begins.

Whether an approach like this suits you depends on your own workflow, budget and timeline. The most reliable test is to put the same questions to every provider you consider and compare the answers.