AI5 min read
Three Days at The AI Conference 2026: What It Means for Business Owners
Notes from The AI Conference 2026 at Pier 48 in San Francisco, and what the talk about agents, reliability and enterprise AI actually means for a growing business.
Notes fromthe back office.
Practical guides on automation, AI and the software behind growing businesses. Written for owners and operators, not engineers.
Showing all 11 articles
Automation6 min read
How to Find and Price the Busywork in Your Business
A simple one-week audit to spot repetitive computer work like re-typing orders and chasing follow-ups, then turn those hours into a real yearly cost.
Automation6 min read
Why Speed to Lead Wins More Jobs and How to Automate It
Why the first business to respond often wins the job in home services and real estate, and how to automate fast follow-up while keeping it personal.
Automation6 min read
How to Sync Shopify and QuickBooks Without Re-Typing Orders
What should flow from Shopify into QuickBooks, why the numbers drift apart, your options for syncing them, and a simple monthly routine to reconcile.
AI6 min read
What AI Inbox Triage Does and How to Pilot It Safely
A plain guide to AI inbox triage, covering what it sorts, tags, drafts and routes, where people stay in charge, privacy basics, and how to run a safe pilot.
Automation6 min read
Zapier vs n8n vs Custom Code for Automating a Workflow
A fair look at Zapier, n8n and custom code for business automation, covering ease of use, flexibility, self-hosting, error handling and ownership.
Software6 min read
Signs Your Business Has Outgrown Spreadsheets and What Comes Next
When the shared spreadsheet becomes the bottleneck, here are the warning signs, what replaces it, and how to move off it without disrupting your team.
Web & Mobile6 min read
Mobile App or Better Website? A Decision Guide for Owners
Not sure if your business needs a mobile app or just a better website? Here is how to decide, what apps do well, and what they take to keep running.
Buying Guide6 min read
12 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Software Development Partner
Hiring a software development partner? Ask these 12 questions about scope, ownership, testing, communication, support and pricing before you sign anything.
Buying Guide6 min read
Who Owns Your Code? Checking a Software Development Contract
Before you sign a software development contract, check who owns the code, whose accounts it lives in, and what happens to your data if you part ways.
Accessibility6 min read
Website Accessibility Checklist for Small Businesses
A plain-English website accessibility checklist for small businesses, covering what ADA and WCAG 2.2 AA mean and how to test your own site this week.