The Journal: the tools behind the work.
Each entry looks at one tool I use for clients. It covers what the tool is, what it means for your business, and where it falls short. If I recommend something on a project, the reasoning should be written down here.
Showing 6 articles
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Automation
n8n for small-business automation: where it fits and where it doesn't
A visual workflow tool you can host yourself. Good for glue work; not where I'd put business logic.
Read the write-upCloseWhat it is
n8n lets you connect apps with boxes and arrows: when a form is submitted, add a row here, send a message there. It runs on a server you control, so your data doesn't pass through another company's automation platform.
What it means for you
You can see the workflow on screen and understand it without reading code. For simple hand-offs between systems, that's a real advantage when I hand the work over.
Where it falls short
Once a workflow has lots of branches and exceptions, the diagram gets harder to follow than the equivalent code, and harder to test. That's the point where I move the logic into a small Python service and keep n8n for the connections.
When I use it: for connecting tools you already pay for. When the workflow involves decisions about money or customers, I write it as code with tests.
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Infrastructure
Why your app probably needs one good server, not Kubernetes
What a single well-run machine gives a small business, and the point at which it stops being enough.
Read the write-upCloseThe short version
Kubernetes is built for organisations running many services across many machines, with a team to look after it. A small business app with a few dozen users can run comfortably on one virtual server costing tens of pounds a month.
What it means for you
Fewer moving parts means lower hosting bills, fewer things to go wrong, and a setup another competent engineer can understand in an afternoon. That last point matters if I'm ever not available.
When to outgrow it
If downtime during an update would cost you real money, or traffic swings wildly through the day, the extra complexity starts to pay for itself. Until then, good backups and a tested restore matter more.
When I use it: for one server running Docker Compose, with nightly off-site backups and monitoring. I'll tell you plainly if you've reached the point where that isn't enough.
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AI
Using AI coding assistants on client work: what I still check by hand
They make me faster. Here is what that means for your project, and the parts they don't get to touch.
Read the write-upCloseHow I use them
I use AI assistants such as Claude Code for routine work: scaffolding, test cases, migrations, and reading unfamiliar code. Every change is reviewed and tested by me before it reaches your project.
What it means for you
Routine work takes less time, so more of your budget goes on the parts that need judgement: understanding your process, edge cases, and getting the interface right for your staff.
What they don't touch
Production credentials, customer data, and decisions about security and permissions. None of your data is pasted into a tool that might train on it, and I'll put that in writing in the proposal.
When I use them: for the routine parts of every project, always with my review and tests before anything is shipped.
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Software
PostgreSQL: the database I default to, and why it's not exciting
Choosing a database is choosing where your business records will live for the next ten years.
Read the write-upCloseWhat it is
PostgreSQL is a free, open-source database that has been developed for decades and is supported by every major hosting provider.
What it means for you
Your data is never tied to one supplier. If you change hosting, or change developers, your records come with you in a standard format any competent engineer can work with.
Where it falls short
For a tiny tool used by two people in one office, it can be more than you need. In those cases SQLite, a single file, is simpler to run and back up.
When I use it: for anything with more than a handful of users or anything that stores money. Otherwise SQLite, with a clear route to move to PostgreSQL later.
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Infrastructure
Tailscale: remote access to your office systems without opening the doors
A private network between your devices, so nothing internal needs to face the open internet.
Read the write-upCloseWhat it is
Tailscale connects your laptops, phones and servers into a private, encrypted network. Staff can reach the office file server or an internal tool from home as if they were in the building.
What it means for you
No ports opened on your router, no old VPN box to maintain, and access you can remove for a person in one click when they leave.
Where it falls short
It relies on Tailscale's coordination service. For businesses that need everything under their own roof, there is a self-hosted alternative called Headscale, at the cost of more upkeep.
When I use it: for remote access on almost every infrastructure project, and Headscale when a client needs full control.
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Infrastructure
Uptime Kuma: knowing your site is down before a customer tells you
A small, self-hosted monitor that checks your systems every minute and tells someone when they stop answering.
Read the write-upCloseWhat it is
Uptime Kuma checks your website, booking system or email server at regular intervals and sends an alert by email, text or chat when something fails or a certificate is about to expire.
What it means for you
Problems get noticed in minutes rather than when a customer rings. You can also have a simple status page to share with staff.
Where it falls short
It tells you that something is down, not why. It also needs to run somewhere other than the thing it is watching, or it goes quiet at exactly the wrong moment.
When I use it: on every care plan, running on a separate machine from the systems it watches.
Wondering whether one of these suits your business?
Ask. If a tool isn't right for you, I'll say so and suggest one that is.
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