Insights

Practical thinking, plainly put.

Short, useful articles on AI, software and cloud for owners and managers of small businesses. No jargon, no hype, just sensible next steps.

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Get more from what you have

Connecting the apps you already use: small automations that add up

How to spot re-keying in your business, the small automations that stop it, and how to keep them documented, owned and easy to live with.

· 6 min read
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AI explained

RAG in plain English: how AI can answer questions from your own documents

How AI can answer questions from your own documents using RAG, explained without jargon: how it works, where it helps, its limits and a sensible first step.

· 6 min read
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Practical AI

An AI use policy your team will actually read

Why a short, positive AI use policy helps your team use AI with confidence, what it should cover under UK GDPR, and a one-page outline you can adapt.

· 6 min read
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Practical AI

Getting your business information ready for AI

What good data means for a small business using AI, and the ordinary housekeeping that gets your files ready and pays off with or without AI.

· 6 min read
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Good technology decisions

A one-page technology plan for the year ahead

How to write a simple one-page technology plan: where you are, what matters this year, a few priorities, a rough budget and a named owner.

· 5 min read
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Practical AI

Microsoft 365 Copilot for a small team: is it worth paying for?

What Microsoft 365 Copilot does, how it differs from the free Copilot Chat, what it needs to work well, and how to trial it sensibly in a small team.

· 6 min read
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Practical AI

AI for small businesses: a sensible place to start

A practical, low-risk way to begin using AI in a small business, starting with everyday tasks, the tools you already have and a few simple guardrails.

· 5 min read
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Practical AI

Five everyday tasks AI can take off your plate this month

Five practical, low-risk ways to use an AI assistant in a small business, with how to try each one, what to check and where the time goes back.

· 6 min read
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Software that fits

When to Outsource Software Development

Outsourcing software development can be a strategic decision for many businesses, providing access to expertise and resources that might not be available...

· 4 min read
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Software developmentFor technical readers

The Essential Role of Test-Driven Development (TDD) in Software Engineering

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a software development process that relies on the repetition of a very short development cycle. Developers write an...

· 2 min read
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Digital business

Developing and Testing a Value Proposition

In today's competitive market, defining and refining a strong value proposition is essential for any business aiming to succeed and grow. A value...

· 3 min read
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Software developmentFor technical readers

Story Points in Agile Development: what, why and how?

Story points are a unit of measure for expressing an estimate of the overall effort that will be required to fully implement a product backlog item or any...

· 2 min read
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