For small businesses winging it — or paying for the wrong tools

Stop winging it.
Get the groundwork done.

A bespoke business system built by AI — shaped exactly around how you run your business. Not another subscription. Not another spreadsheet. Something that actually fits.

~$55/mo
To run it, ongoing
1 afternoon
First working version
Zero
Dev experience needed
The problem

There's a missing rung on the ladder

Most small businesses are stuck at one extreme or the other — flying blind on spreadsheets, or paying hundreds a month for enterprise software built for companies ten times their size. Neither one actually fits.

Nothing / Spreadsheets

Flying blind

Google Sheets, gut feel, and hoping the numbers add up by the end of the week.

Free — but costly
← The sweet spot →

THEGROUNDWORK OS

A bespoke system, built by AI, shaped exactly around how your business actually runs.

From $500
Enterprise software

Built for everyone else

Xero + Cin7 + HubSpot + Asana. Powerful — and built for a company ten times your size.

$320+/mo
Who it's for

Does any of this sound familiar?

01

You're running on gut feel

No tracking, no dashboards, no real visibility into how the business is doing. Just winging it week to week and hoping for the best.

No system at all
02

You've outgrown your spreadsheet

Google Sheets got you started. But now it's a tangle of tabs nobody wants to touch — and it still doesn't do half of what you need.

Spreadsheet stage
03

You're paying for tools that don't quite fit

A stack of subscriptions adding up to hundreds a month — and you're still filling the gaps with spreadsheets. Expensive, complex, and never quite right.

Software overload
The process

Three steps. Your new paradigm.

01

Book a discovery call

Tell us about your business — what you sell, what you track, what's not working, and what you wish you had. No jargon, no prep needed. Bring your spreadsheets if you've got them.

02

We build your system — together

Together we build a custom system shaped around how you actually run your business. Code? What code!!

03

You take over — and keep growing it

Your system is yours, forever. We hand you the tools to extend it yourself, and we're here when you want to go further. The system keeps getting better as the business grows.

The outcome

Your new paradigm.

This isn't just a system handover — it's a new methodology for running your business. We teach you to work with AI as a trusted business partner: asking it questions, giving it context, iterating as you grow. It doesn't replace your judgement. It amplifies it.

What you get

Choose where to start

Most popular · Foundation

Your core system, built and running

A bespoke business system on your laptop — inventory, sales, cashflow, and whatever else your business actually needs.

From $500
One-time setup · Price depends on complexity
  • Discovery call to map your business needs
  • Custom modules: inventory, sales, cashflow & more
  • Runs locally — your data stays on your machine
  • Xero-compatible export for GST & tax
  • Prompt kit so you can extend it yourself
  • Handover session so you're confident using it
Book a discovery call
Advanced · Hosted

Hosted and shareable with your team

Everything in Foundation, plus a publicly accessible system your whole team can use from any device.

From $2,000
One-time setup · Runs on your own cloud account
  • Everything in Foundation
  • Hosted — accessible from any device
  • Secure login for each team member
  • Multi-user access for staff or business partners
  • Proper backend database — no local files
Book a discovery call
Ongoing · Growth

Keep building as the business grows

AI agents, automation, and one-on-one sessions to add capability as your needs evolve.

Let's talk
Hourly or retainer · Based on scope
  • AI agents that run tasks without being asked
  • Automated alerts, reports & emails
  • Marketing & social media automation
  • One-on-one sessions to build alongside you
  • Advanced custom modules as you grow
Book a discovery call

All pricing is a starting guide. Book a call and we'll work out exactly what makes sense for your business.

A real example

Mangafyre Hot Honey

A small-batch hot honey brand from Mangawhai, New Zealand. They started on Google Sheets, hit the limits fast, and decided to migrate their business to Claude AI.

By the end of that afternoon they had a working first version — inventory tracking, a market calendar, sales summaries, recipes, compliance, and cashflow, all in one place.

That process has never stopped since. The system keeps getting better as the business grows and the ideas keep flowing.

Started with Google Sheets First version: one afternoon ~$55/mo total running cost
Mangafyre Dashboard
Jars in stock
148
Orders this month
34
Next market
Sat 21 Jun
[ Sales chart — rendered from your real data ]
[ Inventory levels ]
[ Cash flow ]
Ready to get started?

Your business, set up the way you need it set up.

ERP strength on a startup budget.