Custom software · CRMs · Portals · Dashboards · Internal tools
Custom software development for small businesses: portals, CRMs, dashboards and internal tools.
Kinetiq is a two-founder custom software and AI studio based in Corona, California. We design and build client portals, dashboards, internal tools, custom CRMs and AI assistants around one business's workflow, on accounts you own. When off-the-shelf software makes your team work around it, we build the tool that fits.
What we build
Five kinds of custom software, each designed around how one business already works. Most connect to the tools you already pay for instead of replacing them.
Custom CRMs
A pipeline with the fields and stages you actually use, instead of a generic one you pay for per seat. We run Kinetiq on a CRM and lead-enrichment tool we built for ourselves. More on custom CRM development.
Client portals
Customers log in to see job status, documents and invoices, and send requests without calling the office. Your staff see everything in one place. More on client portal development.
Dashboards
Today's bookings, payments, leads and jobs on one screen, pulled live from the tools you already use, such as Stripe, QuickBooks, your CRM and your booking system. For a motorsports school, we built a live Stripe sales dashboard that shows who bought clinic spots as it happens, without anyone opening Stripe.
Internal tools
The scheduling board, intake tracker or quoting tool that replaces the shared spreadsheet nobody trusts. Built for the few people who use it every day, around the steps they already follow.
AI inside your software
AI that reads, sorts and drafts inside the tools your team already uses: inbox triage, document intake, a daily brief, or a voice assistant for the owner. More on custom AI solutions for small businesses.
Custom software we've built recently
- A client portal for a security company. Clients submit requests and see their assignments and invoices; staff manage operators. We also relaunched and security-hardened the company's website.
- A live sales dashboard for a motorsports school. It shows who bought clinic spots through Stripe, as it happens, without anyone opening Stripe.
- An AI assistant for a business owner. It reads the inbox, manages the calendar and works across connected accounts, by text or voice.
- Built for ourselves: a custom CRM and lead-enrichment tool. Together they replaced two paid subscriptions with software we own.
When does custom software make sense for a small business?
Custom software usually makes sense when you're paying for three or more tools that don't talk to each other, when your team keeps a spreadsheet open next to the software you bought, or when the tool you need simply doesn't exist for your industry. It doesn't make sense when an inexpensive off-the-shelf app already does most of what you need. In that case, buy the app. We'll tell you on the first call.
Custom build vs. off-the-shelf vs. do-it-yourself
| Option | Fits your process | Who owns it | Ongoing cost | Where it falls down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-the-shelf software | Partly | The vendor; you rent it | Per-seat monthly fees | You change how you work to fit the tool. |
| Do-it-yourself no-code (Zapier, Airtable) | Mostly | You, on their platforms | Tool subscriptions plus your time | Someone on your team has to build and maintain it. |
| Kinetiq custom build | Yes, designed around it | You: the accounts, data and code | Hosting and usage at provider rates, on your accounts; any monthly care fee quoted up front | Takes 3 to 6 weeks, and needs one decision-maker on your side. |
Taking over software another developer built
Sometimes the software already exists and the developer who built it has moved on. A security company came to us in that position. We took over its website and client portal from the previous developer, restored them, hardened their security and relaunched the site.
A takeover starts with an audit of the code and the accounts it runs on. We tell you plainly what we find before quoting any changes, and once we take it on, the accounts and code sit in your name like any other build.
How a custom software project works
- Free 15-minute call. You show us where the work piles up. We tell you whether custom software is the right fix, and if it is, you get a flat price in writing.
- Mapping session. Once you accept the price, a 90-minute session on every step of the process, who does it and what "done" looks like. You get a written plan and a launch date.
- Build and review. We build on hosting and database accounts in your name and review it with you every 72 hours, using your real data.
- Launch and handoff. We switch it on, train your team, hand over the code and logins, and fix anything that comes up in the first month.
Most custom software takes three to six weeks, depending on how many tools it connects to and how many people use it. More on how a build works.
What you own
Everything. The hosting account, the database, the domain and the code repository are in your name or transferred to you at launch. Your data can be exported at any time. If we part ways, the software keeps running without us.
Pricing
Custom software is priced like everything else we build: one flat price in writing, before you pay anything, with no per-seat fees. The difference is hosting. A simple dashboard can run on free or low-cost hosting tiers, while an app that uses AI heavily costs more each month in usage. That bills to your own hosting and AI accounts, and we estimate it in your quote. If a system needs ongoing care from us, such as an AI assistant we keep tuned, any flat monthly fee is quoted in writing next to the build price. How our pricing works.
Custom software questions
- Who owns the code for a custom build?
- You do. We build on hosting and database accounts in your name, or transfer them to you at launch along with the code repository. If you ever stop working with us, the software keeps running.
- How long does custom software take to build?
- Usually three to six weeks, depending on how many tools it connects to and how many people use it. You get a dated plan after the mapping session.
- Can you build on top of the software we already use?
- Usually, yes. Most of our custom tools read from and write to systems you already pay for, such as Stripe, QuickBooks, Google Workspace and your CRM, rather than replacing them.
- Can you take over software another developer built?
- Yes. We took over a security company's website and client portal from its previous developer, restored it and hardened its security. We start with an audit of the code and accounts, and tell you plainly what we find before quoting any changes.