Whether it's a quick Excel fix, a VBA macro, a Power Automate workflow or a whole system, I don't guess. I look at your actual problem, then give you a fixed quote and the most it could possibly cost. No hourly meter running in the background.
Your quote comes with a ceiling. If the job runs smoothly, you pay the quote. If we hit hidden problems, you'll never pay more than the ceiling, and I'll tell you before it happens.
Real businesses hide surprises: a spreadsheet link nobody can find, an inbox with three years of odd formats, a tool with no export button. The buffer covers those, so you never get a surprise bill.
The striped part is the buffer: up to £70 more, only used if something hidden turns up. The ceiling is the most you could ever pay.
What the job should cost based on what I've seen. Most jobs land here.
Usually 15–25% on top. Only used if something hidden turns up once I'm inside the file.
The absolute most you'll pay me. If I underestimated beyond that, that's on me. (Other companies' charges are separate.)
Your exact quote comes after a free scope check. These prices are for my work. Other companies' services are separate: see below.
A broken formula, a macro that's stopped working, a small tidy-up.
from£60
Ceiling usually around £75
Typically 1–2 days
No deposit — paid in full once you've seen it working
See Excel and spreadsheet automation →A weekly report, data entry or copy-paste process turned into something that runs itself.
from£250
Ceiling usually around £300
Typically 3–7 days
50% deposit to start, balance once you've seen it working
See email and enquiry automation →A workbook rebuilt properly, or a dashboard or small app to replace it.
from£800
Ceiling agreed per phase
Typically 2–4 weeks
Paid per milestone, before each phase begins
See connecting your apps →The prices above are for my work. Some automations also rely on a service run by another company, such as Zapier, a paid Zoho plan, Formspree or website hosting. Those are paid for separately, directly to them. Here's how I handle it.
I'll look for a free plan and build to fit it, whether that's Zapier's free plan, Formspree's, or something else. I can't promise a free plan will be enough, and for bigger systems you'll most likely need at least one paid plan.
The account is in your name, so what I build stays yours. Your quote lists which services the job needs, whether I expect free to be enough, and roughly what a paid plan costs at the time. Their prices are theirs to change.
I don't own, run or control them, and they don't pay me: no affiliate links and no commission. I only choose providers I use myself, or would happily use, picked for value and trustworthiness.
If a service has an outage, changes its prices or features, or closes, that's outside my control, and your system may stop working until it's sorted. I'll tell you honestly what's happened and help you fix it or move to something else. That help is quoted separately, and my support plans cover my work, not other companies' outages or fees.
Examples: Zapier Make Zoho paid plans Formspree Website hosting Domain names AI services
Once a job's free fix period ends, you can add a small monthly plan so I keep it working. Entirely optional — plenty of clients never need one. Prices below are typical; for a larger system, the monthly price is agreed as part of your quote, based on what's actually at stake if it stops working.
For macros and reports and email workflows.
from£15/month
For chat helpers and AI assistants.
from£25/month
For full systems, dashboards and small apps.
from£45/month
These plans cover the small stuff (my work, not other companies' outages or fees): a quick fix, a genuine fault. If a problem turns out to be bigger, or caused by how the system's being used, I'll quote for that separately, same as any other job — the monthly fee stays fair for both of us, not a flat rate for unlimited work. Prefer to pay only when something comes up? Without a plan, support is £60/hour, billed in 30-minute blocks.
Tick what applies. It isn't a binding quote, but it shows how the price and ceiling move.
Ceiling if we hit hiccups: £0
Your real quote is fixed after a free scope check. Show me the job on a quick call and I'll confirm within 2 working days. Prices are for my work; other companies' services, like Zapier, are separate.
Ask Bea for your fixed price →A quick look at how the job works, on a short call, tells me more than an hour of guessing. That's why the scope check is free.
A fixed quote and a ceiling mean you know the worst case before you say yes.
The buffer covers hidden problems. If I misjudge beyond that, I absorb it.
Two spreadsheets that sound identical can be completely different inside. Quoting blind means either overcharging to be safe or surprising you later. A quick look lets me be accurate.
Hidden links to other files, data that's messier than it looks, or company IT settings that block macros. If it's needed, I'll explain what I found before any extra is charged.
Sometimes. If a job needs a service from another company, like Zapier or a paid Zoho plan, your quote will say so, whether I expect a free plan to be enough, and roughly what a paid plan costs. You pay them directly, in your own account. I always try free options first, but I can't promise one will do, and bigger systems will most likely need a paid plan. I get no commission from any of them.
That's outside my control, and your system may stop working until it's back or sorted. I'll tell you what's happened and help you fix it or move to an alternative. That help is quoted separately, and support plans cover my work, not other companies' outages or fees.
Quick fixes: no, paid in full once you've seen it working. Automations: a 50% deposit to start, with the balance once you're happy it works. System builds are split into milestones, so you only pay for what you've seen working, before the next stage begins.
On Automation jobs, the deposit secures my time before I start. It's non-refundable if you decide not to go ahead once work is underway, for reasons unrelated to my work. If I don't deliver something that reasonably matches your quote, it's refunded.
Quick fixes and genuine faults — the small niggles. If the problem turns out to be bigger than that, or caused by how the system's being used rather than a fault in it, I'll quote for the fix separately. The monthly fee is priced for small jobs; for a larger, higher-value system, it's agreed individually as part of your quote.
Small tweaks are part of the job. If the scope changes significantly, I'll quote the extra work first, so the ceiling never moves without your agreement.
Free scope check, reply within 2 working days, no obligation.
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