Why RunSitePro® Exists

Written in July 2025. There's an update at the end.

Quotes took too long.

Schedules didn't quite line up.

Cashflow was always a bit unclear.

And every time something changed — which it always does in domestic building — I ended up updating the same information in three different places.

What I didn't realise at the time…
this frustration would turn into a bit of an obsession.

Where It Really Started

In my early twenties, I was already running my own building company mostly doing garage conversions.

That's when I started trying to systemise everything.

I took courses at the Sage training centre to understand bookkeeping properly. Learned how to use their software. Started using a CRM system called Act!.

And then pushed it as far as it would go.

I remember calling their support line, trying to extend it further and being told:

"You've hit the limit of 2,000 custom fields… we've never had anyone do that before."

That pretty much summed it up.

I wasn't just using systems.

I was trying to build one.

Trying Everything — And Hitting the Same Wall

Through my twenties, I tried just about every piece of builder's software I could find. I was actively looking for something that could bring everything together.

And while a lot of it was well-built…
none of it quite fit how a UK building company actually operates.

Some systems were clearly aimed at smaller, single-trade businesses. They were simple and easy to use — but too generic once I was running multiple projects and trying to properly control pricing, costs and cashflow.

Others were much bigger platforms, but built around processes that didn't naturally fit the way we work in the UK.

Things like VAT, reverse charge, CIS — they either weren't handled properly, or they felt like an afterthought.

And then there were systems that did a lot. But only by splitting everything into separate parts that didn't truly connect.

I still found myself importing, exporting, re-entering data — which just brought me back to the same problem.

Some software even relied on desktop setups that needed installing and managing, which only added more friction.

No matter what I tried, I kept ending up in the same place.

There wasn't a system that handled the full picture — end to end — in a way that actually worked for how I was running projects.

So I Built My Own

This was right at the start of cloud computing becoming a thing.

I started experimenting with databases and web technologies. Going to college in the evenings to learn more.

And then I started building what would eventually become Construction Clouds.

Not as a product.
Just as something I needed.

Something that could actually run the whole business in one place.

It took nearly 8 years of part-time development to get it there.

When It Started Working

By that point, I had three different companies using it.

One of them — the company I was working with at the time — was turning over around £7 million a year. They ran their entire operation through the system.

Even after I left, they continued using it for a couple of years.

That's when I knew this wasn't just a tool.
It was a system that worked in the real world.

But It Still Wasn't Enough

Despite all that, there was a problem.

It wasn't scalable.

The structure behind it — especially the database — wasn't designed to support multiple companies properly.

It worked…but only within limits.

Bringing It Into Our Own Company

When Paul and I started Creative Construction Solutions Ltd, we used Construction Clouds from day one — and continued to develop it further.

One of the biggest milestones for me was integrating it with Xero. Seeing everything connect — projects, costs, accounts — that felt like a real step forward.

The Turning Point

A couple of years ago, Paul said something that stuck with me:

"Others would love this — you should have pushed this with other builders."

Up until that point, everything I'd built had been for me and now us.

For our own company.
To solve our own problems.

But he was right.

I'd spent years building and refining the system.
I had the experience.
I had the clarity.

And more importantly — I knew what needed to be done differently.

So we made the decision to rebuild it properly.

Not just as something internal… but as something that could work for other builders too.

Paul's been a big part of that. He's the one who pushed me to take it beyond just our own use.

And he's been key in shaping how it actually works for other builders — especially when I've been too deep in it to see clearly.

(He's got an annoying knack for that.)

Between us, we've funded the redevelopment — both in time and money — and we're both fully invested in pushing it forward.

Building It Again — The Right Way

I didn't want to patch the old system.
Or tweak what was already there.

I wanted to start again. Take everything I'd learned over the years and build it from the ground up:

• Using modern technology
• A faster, more scalable database
• And most importantly — a structure designed from day one to work across multiple companies

There's one person I need to mention here.

When I told my wife, Holly, that I was starting again, from scratch, after all the years she'd already put up with me building the first system, she thought I'd lost the plot. She may have had a point.

Holly and the children have lived with this the whole way through. The evenings at the laptop. The weekends. The "just five more minutes" that turned into hours. The holidays where my head was still half on a database.

None of it would exist without her patience, and theirs. So if RunSitePro gives you an evening back, know that a fair few of ours went into it.

That's what became RunSitePro.

Why It Works

I've always liked a good jig in the workshop. If you build the template right, you can repeat the result accurately every time.

That's exactly what this is.

A structured system that allows us to:

• Build quotes properly
• Easily turn them into real schedules
• Track costs and cashflow automatically
• Also a lot more than that

And repeat that process across every project.

What Comes Next

If I'm honest, We've got more ideas than time.

There are so many ways this system can be pushed further using the technology available today — to give ourselves and other builders more control, better visibility, and a smoother way of running projects.

But one thing I've learned over the years is this:

The best systems aren't built in isolation. They're shaped by real use, real problems, and real feedback.

That's where RunSitePro is now.

It's no longer just something we built for ourselves.

It's something we want to build alongside other builders. To help them put proper systems in place — and at the same time, learn from how they work, what they need, and what could be done better.

Because every improvement pushes the system forward.

Who This Is For

RunSitePro isn't for everyone.

It's built for established UK builders who:

• Are running multiple projects
• Want more control over their numbers
• Care about professionalism and structure
• And are tired of piecing everything together manually

If you're happy running everything from memory and spreadsheets, this probably isn't for you.

But if you want a better way to run your business — this is exactly what it was built for.

What I Believe

I don't believe you need to work harder to run a better building company.

I believe you need a better system.