Plain-English writing on AI, data and building software.
Power BI and Fabric how-tos, honest cost guides, AI for SMEs without the hype, and the occasional look behind how we build. No jargon for its own sake.
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- How-to guidesHow to budget a Power BI project: a step-by-step methodRead it →
- AI in practiceHow much does AI consulting cost for UK SMEs? (2026 guide)Read it →
- Web developmentHow much does a website cost in the UK in 2026? Honest numbersRead it →
- App developmentApp development cost in the UK: what SMEs actually payRead it →
- AI in practiceAI readiness assessment: 12 questions to score your businessRead it →
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All posts (77)
- Trends & opinions
Power BI vs Looker Studio (now Data Studio): the honest comparison for UK SMEs
Power BI vs Looker Studio for UK SMEs: November 2026 prices, what the free tool really leaves out, and a plain rule for choosing between them.
- News
Microsoft Ignite 2026: the SME data and AI watchlist
What UK SMEs should watch at Microsoft Ignite 2026: Copilot billing, agent governance, Fabric's entry price and apps in Power BI Pro, with dates to check.
- How-to guides
Power BI report design principles: dashboards people actually read
Dashboard design principles for Power BI: start from the reader's decision, fit one screen, choose the right chart and check who actually opens it.
- Learning centre
What is a KPI? Choosing measures that change decisions
What a KPI is in plain English, how it differs from an ordinary metric, a tested way to choose three or four, and a worked example for a UK SME.
- App development
Legacy system replacement: migrate without stopping the business
How to replace an old business system without a risky big-bang switch-over: when to act, moving one area at a time, running in parallel and the data.
- Learning centre
What is data governance? (and the lightweight SME version)
What data governance means in plain English, the four parts that matter, a worked one-page example for an SME, and how far to take it before it slows you.
- Trends & opinions
Microsoft Fabric vs Databricks for smaller data teams
Microsoft Fabric or Databricks for a small data team? What each costs in the UK as of October 2026, who each suits, and when to run the two together.
- AI in practice
AI strategy for 2027: the planning questions to answer this quarter
An AI strategy for a small business fits on one page. The six planning questions to answer before 2027 budgets set, with the UK evidence and costs.
- How-to guides
Direct Lake in Microsoft Fabric: what it changes for Power BI
What Direct Lake in Microsoft Fabric is, how it differs from Import and DirectQuery, what it costs to run, and when a UK SME should actually use it.
- News
Power Platform and SQL news, 23 October 2026: AI Builder credits end on 1 November
Seeded AI Builder credits end on 1 November, so Power Automate invoice flows move to Copilot Credits. Plus SQL Server 2016 and new Copilot SKUs.
- App development
Technical due diligence on software: what to check before you buy
Buying a business, a product or a system someone else built? What technical due diligence on software covers, what it costs and the red flags to find.
- AI in practice
Power Automate vs Zapier vs Make vs bespoke: workflow automation compared
Power Automate vs Zapier vs Make vs bespoke code for UK SMEs: October 2026 prices, how each counts usage, a worked cost example and when to build.
- AI in practice
AI ROI for small businesses: five patterns that pay for themselves
How to work out AI ROI for a small business, five patterns of AI project that tend to pay back, the UK evidence so far, and why so many never do.
- Learning centre
Beginner's guide to Power BI, part three: your first data model
Part three of our beginner's series: load your tables, connect them with relationships in Model view, add a date table and write your first measure.
- Learning centre
What is an LLM? Large language models for business readers
What a large language model is in plain English, how it produces text, why it gets things wrong, a worked SME example, and what that means for business use.
- News
Copilot and Fabric news, 16 October 2026: Copilot billing moves to 1 December
Copilot Business usage-based billing now starts 1 December, Copilot no longer needs a Microsoft 365 base licence, and the ICO turns to AI agents.
- Web development
Integrating your website with your CRM and ERP: patterns that work
How to connect a website to your CRM and ERP without double entry or lost orders: the patterns that work, rate limits to plan for and failure modes.
- Web development
Website redesign cost UK: budgets, timelines and what moves the price
What a UK website redesign really costs in 2026: price bands, timelines, protecting your rankings, and the migration costs most quotes leave out.
- AI in practice
AI proof of concept: how to run one that proves something
How to run an AI proof of concept that settles a real question: one pass mark, a test set from your own records, a stop rule, and a clear decision.
- How-to guides
Power BI performance tuning: how to make slow reports fast
How to make a slow Power BI report fast: measure it with Performance Analyzer, then fix the model, the DAX and the page design, in that order.
- Learning centre
What is a data lakehouse? A plain-English definition
What a data lakehouse is in plain English, how it differs from a data warehouse, a worked SME example, and when a small business actually needs one.
- News
FabCon Europe 2026: what Barcelona means for UK SMEs
FabCon Europe 2026 filtered for UK SMEs: a capacity overage setting that is on by default, apps coming to Power BI Pro, Copilot defaults and the ADF path.
- App development
PWA vs native app: which should a UK SME build?
PWA or native app? A plain-English comparison for UK SMEs: what each can do on iPhone and Android, the real costs, and when a store app is worth it.
- Trends & opinions
Fabric vs Synapse vs "just Power BI": which Microsoft data stack?
Fabric, Azure Synapse or just Power BI? A UK SME comparison of what each costs as of October 2026, who it suits, and what to do if you run Synapse.
- AI in practice
AI in finance operations: invoice processing that actually works
How UK SMEs can use AI for supplier invoices: what extraction costs, what HMRC needs you to keep, where fraud slips in, and what e-invoicing changes.
- How-to guides
Power BI deployment pipelines: dev, test and prod for small teams
How to set up Power BI deployment pipelines for a small team: what each stage needs, what a deployment copies and leaves behind, and the traps to avoid.
- News
Power BI September 2026 update: what matters for SMEs
Microsoft's September 2026 Power BI and Fabric release, filtered for UK SMEs: a sender change for report emails, a cheaper way into Fabric, and Copilot.
- App development
Build vs buy: custom software or off-the-shelf for SMEs?
Should your SME build custom software or buy off-the-shelf? A practical decision guide: when each wins, the middle option, and what to check first.
- AI in practice
AI chatbot development cost in the UK: from £0 SaaS to bespoke builds
What an AI chatbot costs a UK SME in 2026: SaaS tiers, platform builds and bespoke builds, with day-rate arithmetic and worked monthly running costs.
- AI in practice
GDPR and AI: what UK SMEs must check before deploying AI tools
The UK GDPR checks an SME should run before deploying AI tools: which tier staff use, vendor terms, DPIAs, transparency and the 2026 automated-decision rules.
- How-to guides
Time intelligence in DAX: YTD, like-for-like and rolling averages, done properly
Year to date, like-for-like against last year and rolling averages in DAX: the measures, the date table they need, and the traps that give wrong numbers.
- Learning centre
What is DAX? Power BI's formula language in plain English
DAX in plain English: what Power BI's formula language is, how measures differ from calculated columns, and why context is the concept that trips people up.
- News
Power BI and Fabric news, 25 September 2026: new dates for ADBC, Q&A and Copilot billing
Microsoft has moved the ODBC removal date, pushed Q&A retirement to February 2027 and changed Copilot billing through partners. What UK SMEs should do.
- Trends & opinions
The no-junior-developers delivery model, explained
Why we staff projects with senior specialists only, what that trade-off actually costs, and the questions to ask any agency about who writes the code.
- Trends & opinions
Day rate or fixed price? How to compare Power BI quotes
How to compare a Power BI day rate against a fixed-price quote, what each pricing model actually transfers, and the questions that reveal the real cost.
- AI in practice
Business process automation: 10 SME processes worth automating first
Ten processes UK SMEs should automate before anything else, why most of them need no AI at all, and the four tests that decide what to automate first.
- How-to guides
Power Query for beginners: clean messy data without formulas
A beginner's guide to Power Query: clean messy spreadsheets once, then refresh the same clean-up every month with one click. No formulas required.
- Learning centre
What is Microsoft Fabric? A plain-English explainer
Microsoft Fabric in plain English: what it actually is, how it relates to Power BI, what OneLake does, and whether a UK small business needs it yet.
- News
AI news that matters for UK SMEs: September 2026 roundup
The UK's automated decision-making rules quietly changed, a statutory AI code is coming, and the adoption data says AI is spreading wide but staying shallow.
- App development
How to scope an MVP you can actually afford
A practical method for cutting an MVP down to something you can afford, what to leave out on purpose, and how to decide in advance whether it worked.
- Web development
How to choose a web development agency: 12 red flags
Twelve red flags to check before hiring a web development agency — copyright, domains, data contracts and ranking promises, with the UK rules behind each.
- Trends & opinions
Power BI vs Tableau for UK SMEs: an honest comparison
Power BI vs Tableau for a UK SME, with real September 2026 pricing, where each genuinely wins, and a declared bias so you can weigh the recommendation.
- AI in practice
Copilot in Power BI: what it can and can't do for your reports
What Copilot in Power BI can and can't do, the Fabric capacity it needs, what it costs to run in the UK, and how to get answers you can trust.
- AI in practice
AI readiness assessment: 12 questions to score your business
Twelve questions that tell you whether your business can get value from AI yet, with a scoring scale and what to do at each level. No jargon, no vendors.
- How-to guides
Power BI licensing explained: Free vs Pro vs PPU vs Fabric capacity
Power BI licensing in plain English: what Free, Pro, PPU and Fabric capacity each allow, the F64 threshold that changes the maths, and how to choose.
- How-to guides
Ten DAX mistakes beginners make (and the fixes)
Totals that do not add up, blanks turned into zeros, slow CALCULATE filters: ten DAX mistakes beginners make in Power BI, and the fix for each one.
- Learning centre
What is Row-Level Security (RLS) in Power BI?
Row-level security in Power BI explained: what RLS does, how roles and dynamic filters work, and the one group of users that it never restricts.
- Learning centre
What does a Power BI consultant actually do?
A plain-English answer to what a Power BI consultant does day to day, what they are for, and how the role differs from an analyst — with a worked example.
- News
Power BI and Fabric news, 11 September 2026: test your connectors before the driver switch
Power BI is moving Snowflake, BigQuery and Databricks connectors from ODBC to ADBC drivers. What to test now, plus a Fabric deadline and new SME AI data.
- News
Power BI August 2026 update: what matters for SMEs
Microsoft's August 2026 Power BI release, filtered for UK SMEs: one deadline you must act on, better refresh control, and a quieter set of report wins.
- App development
The SaaS MVP tech stack, for founders who do not code
A plain-English guide to choosing a SaaS MVP tech stack in 2026: what to pick, what to skip, what it costs to run, and the decisions you cannot undo.
- App development
App development cost in the UK: what SMEs actually pay
What app development really costs a UK SME, from build through to the year-two maintenance bill nobody budgets for — with current contract rate data.
- Web development
How much does a website cost in the UK in 2026? Honest numbers
What a website really costs in the UK in 2026, why quotes vary so much, and the ongoing costs that never make it into the proposal. With current rate data.
- Tools & resources
Microsoft Fabric pricing explained: F2 to F64 without the jargon
What a Microsoft Fabric capacity actually costs in the UK, from F2 to F64: list prices, the reservation discount, and the F64 rule that decides the sum.
- AI in practice
How to implement AI in a small business: a 90-day plan
A 90-day plan for putting AI to work in a UK small business: choose one process, baseline it, pilot in parallel, then decide to scale, fix or stop.
- AI in practice
How much does AI consulting cost for UK SMEs? (2026 guide)
UK AI consulting rates, what typical SME engagements cost, and why quotes vary so wildly — with current contract rate data and the questions to ask.
- How-to guides
Star schema for Power BI: model your data properly from day one
One fact table, a ring of dimensions, filters flowing one way. Here is how to build a star schema in Power BI, and why the engine rewards you for it.
- How-to guides
How to budget a Power BI project: a step-by-step method
A Power BI budget has three lines, not one: build, licences and run. Here is the method we use to price each of them, with current UK rate and licence data.
- Web development
Next.js for business websites: why we build on it
Why we build client websites on Next.js — what the framework genuinely gives a business site, where WordPress is still the better answer, and the trade-offs.
- BI essentials
Power BI vs Excel: when a spreadsheet stops being enough
Excel is not the wrong tool — it is the wrong tool for certain jobs. Here are the five signals a report has outgrown a spreadsheet, and what to do about it.
- AI in practice
AI for customer service in small businesses: what actually works
AI handles the repetitive half of customer service well and the judgement half badly. What works for UK small businesses, what it costs, where to stop.
- Web development
What a custom web app actually costs in 2026
Agencies are famously coy about price. Here's an honest breakdown of what a custom web app really costs to build in 2026, and what moves the number.
- App development
SaaS MVP in six weeks: how we build
Six weeks from idea to a product that can take payment. Not by cutting corners, but by cutting scope. Here's the method we use on our own products.
- Web development
Website vs web app: which do you need?
The words get used interchangeably and it costs people money. A plain-English guide to the difference, and how to tell which one your project actually is.
- How-to guides
12 essential keyboard shortcuts for writing DAX code in Power BI
The 12 keyboard shortcuts that make writing DAX in Power BI fast: moving lines, commenting, multi-cursor editing, plus what Microsoft documents today.
- Trends & opinions
In-house vs outsourced Power BI development: pros and cons
Build a Power BI team or hire consultants? The honest trade-offs, plus September 2026 salary and day-rate figures showing when a hire pays off.
- Trends & opinions
Do you need a Power BI consultant? 5 signs it's time to call an expert
Five concrete signals that your reporting has outgrown DIY, and what a consultant actually changes when they step in.
- Learning centre
The complete guide to data visualisation
What makes a chart honest, readable and worth the space it takes: our full guide to data visualisation, from choosing the visual to designing the page.
- News
Microsoft Fabric and SQL Server at Ignite 2024
The Fabric and SQL Server announcements from Microsoft Ignite 2024 that actually matter for UK data teams.
- How-to guides
What are field parameters in Power BI?
Field parameters let report users switch the measures and dimensions on a Power BI visual from a slicer. How to set one up, and the limits to know.
- How-to guides
How to connect Power BI to an Excel file on OneDrive or SharePoint
Connect Power BI to an Excel file on OneDrive or SharePoint the way Microsoft documents it: copy the path, drop ?web=1, use Web, then set OAuth2.
- Learning centre
Beginner's guide to Power BI, part two: connecting to various data sources
Part two of our beginner's series: getting data into Power BI from files, databases and online services.
- BI essentials
Recover from spreadsheet chaos the right way
When the spreadsheet that runs your business starts to buckle, here's how to move off it without losing what worked, starting with tools you already have.
- Tools & resources
Our new Power BI Pricing Estimator
Introducing our free Power BI & Fabric Pricing Estimator: a two-minute way to get a first-pass licensing figure.
- Learning centre
Beginner's guide to Power BI, part one: getting started
Part one of our beginner's series: what Power BI is, the pieces that make it up, and how to get your bearings.
- BI essentials
Data strategy: 8 critical elements for yours to succeed
The eight elements every workable data strategy needs — objectives, governance, infrastructure, quality, people, security, analytics and review.
- Learning centre
What are Power BI semantic models?
Semantic models are the trustworthy layer underneath every good report. Here's what they are and why they matter.