The freelancer who moved on.
They built it, kept it running, and knew where everything was. Now they’ve taken a full-time job, or moved abroad, and they’re not replying.
Software health checks for businesses
Your developer's left. Who looks after your system now?
Your system still works, but nobody's looking after it. We'll find out what you have, make sure you own it, and tell you plainly what to do next.
A fixed-price health check: £395 + VAT, with a written report in 5 working days.
- REPORT IN 5 WORKING DAYS
- FIXED PRICE, NO HOURLY RATES
- NO OBLIGATION TO CARRY ON
01Sound familiar
Sound familiar?
It happens a lot. A business relies on a system that one person built and understood, and then that person moves on.
The agency that went quiet.
Emails take longer to answer, then stop. Maybe they’ve closed, or you’re no longer a priority.
The colleague who built it in-house.
It started as a handy tool and became something the whole office depends on. Then they left.
The app built with an AI tool.
It was quick to make and it works. But nobody’s quite sure how, or what’s under the bonnet.
If one of these is you, you’re not alone, and it’s usually easier to sort out than it feels.
02The quiet risk
Nothing’s wrong today. That’s the tricky part.
A system with nobody looking after it usually keeps running, right up until something small goes wrong. These are the questions worth answering while things are calm:
- Who owns it?
- Hosting, domain names and logins are often in the developer’s name, or on their card.
- Can you get the code?
- If it only lives on their laptop or their account, you don’t really have it.
- Is it backed up?
- And has anyone ever checked a backup actually restores?
- What’s about to expire?
- Domain renewals, security certificates and paid services all lapse quietly.
- Who fixes it when it breaks?
- Without someone who understands it, a small fault can mean days offline.
None of this needs panic. It needs someone to look properly and write it down.
03Typical findings
What a health check usually turns up
Every system is different, but the same handful of things come up again and again:
01Hosting paid for on the old developer’s personal card, with nobody else able to log in.URGENT
02The domain name registered to the developer, not the business.URGENT
03No backups, or backups that have never been tested.URGENT
04Passwords and keys saved in the code itself, which is common in apps built quickly with AI tools.URGENT
05Software that’s years out of date and no longer gets security fixes.MONITOR
06No notes on how it works, so every change starts with guesswork.MONITOR
Illustrative example
Most are quick to put right once someone knows they’re there.
04The process
How the health check works
It’s a fixed-price review of your system, done properly and explained plainly. You don’t need to know anything technical to book one.
-
We get access.
We’ll help you find and gather the logins, hosting and code, even if some of it’s still in someone else’s name. Where you don’t own something yet, we’ll show you how to get it back.
-
We look at everything.
The code, the hosting, the domain, backups and security. We check what’s there, what’s missing and what could go wrong.
-
You get a plain-English report.
Within 5 working days: what you have, what’s urgent, what can wait, and what each fix would cost.
What happens next
That’s up to you. You can take the report to anyone, fix things in-house, or ask us to help. There’s no obligation to carry on with us.
05Cost
One price, no surprises
£395+ VAT
Fixed. No hourly rates and no extras. The only exception is a very large or enterprise setup that needs longer to get into, and we’d agree that price with you before starting.
- A written report in plain English, within 5 working days
- A clear list of anything urgent, in order of priority
- Help getting logins, code and hosting into your business’s name
- A fixed price for any work we recommend, so you can decide with the full picture
- A call to talk it through and answer your questions
Credit noteIf you go ahead with any recommended work within 60 days, the £395 comes off the bill.
06Who we are
Why Bevl Software
Our Developer Left is a service from Bevl Software, a software company based in Stevenage that builds and looks after custom systems for UK businesses.
Stevenage-based, UK-wide.
Based at CoSpace in Stevenage, and happy to meet in person anywhere in the UK.
No hand-offs.
You speak directly to whoever’s reviewing your system, not an account manager.
We look after live systems every day.
For the last six years, Bevl has built and supported the systems its clients run their businesses on.
Fixed prices.
The health check is £395 + VAT, and any work we recommend comes with a fixed quote.
Plain English.
No jargon. If something’s technical, we’ll explain what it means for your business.
07Fit
Is this the right fit?
A good fit if you have:
- a business system, customer portal, booking tool or internal app built for your business
- a web app built by a freelancer, an agency, a former colleague or with an AI tool
- something your business relies on day to day, where nobody can answer questions about it any more
Probably not a fit if you have:
- a website built on WordPress, Shopify, Wix or Squarespace. A web design agency will be a better fit, and we’re happy to suggest where to look.
Not sure? Ask anyway. If we’re not the right people, we’ll say so straight away.
08Questions
Questions people ask
Our developer has disappeared. Can you take over our existing software?
Often, yes. The health check is the first step: it tells us both what we’d be taking over, so any quote afterwards is based on facts, not guesses.
What if we don’t have the logins or the code?
That’s very common. Part of the check is working out what you can recover and how. Usually the hosting company, domain registrar or code platform can return access to the business that pays for it.
Do you need anything technical from us?
No. Tell us what the system does and anything you know about who built it. We’ll take it from there.
Will you tell us to rebuild it?
Only if that’s genuinely the best option. Plenty of inherited systems are worth keeping, and the report says plainly whether yours is.
Can you fix an app someone built with an AI tool?
Yes. We review the code and security the same way we would for any system, and AI-built apps often have a few hidden problems worth finding early.
Do we have to use you for the work afterwards?
No. The report is yours to keep and use with anyone. If you do go ahead with us within 60 days, the £395 comes off the bill.
Do you only work with Hertfordshire businesses?
No. We’re based in Stevenage, but we work with businesses anywhere in the UK and are happy to meet in person wherever you are. The check itself can be done entirely remotely if that’s easier.
09Book
Book a health check
Tell us a little about your system and what’s happened. We’ll reply within one working day to arrange access and a start date.
Prefer to talk? Call us on 01462 558585.