Field Notes.
What we’re seeing inside live builds, what works, and what we refuse to ship. Written by the people doing the work, not a marketing department.
Google Business Profile: the 30-minute setup that beats most SEO spend
The free map listing decides who gets the "near me" customer. The exact half-hour setup, field by field, and the two habits that keep it winning.
How to write down a process nobody has ever written down
Most business knowledge lives in one person's head. Here's the interview method we use to get it onto paper before it walks out the door.
What is an AI agent? A plain-English guide for business owners
No jargon: what an AI agent actually is, how it differs from a chatbot or an automation, what one looks like inside a real business, and when you should not want one.
Zapier vs Make vs a custom build: when gluing tools stops working
DIY automation tools are genuinely useful — until they aren't. Here's how to know which camp you're in.
How much does a small business website cost in the UK? (2026 guide)
From £15/month builders to £10k agencies: what each price band actually buys, the costs nobody quotes up front, and the only maths that matters.
Missed calls are costing you more than you think - here is the maths
Every unanswered ring is a customer choosing whoever picks up next. How to put a real monthly number on your missed calls, and the three ways to stop the leak.
What business automation actually costs in the UK (2026 guide)
Real numbers from live builds: what audits, AI workflow builds, and retainers cost, what drives the price up, and when automation is not worth it.
Why your business isn't showing up on Google - and the five fixes that matter
Your customers are searching. If they cannot find you, it is one of five fixable problems. Here they are, in the order that moves the needle.
AI receptionists for small businesses: the honest guide
What an AI receptionist actually does, where it falls down, what it costs, and the missed-call maths for deciding whether you need one.
What actually happens in an AI workflow audit
The exact steps in a fixed-fee audit: what we look at, what you walk away with, and why the conclusion is sometimes "do not build anything."
Why most AI rollouts fail before they ship
It's rarely the model. It's almost always the workflow underneath. A field-level look at what we see go wrong on week two.
The audit is the product. The build is the receipt.
Why we charge for the audit even when clients want to skip to the build - and why they thank us for it later.
The hidden document tax inside your business
Invoices, quotes, contracts, customer files. Most teams pay a heavy tax in human time before the work even starts. Put a number on yours.
Why we called it Bad Boy Labs
A name with teeth, on purpose. The studio brief, the person behind it, and the kind of work we say no to.