Home / Blog
Notes from the bench.
What we've learned building tools and websites for our own businesses, written for owners.
How we got to 100,000+ monthly website views with Claude-built sites
The exact playbook Bench Labs founder Jonathan Cole used to take his business websites past 100,000 views a month: Claude-coded sites, organic SEO and paid marketing.
Read the postThe $100,000 question: what we stopped paying people to do
How custom Claude tools replaced more than $100,000 a year of employee costs across Jonathan Cole's businesses, and which kinds of work made the cut.
Read the postWhat actually happens in the free one-hour sit-down
A minute-by-minute look at the Bench Labs free sit-down: what we ask, what you get, and why there's no pitch at the end.
Read the post5 signs your small business is ready for a custom AI tool
Not every business needs custom software. Here are the five signs that a custom AI tool will pay for itself quickly, and two signs you should wait.
Read the postWhy we train your staff instead of just handing over software
Most custom software fails after launch because nobody uses it. Here's why every Bench Labs build ends with live staff training and written guides.
Read the postOff-the-shelf vs. custom: the real cost of software that almost fits
Subscription software is cheap per month and expensive per year. A look at what 'almost fits' really costs a small business, and when custom beats off-the-shelf.
Read the postHow to prepare for your sit-down: a 10-minute checklist
Get more out of your free hour with Bench Labs. A short checklist of what to gather and think about before your video sit-down.
Read the postGive us a free hour. We'll show you where the time goes.
Pick a time that works and we'll meet on video, or send the basics and we'll reach out within one business day. Want to make the hour count? Fill out the full pre-sit-down questionnaire; it takes about 10 minutes.