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Zenith Consulting Services
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Brisbane-based, Australia-wide / 25 years in technology

Your best people are being paid to copy and paste.

Custom software used to be only for big companies. Now it’s within reach for your small business: software built around exactly how your business works, whether that’s one tool, a system that connects everything, or a product you sell to others.

You get a fixed quote before we start, a clickable prototype before we continue, and a first working version in about two weeks.

Tell us about the problemSee apps we’ve built
James Pepplinkhouse, founder of Zenith Consulting Services

James Pepplinkhouse, Founder

No tech knowledge needed. We’ll get straight to the point and give you the real answer you need. In Brisbane? We’ll come to your office or meet for a coffee. Anywhere else in Australia, we work by video call.

We don’t make our team do busywork that could be automated. Neither should you.

Running a business is hard enough without your systems working against you. Most businesses run on systems that don’t talk to each other, so your best people end up being the glue: copying, chasing and checking. That’s time and money you never get back.

We live this every day. Our own business is fully automated, and we want yours to run the same way!

  • No maintenance fees

    Most software companies charge a monthly fee whether anything changes or not. We don’t. You only pay when you ask us for something.

  • Try it before we build it

    We build a clickable prototype that looks like the real app. You and your team try it before we continue, so there are no surprises.

  • Fast results, fixed price, with a warranty

    A fixed quote before we start, a first working version in about two weeks, and 30 days of free bug fixes. Every build is secured, tested and documented.

  • You own it

    The app, the code and your data are yours. We never hold your software hostage.

What do you wish your business could do?

“I wish my systems would just talk to each other.”

Now they can. A job in ServiceM8, simPRO, Cliniko or PropertyMe flows straight into Xero, and nobody types it twice. One fixed quote, a quick win, and the first step to further automation.

“I want to run my whole business from one place.”

Now you can. A control tower for your whole business, with an AI assistant built in. Quotes, jobs, rosters, reports and email in one secure place, so everyone in your team has answers at their fingertips. Built stage by stage, each with its own fixed quote.

“I have an idea for software I could sell.”

We build your vision with you step by step, as a trusted partner that delivers fast without cutting corners on quality. It starts with a clickable prototype, and you own it, code and all.

What we build for Australian businesses

Don’t see yours? If the work lives in a spreadsheet, a whiteboard or somebody’s head, it can probably be an app. Tell us about the problem.

Apps we’ve built, in use today

See apps we’ve built

You bring the problem. We do the rest.

Three steps, and you always know what happens next.

  1. 01Show us the problem

    A conversation, ideally a screen share. We come back with a written proposal: what we will build, what it costs, and a simple payback calculation showing how quickly it pays for itself.

  2. 02Agree a fixed price

    A fixed quote before each stage starts. Small jobs: up front. Bigger jobs: half at the start, half on completion. You own it, and it runs on accounts in your name: your own website or tools for smaller jobs, or a cloud account we set up for you for bigger systems. No monthly maintenance fees: support and small changes are $250 + GST an hour, only when you need it.

  3. 03We build it, you use it

    You click through a prototype that looks like the real app, and we adjust it until it’s right before we continue. Then a first working version in about 2 weeks. It’s yours, with a 30-day warranty and no maintenance fees after that.

See apps we’ve built

See how a project works, step by step

It pays for itself

A worked example, in plain numbers.

  • Saves three senior team members 4 hours a week each, at $75 an hour: about $3,900 a month
  • Costs a fixed $15,000 + GST to build
  • Pays for itself in about four months, then saves around $46,800 a year. Plus they get 12 hours a week back between them for work that grows the business.

We help you understand this calculation for your business.

James Pepplinkhouse, founder of Zenith Consulting Services

Who you are working with

James Pepplinkhouse

Founder

“I started my career as a small business owner for 10 years, so I know how hard it is. Now that I’ve come full circle, I want to use my expertise to help other small business owners win with apps and automation.” James’ career spans 25 years leading technology in CTO and founder roles. He is hands-on in every Zenith build.

Member of BNI Brisbane Central (opens in a new tab) · 0422 627 577

Safe, quick and supported

Your data is protected

Only the right people can see the right things, and your data is backed up. We build to the same security standard large companies are audited against (ISO 27001), whether or not you need the certificate.

Quick on any device

Works fast on a laptop in the office or a phone on site, and keeps up as your business grows.

We don’t disappear

The people who built it are the people who fix it. Small changes and support are $250 + GST an hour.

Questions owners ask

Are there monthly maintenance fees?
No. Many software companies charge a monthly maintenance fee whether anything changes or not. We don’t. You get 30 days of free bug fixes after launch. After that you only pay when you ask us for something: $250 + GST an hour, and anything bigger gets its own fixed quote. Your only running cost is hosting, paid straight to the provider, not to us.
Can you connect ServiceM8, simPRO or Cin7 to our other systems?
Usually, yes. If a system has an API (a standard way for software to talk to other software), we can connect it. For a Brisbane trade supplier we sync Cin7 trade price tiers to their WooCommerce store every hour. We check your setup before we quote.
We built an app with Lovable, Bolt or Replit. Can you turn it into the real thing?
Yes. Your vibe coded version already shows what the app needs to do, which is a great head start. Our engineers rebuild it properly, with security, testing and your own hosting, at a fixed quote. You own the code.
We know we should be using AI. Where do we start?
That’s exactly where we start. We look at how your business runs, show you where AI can save your team time, then build it into software that works the way you do. No tech knowledge needed.
What is a clickable prototype?
A prototype that looks and feels like the finished app. You click through the screens, try it with your team and tell us what to change before we continue. You see exactly what you are getting before the rest is built.
Do you only work with Brisbane businesses?
No. We’re based in Brisbane and work with businesses anywhere in Australia. If you’re local, we’ll come to your office or meet for a coffee. Everywhere else, we work by video call and screen share, and you see working software at every stage.
Do I need to be technical?
No. Tell us the problem in plain English and we handle the technical side. You see working software, not jargon.
What if it doesn’t save us money?
Every proposal includes a payback calculation for your business, so you see the numbers before you commit. If software isn’t the answer, we’ll tell you.
Does it work with Xero or MYOB?
Often, yes. We can connect to systems that offer an API (a standard way for software to talk to other software). We check what’s possible for your setup, case by case, before we quote.
Is there a minimum term?
No. You pay a fixed quote for each stage, agreed before it starts, and nothing after unless you ask for more.
Who looks after it after launch?
Our team of product engineers. The same people who build your software support it after launch, with no monthly fee. Small changes and support are $250 + GST an hour.

Not sure yet? Tell us the problem anyway.

We’ll get straight to the point and give you the real answer you need. Prefer to talk? Call James on 0422 627 577.

No obligation, and no wrong answer if you are still figuring it out.

James replies personally, usually within two business days.