Frequently Asked Questions

Kilnbyte is an operations and systems design studio for small, serious businesses.

We help 1–20 person teams design and embed a simple, strong operating system across:

• Operations architecture & hub design
• Digital workspace & toolstack strategy
• Roles, delegation & ways of working
• SOPs, playbooks & knowledge systems
• Capacity, service shape & delivery design
• Digital hygiene, devices & everyday practices
• Client journeys & customer experience

We work through advisory, design and training. We don't take over your devices, act as a repair desk, or provide managed IT services. You stay in control of your tools and equipment; we help you decide how they should be used and how your business should run.

Kilnbyte is designed for small, serious businesses and solo founders who treat their work as a real business, not a side project.

We work with:

• Solo specialists and consultants
• Tiny studios and agencies
• Boutique firms and micro-teams inside larger organisations

Your customers might be individuals, organisations, or a mix of both. Our work is always about how your business operates, not one-off consumer fixes.

We're not here to simply "make you more productive" or give you motivational slogans.

Kilnbyte is different because we:

• Design actual operating structures – hubs, roles, flows, rhythms, playbooks
• Work deeply inside your digital workspace and toolstack
• Focus on how your business behaves on ordinary days, not just during strategy workshops
• Speak in plain, UK English instead of jargon and buzzwords

We care about what happens on Monday at 10:30, when three client requests and two internal deadlines collide. Our work is measured in clearer weeks, calmer teams and more reliable delivery – not in the number of sticky notes on a wall.

Our services focus on different parts of your operating system. They include (but aren't limited to):

• Operational Audit & Improvement Roadmap – a clear picture of where you are and what to fix first
• Operations Architecture & Hub Design – designing the backbone of how your business runs day to day
• SOP & Knowledge System Design – turning "just ask me" into clear, usable documentation
• Role Architecture & Delegation Design – clarifying who owns what, and how work moves off the founder's plate
• Operations Capability & Training Programmes – building the skills to actually run the system
• Digital Workspace & Toolstack Strategy – making your digital tools act like one environment, not five
• Digital Hygiene & Security Hygiene Programme – shaping everyday digital habits that are realistic for small teams
• Device & Endpoint Strategy (Non-Managed) – simple, non-managed patterns for the devices you work on
• Client Journey & Onboarding Systems – making the path into your business clear and reassuring
• Customer Experience & Service Communication Design – aligning your outside experience with your internal system

Each service has its own dedicated page with more detail. Most clients use a combination of these over time.

To keep things straightforward, we group our work into structured kits with clear outcomes and price points. For example:

• Lower-cost kits for focused diagnostics, audits or single-system improvements
• Mid-range kits for designing and embedding one core pillar (like your hub, workspace or client journey)
• Higher-tier kits for multi-phase work – such as full operating system design across architecture, roles, hygiene and journeys

Each kit spells out:

• What we'll cover and what you'll receive
• The typical duration
• What is expected from you and your team
• Whether it can be combined with other kits into a wider programme

At the top end, we also offer custom advisory & design programmes. These are scoped after an initial conversation and tailored around your situation, budget and timeline.

We primarily use fixed-scope, fixed-fee pricing for our kits, so you know exactly what you're paying for and what you'll receive.

For more complex or evolving engagements, we may propose:

• A clearly defined phase structure, each with a fixed fee
• Or, in some cases, a retainer-style advisory arrangement with defined deliverables and rhythms

We do not charge per hour in a way that encourages drift. The aim is always: clear scope, clear price, clear outcomes.

Yes – but in a way that supports independence, not dependency.

Common options include:

• A short stabilisation period after a major change (e.g. hub redesign, new rhythm)
• Quarterly or monthly check-ins to review how the system is holding up and adjust where needed
• Focused follow-on kits (for example, once the hub is in place, you might move into training or client journey work)

We will never quietly turn a short project into an endless engagement. Any ongoing support is optional and clearly agreed.

Yes – our starting point is almost always your existing stack.

We will:

• Audit what you already use and how
• Keep what works, remove what's quietly hurting you, and adjust what can be improved
• Suggest changes only where they're justified and realistic

If your current tools can support a solid operating system, we design right on top of them. If something truly needs replacing, we'll explain why and propose simple alternatives rather than a complete rebuild.

No. That is not what Kilnbyte does.

We do not:

• Repair hardware or peripherals
• Sell or install antivirus or protection tools
• Take remote control of your computers, printers or other devices
• Operate any kind of break–fix or tech support hotline

What we do is help you design how your business uses devices and tools:

• Device & Endpoint Strategy (non-managed)
• Digital hygiene and everyday security habits
• Clear patterns for where work lives and how it flows

Hands-on repairs, installations and technical troubleshooting remain with your own IT arrangements, internal team or chosen providers.

We are a hybrid of both:

• As a consultancy, we design your operating system and help you make decisions about architecture, roles, rhythms and tools.
• As a training and education provider, we turn that design into teachable practice: playbooks, SOPs, workshops and capability-building.

All of this stays in the world of advisory, education and design – nothing we do requires us to control your devices or act as your IT department.

Most Kilnbyte work is delivered remotely:

• Discovery and mapping sessions via video calls
• Shared workspaces, boards and documents for designs and playbooks
• Remote workshops and training sessions tailored to your team

Where in-person work makes sense and is practical, we can discuss it – but it's not required for progress. Our systems are designed to be location-independent, just like most of our clients' work.

Timelines depend on the size of the kit and your availability, but as a guide:

• Focused kits (e.g. single-system improvements, targeted hygiene programmes or client journey redesigns) – usually a few weeks
• Architecture and hub work, including rhythm and basic SOPs – typically several weeks to a couple of months
• Full operating system refresh across multiple areas – often phased over a longer period, with breaks built in so your team can absorb and practise the changes

We always propose a concrete timeline with:

• Start and end window
• Expected time involvement from you/your team
• Key milestones (discovery, design, embed, review)

There are usually three entry points:

You recognise a specific problem.
For example: "We need a central hub," or "Our client onboarding is messy."
→ We start with the relevant kit (e.g. Operations Architecture & Hub Design, or Client Journey & Onboarding Systems).

Everything feels messy.
→ We start with an Operational Audit & Improvement Roadmap to see the whole picture, then choose a starting point together.

You know you want a full operating system refresh.
→ We discuss your goals, timeline and budget, then design a phased programme across the core areas.

From there, you'll receive:

• A clear proposal
• A defined scope and fee
• A tentative timeline and next steps

The exact terms are set out in our Terms of Sale and Refund & Cancellation Policy, but the core principles are:

• We describe each kit and engagement clearly up front, so you know what you're buying.
• For longer or multi-phase projects, we use stage-based billing (e.g. deposit, mid-stage, final) linked to clear checkpoints.
• If you decide to cancel before work starts or at an agreed stage boundary, any refundable portion will be handled in line with the policy in place at the time of booking.
• Once work for a given stage has been delivered, fees for that stage are generally non-refundable, because the time and expertise have already been provided.

We do not tie you into open-ended commitments. Any cancellation terms are always visible and agreed before you pay.

We design our engagements to be collaborative and transparent. That means:

• Regular checkpoints and reviews, so we can spot misalignment early
• Clear documents, diagrams and prototypes you can respond to
• Time specifically set aside for questions and refinement

If something isn't working, we want to know quickly so we can adjust.

Our aim is always to leave you with an operating system you actually use, not just a set of nice documents.

We take confidentiality and data protection seriously.

In practice, that means:

• We only request information that is needed to deliver the engagement
• We use reputable, mainstream tools for storage and collaboration (for example: established cloud document and project platforms)
• We won't share your internal information, docs or system details with anyone outside the engagement without your written permission
• Case studies are anonymised and blended – we never publish identifiable details without explicit consent

For more, you can read our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, which explain:

• What limited personal data we collect
• How and why it is used
• How long we keep it
• Your rights and choices

We work with both:

• Registered businesses, paying from business accounts
• Individuals who run serious, professional work and pay from personal accounts

Our kits and custom engagements are structured and documented in a way that:

• Is clear and professional to banks, payment providers and partners
• Aligns with an advisory / educational / consultancy model
• Avoids risky language and activities (for example, break–fix repairs or taking control of devices)

In practice, whether the payer is an individual or a company, the service remains the same: a structured, advisory and design-led engagement.

No. We do not guarantee specific revenue, profit or performance metrics.

What we do commit to:

• Thinking carefully and honestly about your operations
• Designing systems, structures and rhythms that are appropriate for your stage
• Providing clear, actionable documentation and training
• Working collaboratively so the system fits your real life and constraints

Most clients experience calmer weeks, clearer visibility and more confidence in delivering their work. The exact impact on financial results will always depend on your market, decisions, and ongoing actions.