Utah has a deep tech community. Silicon Slopes, a roughly 50-mile area that includes Salt Lake City, Lehi, and Provo, is home to more than 1,000 tech companies (Business Insider). There’s a lot of talent here, but that doesn’t make it easy for a business owner to find the right partner for a specific project.
This guide is for Utah businesses that think they need custom software but aren’t sure where to start.
Start with the problem
You don’t need a finished specification before you talk to someone. You need a clear picture of what isn’t working. These questions help.
- Which process takes too much time?
- Where does information get lost?
- Which tools no longer fit how you work?
- Which systems and people are involved?
Bring a real example of the work too, like an actual document, spreadsheet, or order. That tells a good developer more than a description ever will (Hello Spark Salt Lake City).
Decide whether you need custom software at all
Sometimes an existing tool, or a better integration between the tools you already have, solves the problem. A good partner will look at those options before recommending a build. Our guide to custom vs. off-the-shelf software explains how to decide.
Types of firms you’ll find
In Salt Lake City you’ll generally find three kinds of options.
- Larger agencies with account managers, project managers, and separate development teams.
- Freelancers who may be strong developers but have limited capacity for support.
- Small consultancies where the people who scope the work also build it.
Each can be the right fit. Larger agencies suit big multi-team projects. Small consultancies tend to work best when the problem lives inside your day-to-day operations and you want to work directly with the people building it. Whichever you talk to, these questions to ask before hiring apply.
Does local matter?
Local isn’t required. We work with businesses across the country. For process-heavy work, though, being able to sit with the people who do the job makes a real difference. How a business describes a process and how it actually runs are rarely the same (Hello Spark Method).
What we’ve built
At Hello Spark, I handle systems and engineering, and Michael Salmon handles requirements and scope (About Hello Spark). Our projects include an aerospace job-costing application for JTR Specialties, local PDF claims processing for Eagle Medical Billing, aircraft listing management for Smarter Aircraft, AI call intake for Integrated Clinix, and a seed inventory platform for Weinlaeder Seed Company that is currently in development (Hello Spark Work).
How a project usually runs
You explain the problem and share a real example. We agree on pricing for the defined scope. You see working versions every week or two and test them against everyday tasks and exceptions. We talk through hosting, support, and code ownership before work begins.
If you’re a Utah business with a process that doesn’t fit your software, let’s talk.