Services
Experienced development support for maintaining, modernising and extending existing applications, as well as selected new projects.
I work with businesses that rely on PHP and Laravel applications to support their operations, customers and workflows. Whether you need someone to maintain an existing system, tackle technical debt, develop new functionality or take over an application from another developer, I can provide experienced development support without the need for a full-time hire.
Keep your existing PHP or Laravel application reliable, secure and running smoothly.
I can provide ongoing development and maintenance for applications that need regular attention but don't justify employing a full-time developer.
Modernise an ageing PHP application without throwing away what already works.
Older applications often contain valuable business logic that has evolved over many years. Replacing everything at once is rarely practical. I can help modernise an application incrementally, reducing technical debt while keeping the existing system running.
Extend your application as your business and users evolve.
I can work within an existing codebase to develop new functionality and business workflows, from relatively small enhancements through to larger self-contained features.
I can also help when you need specialist development input or are taking over an existing application.
Taking over a PHP or Laravel application from another developer or agency can be difficult, particularly when documentation and testing are limited.
I can assess the existing codebase, identify immediate risks and establish a practical plan for ongoing maintenance and development.
Connect your application to third-party services and other business systems through APIs and integrations.
I have experience working with REST, SOAP and third-party services including DocuSign and AWS services.
Although my primary focus is existing business applications, I also take on selected small, well-defined projects where there's a good fit.
This can include bespoke business applications, internal tools, customer portals and other PHP/Laravel projects.
If you're unsure about the state of an application, I can review the codebase and provide an experienced assessment of its architecture, technical debt, dependencies, testing and development risks.
My primary expertise is PHP and Laravel, supported by a broad full-stack and infrastructure background.
Backend: PHP, Laravel, Slim, MySQL, REST
Frontend: Vue, Livewire, Alpine, Tailwind CSS, JavaScript, Blade
Infrastructure: Linux, AWS, Docker, Git, CI/CD
Testing & architecture: PHPUnit, TDD, SOLID, OOP
Getting started
Every project is different, so I keep the process straightforward. You don't need to have everything worked out before getting in touch.
Get in touch with a brief description of your application, the problem you're experiencing, or what you'd like to build. There's no need to prepare a detailed specification before we talk.
For an existing application, we can arrange the most appropriate way for me to understand the codebase. Depending on the project, this might include:
For smaller, well-defined tasks, we can simply agree what needs doing and get started. For larger pieces of work, I'll outline the proposed approach, scope and estimated time before proceeding.
I'll work on the agreed tasks and keep you updated as appropriate. Changes can be made through your existing Git workflow, with code reviewed and deployed through your normal process. If you don't have an established development workflow, we can agree a simple approach that works for you.
If the initial work goes well, I'm also available for ongoing maintenance, bug fixes and incremental improvements on an as-needed basis.
Whether you need help maintaining an existing application, developing a new feature or have a small new project in mind, I'd be happy to discuss it.
Get in touch