Based in Derby. Built for independent businesses.
Built to make useful business improvements more accessible.
FORGE was created to help independent businesses access the kind of thoughtful website, customer journey and systems support that is often made unnecessarily complicated, expensive or difficult to understand.
Why FORGE exists
Independent businesses often provide an excellent service while parts of their website, customer journey or internal operation fail to reflect that quality. They may lose enquiries, rely on manual processes, struggle to follow up customers or use systems that have grown without a clear plan.
FORGE exists to understand those practical gaps and help build improvements that suit the way the business actually works.
The aim is not to introduce more technology. The aim is to make the business clearer, easier to use and easier to operate.
Founder
Meet Liam
I’m based in Derby and I’m building FORGE alongside full-time work. I started the business because I’m interested in how websites, customer journeys and internal systems shape the way a company operates and how customers experience it.
My approach is to understand the real problem before recommending a solution. That might lead to a website rebuild, a clearer follow-up process, an improved customer journey or a small internal system. It shouldn’t lead to unnecessary software simply because it’s available.
I’m particularly interested in business, technology, design, sport and fitness, and practical problem-solving. Those interests shape how I look at businesses: how the different parts connect, where friction appears and what could work more effectively.
I’m continuing to build FORGE through practical projects, independent concepts and real conversations with local business owners. I’d rather be clear about where the business is today than create an exaggerated agency story.
Principles behind the work
- 01
Understand before recommending
The work should begin with how the business currently operates, where customers encounter friction and what outcome matters most.
- 02
The simplest useful solution first
A clearer process may solve the problem without introducing another platform or complicated system.
- 03
Useful over impressive
A solution should work well in the real business, not exist mainly to look advanced in a presentation.
- 04
Honest communication
Recommendations, limitations, project status and expected next steps should be explained clearly.
- 05
Built around the business
Independent companies should not be forced into a standard package when their customers, operation and priorities are different.
- 06
Long-term reputation over short-term sales
FORGE should recommend what is genuinely appropriate, even when that means advising against unnecessary work.
A practical consultancy, not a generic agency
What FORGE is
- A business growth and systems consultancy
- Focused on independent, owner-led businesses
- Interested in websites, customer journeys and internal operations
- Built around understanding individual business problems
- Local, direct and approachable
- Focused on practical implementation
What FORGE is not
- A social media content agency
- An AI agency selling automation for its own sake
- A large corporate consultancy
- A one-size-fits-all software provider
- A business that begins with unnecessary complexity
- A company that invents results or overstates its position
Local understanding, wider practical thinking
FORGE is based in Derby and is initially focused on supporting independent businesses across Derby and the East Midlands. Working locally makes it easier to understand the business in context, communicate directly and build relationships over time.
The approach is still shaped by wider principles of good design, clear customer journeys, useful systems and sensible business decision-making.
Priority focus areas
- Physiotherapy and sports clinics
- Gyms and fitness businesses
- Garages
- Barbers
- Trades
- Restaurants and cafés
- Independent retail
- Outdoor businesses
- Professional services
- Other local service businesses
This list is not exclusive. Other local service businesses facing similar problems are welcome to get in touch.
Direct, considered and shaped around the problem
- Clear conversations
- Begin with the problem, current situation and desired outcome rather than technical terminology.
- Focused scope
- Define what is included, what is not included and what should be prioritised first.
- Practical implementation
- Build with the real customer, staff and day-to-day operation in mind.
- Honest limitations
- Be clear where information, specialist advice, permissions or further discovery are needed.
- Continued improvement where useful
- Support can continue after the initial project when maintenance or further refinement has genuine value.
Building FORGE through useful work
FORGE is being developed carefully rather than presented as something it isn't. The current focus is creating a strong foundation, demonstrating clear thinking through internal projects and concepts, and beginning conversations with independent businesses that may benefit from practical support.
As commissioned work is completed, the portfolio can grow through genuine projects, clearly explained outcomes and permission-based case studies.
The goal is to build a respected consultancy through useful work, honest communication and long-term relationships.
Founder
What shapes the way I think
- Business
Understanding why some companies create strong customer experiences and others lose opportunities through avoidable friction.
- Technology
Using tools carefully where they solve a real problem rather than introducing them for novelty.
- Design
Making information clearer, more credible and easier for people to act on.
- Sport and fitness
An interest in performance, consistency, systems and continuous improvement.
- Practical problem-solving
Breaking broad problems into manageable improvements that can realistically be implemented.
About FORGE
Frequently asked questions
Is FORGE based in Derby?
Yes. FORGE is based in Derby and is initially focused on supporting independent businesses across Derby and the East Midlands.
Who will I work with?
FORGE is currently led by Liam, so initial conversations and project work are handled directly rather than passed through a large account team.
Is FORGE a web-design agency?
Website design and rebuilds are part of the offer, but FORGE also works on customer journeys, follow-up, retention, internal processes and practical business systems.
Is FORGE an AI agency?
No. FORGE may use appropriate technology where it solves a genuine problem, but the business is not positioned around selling AI or automation for its own sake.
Does FORGE only work with established companies?
The initial focus is on owner-led businesses that already provide a strong service but have gaps in their website, customer experience or internal operation. Suitability depends more on the problem and the willingness to improve than on company size alone.
Why should a business contact FORGE while the portfolio is still growing?
The value should be judged through the quality of the thinking, the clarity of the proposed scope and whether the recommended work is appropriate for the business. FORGE will remain transparent about project status, experience and limitations.
Let us start with the business problem.
You do not need a technical brief or a fully formed solution. Explain what is not working, where customers are encountering friction or which part of the business feels harder to manage than it should.