Frequently Asked Questions

A bit more detail …

IT Support

  • Nearly all of the work we do is remote. This allows us to quickly fix the issue you are having, without the travel time.

    Working remotely also allows us to work with clients all over the world.

    We can do on-site work, however this is generally restricted to the Gloucestershire area.

  • We work with solo and small business owners mainly based in the UK, however we also work with clients all over the world.

    We do also support home users who need help with their IT.

    Nearly all the work we do is remote so we can help people all over the world.

  • Absolutely. Many of our clients are solo business owners who just need ad-hoc IT support when something goes wrong or if they need advice about new technology and software solutions.

  • Our support is charged at £60.00 per hour plus VAT at 20%.

    We charge by the minute. If a fix takes 23 minutes, the cost is £23.00 plus VAT. Customers appreciate this straightforward, transparent approach and find it clear and fair.

  • Of course. We arrange a time for a call, either on the phone or via Zoom or Teams and then we can work through any IT issues or questions you have.

  • Yes, there are a couple of options.

    1. We can have a conversation and work out what it is you need, your budget and the best way to get you the right tech for your needs. We then source the equipment, you make payment to us, once it has arrived and is setup, we then send it to you.

    2. We can do an online shopping session. For this we do a screen share and we would discuss what you are looking for and then go shopping online. You then have the choice to make a purchase and have it delivered to you directly. Once it has arrived, we can talk you through the initial setup and once it is on the internet, we can take over to finish the configuration.

  • For IT support we charge for labour. If you would like on-site support, then depending on where you are located, there maybe mileage and parking charges.

    If you need some equipment or consumables, like printer cartridges then these would also be chargable.

    Any charges will be clearly explained either before work is untaken, or in the case of consumables and equipment, before anything is ordered.

Domain Registrations

  • We are a Nominet Accredited Channel Partner, so all domains ending with .uk are registered directly with Nominet, who are the authority for all .uk domains.

    The domains are registered directly to the client, so they are the owner or registrant. Purple Tree Solutions, act as the Registrar and administer the domain on behalf of the client.

  • For any domain which is not a .uk, we use several different TLD (Top Level Domain) registration services. The service we use will depend on the TLD required. The companies we use for these registrations are reputable companies with an established history in the domain registration market.

    The domains are still registered to the client directly, however we are generally listed as the Admin, Technical and Billing contact for the domain name.

  • As standard we register domain names for clients for a 2 year period, domain are then renewed every 2 years. Domains can be registered/renewed for a maximum of 10 years.

    Client receive an invoice in the month prior to their domain being due for renewal.

  • In the case of a .uk domain name, then the domain continues to function up to 30 days after the domain has expired. After this, any connected services such as email and a website will stop working, emails will be returned to the sender and the website will display a page not found message. .uk domains can be renewed up to 60 days after their expiry, in which case, the services like email and the website will start working again. If the domain is not renewed at all, then eventually the domain name will be released by Nominet so that it can then be registered by someone else.

    With .com domains, these generally work for up to 7 days after the expiry date then connected services will stop working. .com domains can usually be renewed within the 7 days grace period. Generally domains are released for registration by someone else within 21 days of the name expiring.

Email Services

  • We are Microsoft Partners so we primarily provide Microsoft 365 services to clients.

    We have been using Microsoft Exchange which is what powers the email function of Microsoft 365, for many years.

    If a client would prefer to use Google Workspace, then we are happy to help with the setup and configuration of the system.

  • We use Microsoft 365 within our own business and the majority of our customers use it as well.

    Using Microsoft 365 can offer significant advantages for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses. Here are the main reasons:

    1. Professional Email and Branding

    2. Collaboration and Productivity

    • Access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams for seamless document creation and communication.

    • Real-time co-authoring and file sharing via OneDrive or SharePoint.

    3. Cloud Storage and Accessibility

    • 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user.

    • Work from any device with secure access to files.

    4. Security and Compliance

    • Built-in security features like multi-factor authentication and data encryption.

    • GDPR-compliant tools for handling client data.

    5. Scalability

    • Easy to add users as your business grows.

    • Flexible subscription plans to match your needs.

    6. Cost Efficiency

    • Predictable monthly or annual pricing.

    • Reduces need for separate software purchases.

    7. Integration

    • Works well with other business tools (CRM, accounting software).

  • If you would like Google Workspace as this better suits your business needs or how you like to work, then we are happy to help set a Google Workspace account for you.

    We can work with other systems such as those provided by some web hosting companies.

  • Yes. Many businesses start out with the email service which comes from their web host. As a business grows there can be a need to move the email to a more powerful service like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace.

    This is something we can help with by backing up your existing email and moving them across to the new system.

  • If your email address is for example, you@yourcompany.co.uk, then yes, you can keep the same email address and we connect the domain to the new email service.

    If you are using an email address like, yourbusiness@outlook.com or yourbusiness@gmail.com, then no. We can however generally setup a forward from these types of addresses to a new branded email address so over time your clients get used to the new email address.

  • If you are using a email address like, gmail.com, outlook.com, btinternet.com, for your business, but want to start using a branded email like, yourname@yourbusiness.co.uk, then we can certainly help.

    We can get the new business domain registered for you, if you do not already have the domain. We can then setup the new branded email service and help you configure it on your computer and other devices.

    Once this is done, we can set up forwarding from the old email address to the new one.

    It is also possible to backup the old emails and restore them into the new email account.

  • In almost every case we have been able to back up the existing emails and move them into the new email account so you would not lose any of your current emails.

Web Design and Hosting

  • I primarily build websites on the SquareSpace platform, because I find the platform user-friendly and straightforward to work with.

  • I use SquareSpace for a lot of client projects as it offers a very flexible platform in relation to design options and also the ability to add in things like ecommerce, email marketing and appointment scheduling. As standard you get an SSL certificate to secure your site. SquareSpace also look after the site in relation to security and any updates to the templates on the system. SquareSpace is very easy for clients to use themselves, which means updating the website is straightforward; plus I am available to help with questions, queries or to do the updates for you.

    The domains are still registered to the client directly, however we are generally listed as the Admin, Technical and Billing contact for the domain name.

  • As SquareSpace uses it’s own platform for designing and hosting the website, there are some limits on customisation. The other disadvantage is that the website cannot be “downloaded” and moved to a new website host, like you can with a HTML or WordPress website. You would have to rebuild the website on the new platform.

  • Yes. We do work with other platforms like WIX, Weebly, and other third party systems.

    We tend not to build on WordPress, but can recommend WordPress designers that would be able to help you with a new or existing WordPress site.

  • We do still look after some HTML websites for clients. These are stored on our UK based servers.

  • For HTML websites and some of the WordPress websites we host, they are stored on my servers which are located in a secure data centre in Coventry, UK. They are supported by the company that provides the servers, and they offer excellent support and response times if any issues develop.

FAQs

Online Backup
Security Solutions
Photography

Page last updated: 15th January 2026