What we tend
Your tools, talking.
Most small business tech stacks are a pile of disconnected tools. Data gets entered three times. Things break silently. We wire them together so the right data flows to the right places automatically.
What is a small business tool integration?
A tool integration is a connection between two pieces of software that makes data flow automatically. When a customer books an appointment in your scheduling tool, that customer also appears in your CRM, gets added to your email list, and triggers a welcome email — without you re-entering anything. We build these connections using off-the-shelf tools (Zapier, Make) when they fit, and custom code when they don't.
· Written by the founder of Tend the Tech — operator with decades in FM, servers, web, SEO, and auto-shop operations.
Real integrations we've built.
Customer service completes → GBP services list auto-reflects the shop's actual service mix
New payment → cleanly categorized journal entry, no monthly reconciliation chore
New review → AI drafts reply → posts to a Slack channel for owner approval
New booking → customer record created in CRM + welcome email triggered
New service page published → automatically reflected in all three listings
Inspection completed → customer gets a clean PDF link with the shop's branding
Many of these were first built for Beacon Auto Care and have since been promoted to reusable patterns — see the public agent/skill library.
Zapier, custom code, or native integration?
We use the lightest tool that actually works. The decision tree is roughly:
Native integration (always check first)
When the two systems already have a built-in integration we just need to enable and configure. Free or near-free. Most tools have more native integrations than owners realize.
Zapier / Make / n8n
Simple A → B flows that fit existing templates. Both systems have native connectors. Volume is modest (under a few thousand events/month). Setup: ~$200, ongoing: ~$20–$50/mo to Zapier directly. Fast to build, easy to maintain.
Custom code (Node, Python, Cloudflare Workers)
When Zapier can't handle the data transformation, the volume would break Zapier's pricing, or the integration needs to do something Zapier doesn't (like call Claude in the middle). Setup: $1,500–$5,000 depending on complexity, ongoing: $0–$20/mo for hosting. Slower to build but no per-event cost.
What does your operation look like after?
A customer signs up once and flows to four systems automatically. Your bookkeeper stops calling you about Stripe entries that don't match QuickBooks. New reviews drop into a Slack channel with a draft reply queued up — you tap thumbs-up from your phone. Your GBP services list reflects what you actually do today, not what you did when you set it up two years ago.
Owners describe the after-state as "I stopped feeling like I was the integration." That's the elevation: you stop being the manual bridge between your own tools. The bridge runs itself. You focus on the work.
No retainer. No deck. No Loom.
Integrations are quoted per-build, not as part of a monthly fee. Once built, they're yours. We monitor and fix them on a per-fix basis when something upstream breaks. No "integration maintenance retainer." No "strategy session" to scope it. No discovery call. Tech, handled. Per-thing, like the rest of our pricing.
What needs to talk to what?
Tell us which tools you use and where the manual re-entry is killing you. We'll text back what's wireable, what's not, and rough cost. First text is free.
Text us →Integrations FAQ
Why don't my small business tools talk to each other?
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Most SaaS vendors don't make integrations a priority — it costs them sticky users (if customer data flows freely, you can leave them). So you end up entering the same customer in three systems. Sometimes there's an integration on paper that doesn't actually work in practice. Sometimes there's a Zapier connector that breaks every other week. We diagnose what's broken and fix it.
What kinds of small business tools can be integrated?
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Most things, with three caveats: (1) the tool has to have an API or webhook (most modern SaaS does, even when they hide it), (2) the data has to make sense to integrate (don't sync customer records from a system that doesn't have the right ID fields), and (3) the cost has to be worth it. A simple Zapier integration might run $20/mo + a one-time $200 setup. A custom integration for something Zapier can't handle could be $1,500–$5,000 to build.
When do you use Zapier vs. custom code for integrations?
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Zapier (or Make / n8n) for simple two-system flows that fit existing templates: "new customer in [system A] → add to [system B]." Custom code when (a) the data transformation is complex, (b) Zapier's pricing breaks at scale, (c) the integration needs to do something Zapier can't, like calling Claude to draft a follow-up. We always tell you which is appropriate before quoting.
Do you integrate with Tekmetric / Shopmonkey / QuickBooks?
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Tekmetric specifically, yes — we've built a data feed that pulls oil specs, fluid capacities, and refrigerant cutover info into auto-shop websites (see our auto-repair page). Shopmonkey: we work with its public API where one exists. QuickBooks Online: well-supported, easy. Stripe, Square, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, Calendly, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Notion, Airtable, Webflow, Shopify: all worked with. If we haven't worked with your tool yet, we can usually figure it out as long as the vendor has an API.
What happens when my integration breaks?
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If we built it: we fix it. Most simple integrations break because the upstream vendor changed something (API endpoint deprecated, auth token expired, field renamed). We monitor for breaks where possible (a status agent that pings the integration daily and alerts if data stops flowing), and we fix them on a per-fix basis — not a monthly retainer.
Can the integration draft messages or content using AI?
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Yes. We build a lot of AI-in-the-middle integrations: review comes in → Claude drafts a reply in your voice → goes into a queue for your thumbs-up → posts. Or: customer signs up → Claude generates a personalized welcome email → goes out. This is where the line between integration and automation blurs (see automation + agents).
Will I be locked in to your integrations if I stop working with you?
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No. Custom integrations we build run on your accounts and your API keys. You own the code. Zapier integrations are in your Zapier account. If you stop working with us, the integrations keep working until something upstream breaks. We hand over runbooks so a future developer can maintain or rebuild.
How much does a typical small business integration cost?
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Simple Zapier-style wiring: $200–$500 to set up, $20–$50/mo to Zapier. Mid-complexity custom integration: $1,500–$3,000 to build, $0–$20/mo for hosting. Complex multi-system orchestration with AI in the loop: $3,000–$8,000 to build. We quote before we build, and we'll always tell you when the cheaper option will work just as well.