Start with the job, not the software
Write down one thing people need to get done. Follow it from the person who starts it to the person who picks it up next. Include what happens when information is missing or something needs to stop. That tells me far more than a request for a custom app.
Then try an existing product against that same path. If it does the job well, buy it. That is almost always faster and cheaper than paying me to build another one.
When an existing product is enough
Plenty of ready-made products cover a standard website, a branded radio player, or an inventory list. Check that it does the things you can't skip, that your data can get in and out, what it costs each month, and whether the people doing the work can actually use it.
An ugly color scheme or one awkward label is not a reason to commission software. Configure what you can. Then ask whether what's left stops the job from getting done.
When the workflow needs a different shape
Custom software is worth a conversation when an important handoff or exception doesn't fit any tool you can buy. At the warehouse, counting items was the easy part. The hard part was keeping a lot, its location, and a hold at the dock in front of the next person.
The radio project is much smaller. It puts the stream and show clock on a phone. Custom doesn't have to mean big. The build is as large as the job.
Compare the cost after launch, too
For a ready-made product, check the subscription, account limits, setup work, and what it costs to leave. For a custom build, check the build price, hosting, updates, support, and future changes. Neither one is free to run once it exists.
My two projects show how far apart the numbers can be. The small radio job was about $500 plus $20 a month. The warehouse platform was $50,000 plus $2,000 a month. Neither is a price list for your project.
Make ownership part of the decision
Ask who owns the code, data, domain, and platform accounts, and what you can take with you if the arrangement ends. With DylTec, you own the product, code, and accounts. Monthly care pays for keeping it running. If it ends, I hand over the code, the data, and instructions so you can take over hosting.
If you want to talk through a build, send the workflow, the options you have tried, the part that does not fit, and a budget band.