FAQ

Every question, answered straight.

No sales gloss. If the honest answer is "we're not for you", it's in here too.

Getting started

What does NorthPole actually do?

We build AI and automation into the software your business already owns. We map how your operation really runs, find where the hours and margin are leaking, and design systems that do the manual, repetitive work for you.

It is not a new platform to learn. It is your existing tools, wired together and made to work the way your team actually works.

What happens on the free strategy session?

A 30 minute video call with our founder, Divjot. We walk through how your operation runs today, where the hours and margin are leaking, and whether there is enough on the table to be worth fixing.

You leave with a dollar figure on what the manual work is costing you, the two or three fixes worth doing first, and a straight answer either way. If we are not the right fit, we say so.

Who do you work with?

Australian SMBs, mostly in trades, construction and manufacturing, where the business runs on spreadsheets, memory and missed follow-ups. Typically businesses between roughly $5M and $30M in revenue that have outgrown how they operate.

Can we start small?

Yes. Most engagements start with one clearly-scoped fix, the highest-value one, so you can see the return before committing to more. We would rather prove it on a single workflow than sell you a big program up front.

Who is NorthPole NOT for?

If you are looking for the cheapest option, a quick tech gimmick, or someone to rubber-stamp a decision you have already made, we are not it. We are also not for businesses that will not change how they work. The systems only pay off if your team actually uses them.

Pricing

How much does it cost?

It depends on the scope, but we are transparent about it before you commit. On the strategy session we put a dollar figure on what the manual work is costing you, then scope the fix against that number. If the return is not clearly worth the spend, we tell you.

How is pricing structured?

Project-based, scoped up front, no open-ended hourly billing. You know the number before we start. Ongoing support, when you want it, is a separate, optional arrangement.

Do you offer any guarantees?

We scope every project against a clear outcome and we do not start work we do not believe will pay for itself. If something we build does not do what we said it would, we make it right.

Do you discount?

No. We price the work against the value it returns, not against what a competitor charges. A discount would just mean we mispriced it in the first place.

How we work

What's your process?

We map how your operation actually runs, pinpoint where the hours and margin leak, design the fix around your existing tools, build it, then roll it out with your team so it sticks. You see progress the whole way, not a big reveal at the end.

How long does it take?

Most builds land in a matter of weeks, not months. A single scoped workflow can be live quickly; larger, multi-system work takes longer. We give you a timeline before we start.

Do we need to buy new software?

Almost never. The whole point is to make the software you already pay for actually work. If a new tool is genuinely the right call, we will say so and explain why, but we start from what you own.

Will our team actually use it?

That is the test we design for. We build around how your team already works instead of forcing them onto something new, and we roll it out with them, not at them. If they will not use it, it is not a fix.

How much of our time does the project take?

Less than you would expect. We need real access to how you work up front and a few checkpoints along the way, but we do the heavy lifting. We are not going to bury your team in meetings.

How is this different from hiring a VA or an internal person?

A VA or a new hire does the manual work faster. We remove the manual work. The systems keep running after the engagement ends, they do not take leave, and they do not cost a salary every year.

Do you do ongoing support?

Yes, optionally. Some clients want us on retainer to maintain and extend what we built; others take it in-house. Either is fine. It is your call, not a lock-in.

Who actually does the work?

Us. Divjot scopes every engagement himself and stays close to the build. You are not handed off to a junior team or an offshore shop after the sale.

Do you work with businesses outside Australia?

Our focus is Australian SMBs. If you are outside Australia and think there is a genuine fit, reach out, but Australia is where we do our best work.

The AI part

What does the infrastructure actually look like? Where does it run?

It runs on the tools and platforms you already use, connected together, plus secure, reputable cloud services where needed. We do not stand up some mystery black box you cannot see into.

Do we own our data? Is it safe?

You own your data, always. We work inside your accounts and systems, and we follow proper access controls and data-handling practices. Nothing about your operation gets sold, shared, or repurposed.

Is AI going to email or call our customers without us knowing?

Not unless you explicitly want it to, and even then with the guardrails you set. By default a human approves anything customer-facing. You stay in control of what goes out.

What AI do you actually use?

The best-fit tools for the job, from the leading, reputable providers. We are not tied to one vendor. We pick what solves your problem reliably and safely, not whatever is trendy.

Are you ISO certified?

We follow strong security and data-handling practices and work within your existing controls. If certification or a specific compliance requirement matters to your business, raise it on the call and we will be straight about where we stand.

What systems can you integrate?

Most of the common business tools, CRMs, accounting, quoting, project management, inventory, email and the rest, plus custom connections where an off-the-shelf one does not exist. If it has an API or a sensible way in, we can usually wire it up.

What do you actually build?

Automations that remove manual, repetitive work; integrations that make your systems talk to each other; and AI that handles the tasks that used to eat your team's day, quoting, follow-ups, data entry, monitoring and more. All built around how you actually operate.

Results

Where does the time actually come back in my industry?

Usually in the repetitive glue work, chasing follow-ups, re-keying data between systems, building quotes, tracking stock and jobs. That is where hours quietly disappear. On the strategy session we point to exactly where it is leaking in your operation.

What results have you actually delivered?

Real, measurable ones: businesses getting 10 to 15+ hours back a week, quoting cut dramatically, stock tracked for the first time, follow-ups that no longer fall through the cracks. See our Results page for the specific stories and numbers.

What if it doesn't work for us?

We scope every project against a clear outcome and we will not start work we do not believe will pay for itself. If it does not do what we said it would, we make it right. And if on the strategy session we can see it will not work, we tell you before you spend a dollar.

Ask us the rest

Book your free strategy session.

Free · 30 min · Video call · No pitch

Who it's with

Divjot Sahni

Divjot Sahni

Founder, NorthPole

Divjot runs every session himself. You talk to the person who scopes the work, not a sales rep.

What we'll cover

  • How your operation actually runs today
  • Where the hours and margin are leaking
  • Whether there's enough on the table to be worth fixing

What you leave with

  • A dollar figure on what the manual work is costing you
  • The two or three fixes worth doing first
  • A straight answer either way. If we're not the right fit, we say so