ABOUT
We run a shop. We built the software we couldn't buy.
For more than 23 years I've owned an industrial fabric business in Auburn, Georgia. We distribute and convert fabric in a 35,000 square foot building: slitting, pattern cutting, sewing, RF welding and belt lacing, with orders going out every day. I'm Nik Narwani, and Firmo Works came out of that building.
How it started
Like most shops our size, we ran on our accounting software, spreadsheets, a whiteboard and people's memory. A job would get typed into the quote, typed again on the work order, and a third time on the invoice. When someone was out sick, the knowledge of where an order stood went home with them.
When we looked at real ERP and shop software, the numbers didn't work for a business like ours. The licenses were only the start. Then came implementation partners, consultants, per-user fees, and months of setup. So, with a background in technology, I started building our own: quoting, work orders, costing, inventory and scheduling, shaped around how our floor actually works. Later I built a staff portal for my wife's jewelry store to track repairs, custom orders and appraisals.
Those tools changed how both businesses run. Then other owners started asking if they could have the same thing. That's when it became clear the problem wasn't ours alone.
THE GAP
The businesses that employ America are the ones software skips.
What the software costs
The median company buying NetSuite pays about $74,700 a year, and setup for a small company is commonly estimated at $25,000 to $75,000 on top of that.2 Field-service software for a three-technician company is estimated at $8,800 to $18,000 a year, plus a one-time setup fee of $5,000 to $50,000.3
For a shop doing a few million in sales with a dozen people, that's a truck, a machine or a salary.
What shops use instead
In one study of small manufacturers that eventually switched to an ERP, 64% had been running on spreadsheets and 18% on paper. The most common reason they gave for switching was that they couldn't see what was happening in their own operation.4
That matches what we hear from every owner we talk to.
WHAT WE DO ABOUT IT
The same tools, priced for a shop of five or fifty.
Firmo Works starts from software already running in real businesses: a fabric converting shop and a retail jewelry store. We shape it around your forms and your way of working, connect it to the accounting system you already use, and switch on only the parts you need.
You pay a one-time setup fee and one flat monthly price for the company. No per-seat fees, and nothing custom is built or billed until you've approved a fixed quote.
What we promise
- Your data belongs to you. Export all of it whenever you want.
- No per-seat fees. Add a seasonal hire without a bigger bill.
- A fixed quote before anything custom is built.
- We never sell your data or share it with other customers.
- Security is part of the build, not an add-on. How we protect your data
SOURCES
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business (February 2026; 2022 Census data)
- Vendr, NetSuite buyer guide (median of 1,521 purchases; implementation ranges are Vendr estimates)
- Projul, ServiceTitan pricing analysis 2026 (third-party estimates; ServiceTitan does not publish prices)
- MRPeasy, ERP statistics from 70 small-manufacturer case studies (July 2026)
Software prices vary by vendor, users and setup. Get current quotes before you compare.
BOOK A 30-MINUTE DEMO
Show us your paper forms.
Bring the form you fill out most. We'll show you what it looks like in Firmo, usually the same week.
Not ready to talk? Email one paper form to hello@firmoworks.com and we'll show it back to you in Firmo, free.