One thing to fix is reason enough.
One-off CS-Cart help, at whatever size the job actually is. Urgent problems welcome too.
Most CS-Cart work doesn't need to be a project. Something's displaying wrong, a setting won't do what you want, or something broke and nobody can tell you why. All fine to send over on their own.
Free CS-Cart health check for new clients outside Japan
A written review of where your store actually stands: whether the core has been modified, how risky your next upgrade looks, and what I'd fix first. No charge, and no obligation to hire me afterwards.
Go ahead with the work and you also get $500 off the quoted price, in exchange for a testimonial I can publish once it's finished.
Five spots to start with. I may close this sooner, or open a few more. This page will say which. Testimonials are written after the work is finished, and published with a note that the client received a launch discount.
Things worth sending over
A rough idea of what fits here. If yours isn't on the list, it probably still fits.
Something's broken or behaving oddly
- Layout or display problems, on desktop or mobile
- A feature that used to work and now doesn't
- Checkout, cart, or payment behaving unexpectedly
- Something that broke after an upgrade
- An error message nobody can explain
Something needs changing
- A small change to how an existing feature works
- Template and front-end adjustments
- Admin screens that are awkward for the people using them daily
- A setting that doesn't quite fit how your team actually works
- A small addition that isn't worth briefing an agency for
Something underneath the store
- Server, hosting, or environment problems
- PHP or database configuration
- SSL certificates, DNS, domain setup
- Performance that's got gradually worse
- Backups and upgrade preparation
You don't have to work out which layer the problem is on.
CS-Cart is self-hosted, so a symptom in the store can come from the application, the server, or the domain configuration. Working out which is part of the job, not a prerequisite for asking.
"Is this too small to bother someone with?"
This is the question that stops most people getting in touch, so let me answer it plainly: no, and there's no minimum size here.
One display bug is a normal thing to ask about. So is one button, one setting, or one thing you've been meaning to sort out for months.
Small CS-Cart jobs are genuinely hard to place. Agencies want a project, and if there's nobody on your team who can touch CS-Cart, a five-minute change can sit unfixed for a year. That gap is what this is for.
If it turns out to be bigger than you thought, I'll tell you that before starting, not halfway through.
If it is urgent
Say so when you write, and I'll treat it that way.
A store that's down, checkout that's failing, or anything actively costing you orders gets looked at ahead of the rest. What I can't do is promise a fix time before I know what's wrong, and I'd rather say that than make a number up.
What you'll get quickly is an honest answer on whether I can take it, and when I can start.
Why send it to me
10+ years with CS-Cart specifically
Not "we also do CS-Cart." It's the platform I've spent the last decade in, which mostly shows up as knowing where to look first.
I'll check how the site was built before changing it
On an inherited CS-Cart site, the risk isn't the fix: it's what the fix disturbs. Sites are often customized in ways that don't survive being touched carelessly, so I look at what I'm standing on first.
* More on why that matters: Why CS-Cart.
Application and infrastructure, same person
Front-end, PHP, database, server. When a problem crosses those lines, it doesn't get handed to somebody else, and you're not the one relaying messages between them.
You talk to the person doing the work
No account manager in between. You explain it once.
How it works
- Send it over. What's happening, and where. A screenshot or a URL is plenty; you don't need to diagnose it first.
- I reply within 24 hours with whether I can take it on and what's likely involved.
- Estimate before anything starts. Scope and cost, agreed up front.
- I fix it, you check it.
- That's it, unless you want more. One-off is a complete engagement. No retainer required.
* Pricing depends on what the job turns out to be, so I quote per request. You'll always have the number before work starts.
If it turns out to be bigger
Sometimes a small fix is a symptom of something larger, and it's worth saying so.
If that's the case, I'll tell you what I found and what I'd suggest, and you can decide what to do with it. Fixing the immediate problem and stopping there is a legitimate choice, and it's often the right one.
When a bigger piece of work does make sense, CS-Cart development covers builds, handovers, and ongoing improvement.
FAQ
Is my job too small to ask about?
Almost certainly not. A single display problem, one button behaving oddly, one setting nobody can find: all normal reasons to get in touch. There's no minimum project size.
Can you work on a CS-Cart site somebody else built?
Yes, and that's most of this work. I'll look at how the site was actually built before changing anything, so a fix doesn't quietly break something else.
What if the problem turns out to be the server, not CS-Cart?
Still something I can help with. CS-Cart is self-hosted, so server configuration, PHP and database settings, SSL, DNS, and domain issues are all part of the same picture.
You don't need to work out which layer it's on before getting in touch.
Do you handle urgent problems?
Yes. If a store is down or something's blocking orders, say so when you write and I'll treat it accordingly.
Urgent work depends on what's already scheduled, so I'll tell you honestly what I can do and when, rather than promising a time I can't hold.
How quickly will I hear back?
Within 24 hours. That first reply tells you whether I can take it on and roughly what's involved, so you're not left waiting to find out whether you're in the right place.
What does it cost?
It depends on what the job turns out to be, so I quote per request rather than publishing a rate. You get the estimate before any work starts, and the first conversation is free.
Do I have to sign up for ongoing support?
No. One-off requests are a complete engagement. If continuing makes sense afterwards we can talk about it, but nothing here assumes it.
What do you need from me to start?
A description of what's happening and where. A screenshot or URL usually covers it.
Access to the site and server comes later, once we've agreed there's something to do.
Send it over, however small.
A description of the problem is enough to start. I'll come back within 24 hours with whether I can help and what's involved.