Practical Solutions, Neighborly Rates
I'm the whole of Layman's Business Services — research, design, websites, digital tools, newsletters, and the odd jobs in between, for small businesses, nonprofits, and busy people around the New River Valley. No jargon, no corporate pricing, no runaround.
For years I've been the person friends, coworkers, and local organizations come to when something needs figuring out: a website that needs fixing, a pile of information that needs sorting, a flyer that needs making, a process that could run smoother.
It turns out that's a job. So I made it one. I keep the language plain because most people don't need the jargon — they need the thing done. And I keep the rates neighborly because that's who I'd rather work with: the shop down the street, the nonprofit run on grant money, the person with a good idea and no tech department.
If it's practical, I'm interested — and if it's something I haven't done before, I'm willing to learn it. If it's genuinely not mine to do, I'll tell you straight and point you to someone better. And you won't pay for work that doesn't meet the bar we agree on. Satisfaction guarantee: if it doesn't match what we agreed on, I'll fix it free — or you don't pay for that part of the project.
Closer to a virtual assistant who can also build you a website.
Fact-finding, resource lists, comparison research, and clear summaries you can actually use.
Confirming that lists, guides, and records are accurate — by website, map, and direct phone calls. Delivered as a clean spreadsheet or web page.
Flyers, social posts, simple logos, and clean document layout. Canva for quick turnarounds, Photoshop for the detailed work.
Step-by-step visual walkthroughs that let your staff or customers do the thing without calling you.
Editing, layout, and turning a finished PDF into a page-flip edition people can read on their phone.
Building small business and organization sites, and keeping existing ones current, working, and secure.
Custom software for a specific job. Wayfinder, a resource-navigation app for communities, is the one I'm proudest of.
A fresh set of eyes on a process that's slower or clunkier than it should be, and a plain plan to fix it.
Data entry, document formatting, online errands, and the tasks that don't fit a category. If it's on your list, ask.
Don't see your task? Ask anyway — the list really does go on.
The one I'm proudest of
A web app that helps people find the local services they need — food, housing, healthcare, legal help, reentry support — without having to know the name of an agency first. Built for the New River Valley, now licensed to other regions. I designed it, built it, vetted every listing, and I keep it running.
A few recent projects that draw on my range of skills.
A local commission hired me to confirm every listing in their existing housing guide was still accurate — by website, map, and phone call — then hand it back as a corrected spreadsheet and a publish-ready PDF. They post that PDF directly today, and used the underlying data to build a searchable online directory for residents.
See the searchable directory →
Nonprofits need a simple way to see what they can actually spend, without wrestling with accounting software built for accountants. I designed and built Abacus from scratch — a visual fund tracker where staff submit, managers approve, and everyone sees the same live budget picture. It's a freemium app: grant tracking is free for any nonprofit, with fund tracking as a paid upgrade.
See the functional demo →
Local volunteers working to improve housing options and zoning in the New River Valley needed solid data behind their advocacy, not just opinions. I sourced and vetted 25 primary documents — Census figures, USDA program details, county and program records — then built a set of research briefings from them, including a sourced, actionable breakdown of nine paths to more affordable housing.
Graphic work for local nonprofits, plus a business of my own: a recruitment flyer for the NRV Reentry Council's video-storytelling campaign, a tri-fold brochure for the Wilderness Road Chorus, and the brand and ad campaign for Uniquely You, a photo-restoration and correction service I designed and launched myself. Same eye for layout, color, and typography — just pointed at whatever format a project needs.
Your message comes straight to me, no account manager, no phone tree. Tell me what you're trying to get done, and I'll tell you whether I can help. I'm a skilled problem solver, and I'll take 24–48 hours to consider your situation and figure out the best way to help. Once we agree on a plan of action, I can give you an estimate of what the project will cost.
