You're paying $2,000/month for software you use 5% of. Here's what's actually costing you money—and what to do about it.
The Problem: You're Bleeding Money on Unused Features
The average small business pays $500-5,000/month on SaaS subscriptions. That's not a typo. According to a 2023 study by Productiv, 80% of SaaS features go unused by most businesses. You're paying for a Ferrari when you need a reliable pickup truck.
Real Numbers:
- Jobber (field service): $400-500/month
- Salesforce: $165+/user/month (minimum 2 users = $330/month)
- HubSpot: $50-1,200/month depending on tier
- Most small businesses use 3-5% of these platforms' features
The consequence? You're bleeding margin on features that don't move the needle. That $500/month could be hiring a part-time employee, running ads, or investing in tools that actually solve your problems.
Why This Happens: Enterprise Software Built for the Wrong Customer
Enterprise SaaS companies build for their ideal customer: large corporations with complex workflows, multiple departments, and dedicated IT teams. You're a small business owner wearing 10 hats. You don't need 200 features—you need 5 that work perfectly.
1. SaaS Built for Large Enterprises
Salesforce, HubSpot, and similar platforms are designed for companies with:
- Multiple departments (sales, marketing, support, operations)
- Complex approval workflows
- Dedicated admins to configure and maintain the system
- Budgets that can absorb $1,000+/month software costs
If you're a lawn care business with 3 employees, you don't need multi-stage approval workflows. You need to capture leads and send quotes. That's it.
2. You Only Need 3-5% of Their Features
Think about it: When was the last time you used Salesforce's advanced reporting? Or HubSpot's social media scheduling? Or Jobber's inventory management? Probably never. You're paying for features you'll never touch.
3. Marketing: "Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak"
SaaS companies sell you on the dream: "Imagine if you could automate everything, track every metric, and scale infinitely!" But you're not trying to scale to 1,000 employees. You're trying to run a profitable business with 5-20 employees.
4. Switching Costs Are High (Lock-In)
Once you've invested time and money into Salesforce or HubSpot, switching feels impossible. Your data is there. Your team is trained. Your workflows are built. So you stay, even when it's bleeding you dry.
The Solution: Custom-Built Tools That Actually Fit
What if you could have exactly what you need—nothing more, nothing less? That's what custom-built apps offer:
- Cost a fraction of enterprise SaaS ($200-1,500 one-time vs $500+/month forever)
- Built in days, not months (using no-code/low-code tools)
- Pay only for what you use (no feature bloat)
- You own the tool (export your data anytime, no lock-in)
Real Example: From $450/month to $50/month
One lawn care owner we worked with was paying Jobber $450/month. He used it for:
- Quote generation (5% of Jobber's features)
- Customer contact info storage (5% of Jobber's features)
That's it. He wasn't using scheduling, invoicing, routing, inventory, or any of the other 90% of features Jobber offers.
What We Built:
- Custom quote generator (lawn size, services, frequency → instant quote)
- Lead capture form (name, phone, email)
- Email notifications when leads come in
- Simple customer database
Results:
- Cost: $200 build + $50/month hosting = $50/month effective cost
- Captured 30% more leads (instant quotes work 24/7)
- Saved 10 hrs/week (no more phone quote calls)
- ROI: Paid for itself in the first month
Key Benefits of Custom Apps
No Bloat
Every feature serves a purpose. No confusing menus, no unused dashboards, no "what does this button do?" moments.
Instant Customization
Need to add a field? Change a calculation? Update the design? With custom apps, changes take hours, not weeks. And they're cheap ($50-200 per change vs Salesforce's $2,000+ consulting fees).
Transparent Costs
You know exactly what you're paying: $200-1,500 to build, $50-200/month to host. No surprise "upgrade to Pro" emails. No per-user fees that scale with your team.
Faster ROI
Most custom apps pay for themselves in the first month. Enterprise SaaS? You're paying forever, hoping the value compounds. It usually doesn't.
Common Objections (And Why They're Wrong)
"What if I need changes later?"
Easy and cheap. Most changes cost $50-200 and take 1-3 days. Compare that to Salesforce's $2,000+ consulting fees and 2-week timelines.
"What about data security?"
You control your data. It's hosted on your platform (or one you choose), not locked in a vendor's system. You can export everything anytime.
"What if I want to switch?"
You own your app and data. Want to move to a different platform? Export your data and go. With Salesforce, you're locked in forever.
"But Salesforce has integrations with everything!"
So do custom apps. We can integrate with email (Gmail, Outlook), SMS (Twilio), payments (Stripe), calendars (Google, Outlook), and most APIs. If it has an API, we can connect it.
What to Do Next
If you're paying $500+/month for software you barely use, here's your action plan:
- Audit your SaaS spend - List every subscription and what you actually use
- Identify your core needs - What 3-5 features do you actually need?
- Get a custom app quote - See how much it would cost to build exactly what you need
- Calculate the ROI - Compare custom build cost vs current SaaS spend
Most businesses find they can cut SaaS costs by 70-90% while getting better tools that actually fit their workflow.