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got obsessed with the idea that you Interestingly, feedback from users has things as they are but with less workload.‘
could automate something and get a allowed him to change and improve his The pitch is: less stress, more time,
result instantly.‘ product, which is exactly what he wants. the ability to run your business from
His background in music production ‘I can build something that works for anywhere. ‘It‘s not about replacing
also shaped how he understood the me, but to make it work for everyone, it people. It‘s about making what you
logic. ‘I made music on Fruity Loops, needs input from the people using it.‘ already do more efficient.‘
DJing when I was younger. Automation A good example is lead management. Steve is convinced AI will become
flows are actually quite similar to He was generating leads through as normal as the internet. ‘People are
building music. You‘re linking things Facebook and Instagram but hadn‘t really already signing up to tools like BillyBot
together to get an output.‘ thought about how others handle that. and putting AI into their day-to-day
Despite having no coding background, ‘When leads come in, you need to follow business, so it‘s not a future thing, it‘s
he taught himself as he went. ‘I‘m glad them up quickly, and a lot of people were happening now. It might feel slow at
I learned it the hard way, because now struggling to keep up. So I built a lead first, but once contractors see others
I actually understand what‘s going on management flow on top of the existing using it with faster pricing, more efficient
under the hood. I started before AI could quoting system. It helps track and working and winning more jobs it‘ll
just build everything for you.‘ nurture leads properly instead of letting snowball. Within a year to 18 months,
He‘s also seen how quickly the them go cold. There are loads of smaller the mindset flips. Instead of asking why
technology has evolved. ‘When I first tweaks as well – pricing adjustments, use AI, people will be asking why aren‘t
started, AI was rubbish: you had to surcharges, little features that come you using it.‘
give it every tiny detail and even then directly from users. If someone suggests The internet analogy is one he returns
it wouldn‘t be reliable. It‘s completely something useful, it can be built in to. If you were still sending quotes by
different now.‘ quickly. That‘s how it keeps improving.‘ post while everyone else had moved
He adds: ‘What I‘ve built has only just online, you got left behind. ‘This will be
become possible in the last year. So I‘m the same, but on a much bigger scale.
new to it like everyone else except that AI itself isn‘t new, it‘s been around for
I‘ve been building it from the start.‘ years. But it‘s only recently become good
How did his background in flooring enough to actually deliver in a practical
shape the way he built the software? way. And it‘s only going one way. The
The obvious answer, says Steve, is improvement is exponential, getting
workflows. better and faster all the time.‘
In commercial flooring, he explains, As for BillyBot, Steve isn‘t looking
the process is clearly defined. Quotes beyond flooring yet. The aim is to make
turn into jobs, jobs get booked in, then it the AI operator for flooring businesses,
come the job sheets, risk assessments, handling everything around the job,
method statements and finally invoices. so the only thing not managed by AI is
‘That‘s the backbone of the business. AI the actual installation. Quotes, admin,
should be able to handle that.‘ communication, workflows: all of it
His years on the tools meant he could sitting with BillyBot.
build those flows with the level of detail ‘It already does a lot, but the long-term
a flooring company actually needs. ‘You vision is to manage the full process end-
could apply this kind of system to other to-end,‘ he says. Other English-speaking
trades,‘ he says, ‘but flooring has its own markets such as Australia and the US
specifics. And that‘s what makes it work BillyBot can be used for various tasks such as drafting are obvious next steps, and the core
properly.‘ email replies that sound like you wrote them. Give it a structure could eventually be adapted
photo of a receipt, for instance, and it will extract the
But BillyBot‘s USP is saving time and details and sync it to your accounting software for other trades. ‘But that‘s a long way
money for contract flooring businesses. off, if it happens at all. The priority is
How well does it fare on that count? ‘For making BillyBot the go-to AI platform for
a sole trader, or someone with maybe one flooring.‘
fitter, the saving is mainly time,‘ said Steve. OT everyone is as enthusiastic about When I ask who he wouldn‘t mind
‘You‘re fitting during the day, then pricing NAI as Steve. Newspaper headlines being stuck in a lift with, his answer is
and doing admin in the evenings. BillyBot have spewed out endless examples of predictable: Elon Musk. Does he fancy
can take a lot of that off your plate.‘ the AI onslaught on white collar jobs, himself as the tech bro of the flooring
Realistically, he adds, you could save and fear among tradespeople is real too. industry? Of course he does.
about two hours a day – that‘s about 10 Steve is matter-of-fact about it. ‘That‘s exactly what I want to be.
hours a week. ‘If you value your time at, ‘Fear is usually the first reaction, There‘s a clear opportunity for someone
say, £30 an hour, that‘s £300 a week, or especially in smaller, family-run to become the face of AI in flooring, in
£1,200 a month in time saved. You‘re not businesses. People worry it‘s going to take the same way other industries have
physically getting that money back, but their job. But that‘s only if you choose to recognisable figures for marketing
you‘re freeing up that value in your time. use it that way. The better way to look at or digital strategy. I want to get into
When you compare that to a subscription it is as a multiplier. Whatever effort you YouTube and content, because that‘s how
cost, it‘s a no-brainer. More importantly, it put in, AI increases the output. It makes people learn now. Flooring needs that
means you‘re not going home and doing you more productive with less effort. for AI and BillyBot is aiming to be right at
quotes late at night. You can get everything That gives you two choices: either grow the centre of that action.‘
done during working hours instead.‘ the business and increase profit or keep Resistance is futile. 

18 CFJ July 2026 www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk
@CFJMagazine