About
I'm Dan. I've spent around 18 years running businesses and making the day-to-day work more smoothly.
Saunton AI grew from dealing with the same things as other business owners: staff, customers, bookings, payments, invoices and an inbox that never seems to get smaller. I've run businesses in North Devon and across the UK, so I know how quickly small problems can become daily headaches.
I care deeply about customer service and about giving people sensible tools. Good AI should make a business feel more human, not less, because the team has more time for customers and fewer repetitive jobs competing for attention.
Where my experience comes from
I've run many businesses over the years. Each one taught me something about cash flow, customers and where time gets lost. That hands-on experience is why I do more than give advice. I build things that have to work in the real world.
I also run Bike Hire UK, providing nationwide bike hire and event support, and Waterside Bike Hire, our Tarka Trail hire centre near Braunton. The day-to-day work in those businesses helps shape the practical approach I take at Saunton AI.
My approach has never been about pressure or hard selling. I'm friendly, I listen, and I'm always happy to work with your plans rather than impose my own. If you want to chat through your business and see what solutions are available, I'm always happy to do that.
I work across many industries. I enjoy getting to the bottom of a problem and finding a simple answer. That helps when you know something is not working but are not sure what the fix should be.
What I believe
I believe running a business should be easier. Better systems can remove repeated work and give a team more time, without simply adding more staff.
That is the thinking behind Saunton AI: understand the business first, then use AI or a simple system where it genuinely makes life easier. The technology works for the business, not the other way around.
Real examples from my businesses
Zippy Booking is our booking product — online booking software for rental, activity and service businesses, developed by Saunton AI and used day to day in my own hire business.
Dan OS — Email Drafting is different: it's an AI employee that helps with email and admin in my own business. I set up the workflow so it flags invoice attachments for review and prepares draft replies to customer emails — nothing sends without my approval. Using AI in my own businesses keeps me close to real problems and shapes the advice I give clients.
How I think about technology
Start from the business problem backwards
I look at how the work happens before discussing technology. If a job is unclear, we sort that out first.
Practical over impressive
The measure is whether someone's week got easier. Nothing gets built because it's interesting to build.
No unnecessary technology
If your existing tools can be connected rather than replaced, that's what I'll recommend — even when it's the smaller project.
Build things teams actually use
A new system should make the job easier. I design it with the people who will use it.
North Devon roots. Working across the UK.
I'm Dan Bradshaw, based in North Devon, and I work with businesses across the UK. Most work can be done remotely. For nearby businesses, I can also visit and see how the work happens in person.
If you're in the area, there's more on AI automation for North Devon businesses.
On proof
I don't publish testimonials, customer counts, awards or performance statistics I can't evidence. What I can show you is software I build and operate myself. Client references are available on request during a discovery conversation.