About

GHHSoftware is me — Grant Hickey. I live in Lake Orion, MI, and have been providing IT services to businesses and individuals (officially) since 1999. It started with PC support for friends and relatives, then grew when a coworker asked if I could build a custom MS Office application to send direct-fax advertisements for his father's phone business. I got a DBA, launched GHHSoftware, and never looked back.

Around 2010, larger businesses started coming to me for more complex custom software solutions, so I formed an LLC. GHHSoftware, LLC has been going strong ever since.

My Background

I worked at Radio Shack in the 1970s, and when they offered the TRS-80 Model I in the 1977 catalog, I was hooked. I put it on layaway for a year to afford it — this was four years before the IBM PC even existed. I dove deep into BASIC, the hardware, the technical docs — everything. That obsession became a foundation that has served me across five decades of technology.

From writing DBase applications for a roller rink owner's side businesses, to earning an Associates degree in Small Computer Technology, to landing my first full-time IT job on the strength of hands-on custom work alone — my career has always been about learning by doing.

Today, I'm semi-retired and fully focused on what I've always loved most: solving real problems for real people. With more time to dedicate to GHHSoftware — and AI now in the toolkit — I'm delivering more value to clients than at any point in my career. Over the years my expertise has expanded across software, hardware, networking, security, web, mobile, and cloud — covering platforms from Microsoft, Amazon, Intuit, Salesforce, and more.

AI Coding: The New Edge

The latest addition to my toolkit is AI-assisted development using Claude Code. I've integrated AI coding deeply into my workflow, and the results are remarkable: solutions that once took weeks can now be produced in days. But AI alone isn't enough — it takes decades of experience to guide it effectively, ask the right questions, recognize quality output, and know when to push back. That combination of seasoned expertise and AI speed is something very few people can offer, and it's what I bring to every engagement.

The bottom line: my clients get expert-quality software at a fraction of what a traditional development shop would charge, delivered faster than they'd expect.

What Could AI Do For YOUR Business?

Most small business owners I talk to aren't short on problems — they're short on time and budget to solve them. AI changes that equation dramatically. Here are the kinds of things I hear every week, and what's actually possible:

"We manually enter the same data in three different places."
→ We can automate that. Connect your systems so data flows where it needs to go — no double entry, no errors.

"I wish I had a dashboard showing today's sales, inventory, or open jobs."
→ We can build that in days. A live summary of exactly what you need — nothing you don't.

"Customers keep calling to ask for status updates."
→ We can send automated notifications. Email or text updates triggered by your workflow — customers stay informed without interrupting your team.

"I spend hours every week pulling together reports from spreadsheets."
→ We can eliminate that. One click, your report is ready — pulled from the right data automatically.

"My team fills out paper forms — I want them digital and trackable."
→ Often same-day. Digital forms, stored results, searchable history — and no more chasing down clipboards.

"I have an idea for something, but I don't know if it's even doable."
→ Let's find out together. Bring me your idea — rough, half-baked, or fully formed. I'll tell you what's possible, how fast, and what it would cost.

"We track everything across a dozen spreadsheets and three different apps."
→ Let's bring it all together. One central application — your data, your workflow, your rules — so your whole team is working from the same page, not hunting through files.

"We have a website, but we never get any traffic."
→ Let's talk about web advertising today. The landscape has changed dramatically. I'll walk you through what actually works — search, social, local listings — and how to get the most out of every dollar you put in.

You already know your problems. I know what's buildable. The conversation between those two things is where the value lives — and the first one is always free.

What I Offer

I started GHHSoftware with a simple goal: make premier IT expertise available to small business owners who can't afford big-agency rates. Most retail IT shops charge too much and deliver too little. Truly capable engineers tend to work for companies that can pay them — not walk-in service centers. GHHSoftware gives you access to that level of talent, with the personal attention of working directly with the expert.

Because this is my side business, I can keep rates competitive. Here's what makes working with me different:

  • Your first consultation is completely free. I'll come out, learn about you and your business, walk through what's possible, and give you an honest assessment — including whether you'd benefit from any changes at all. No pressure, no charge.
  • I'm accessible. I routinely answer emails, calls, and texts without charging a dime. My livelihood doesn't depend on billing every minute, so I'm not watching the clock on small conversations.
  • You pay for results, not my learning curve. Any time I spend researching a new technology or interface to implement your solution is on me — I only bill for implementation. The knowledge I gain is mine to keep, so you shouldn't pay for it.
  • AI cuts your costs further. Routine development tasks that used to take hours now take minutes. That savings is passed directly to you.
Grant and Nancy Hickey

My wife Nancy & Me