There's a person
behind this,
not a platform.
I built HoursBack because I kept seeing the same problem - small business owners drowning in admin while the tools to fix it sat unused or unknown.
This page explains where I'm coming from, what I actually believe about AI, and how HoursBack works. If any of it resonates, the free quiz is a good place to start.
How HoursBack started
I spent years inside large businesses - Coca-Cola, Betway, Kraft Heinz - watching them spend enormous amounts of money on creative and marketing operations that could have been largely automated.
When I went out on my own as a consultant, I started working with smaller businesses and noticed the same inefficiencies, but with none of the budget to fix them. The tools exist. The AI is ready. Most small business owners just don't have someone they trust to cut through the noise and tell them what's actually worth their time.
That's HoursBack.
Career
- I've spent 20+ years in creative and marketing operations, mostly inside large organisations - running creative teams, managing multi-million pound production pipelines, and building the systems that sit behind them.
- At Coca-Cola I led a global self-serve marketing platform that cut content production costs by 95%. At Betway I drove over £2m in operational savings. At Korn Ferry I ran the creative engine behind an £80m business development pipeline. The common thread: finding the inefficiency and building the system that removes it.
- I've been working seriously with AI and automation tools since 2023, and now run both businesses - HoursBack and traidhand - using 22 custom AI agents with zero employees.
- No traditional engineering degree - visual communications background. I get things done rather than theorise about them.
Five things I'll never budge on.
If you can't explain what the AI is doing in plain English, you shouldn't be using it yet.
Complexity is often a cover for a bad recommendation. If a tool needs a glossy vendor demo to make sense, it's not the right starting point. Everything I suggest, I can explain in a sentence.
Most small businesses don't need more tools - they need fewer, used properly.
The average small business owner is already paying for software they barely use. Before adding anything, I look at what you already have and whether it's actually working. More often than not, the quick win is already in your stack.
The best AI recommendation pays for itself inside 90 days.
I'm not interested in long-horizon ROI projections that nobody believes. If I can't show you a realistic path to payback within three months, it's not the right recommendation for where you are now.
Automation should free you up to do the work only you can do.
The goal isn't to replace your judgment - it's to stop your judgment being wasted on tasks a system can handle. You should be spending your time on clients, craft, and growth. Not admin.
I only recommend things I use myself.
I run two businesses with 22 custom AI agents and no employees. None of what I recommend is theoretical. If it's on your roadmap, it's already on mine.
How HoursBack works
It starts with the free AI Readiness Quiz - two minutes, no fluff, and it gives you a quick win you can act on today.
If you want to go deeper, the paid assessment is a 60-minute conversation where I get into how your business actually works - what takes time, what gets repeated, where things fall through the cracks.
From that I build a custom report: specific tools, a practical roadmap, realistic ROI projections built on your actual numbers, and no recommendations that require a developer or a six-month rollout. You get it within 48 hours of the call. Then I stay in touch for thirty days while you read it and have questions.
I'm not here to sell you a retainer. I'm here to give you enough clarity that you can move forward on your own.
Speaking and profiles
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidbevan
- traidhand.com - co-founder. AI tools built specifically for trades businesses.
- Henry Stuart Creative Operations - Los Angeles
- Inside Out Live 2025 - London
- Beating the odds and adapting to the future with a digital in-house production strategy - Stockholm
- Programmatic Pioneers Summit - London
- Inside Out Digital In-house Production Strategy - Webinar
When the laptop's shut
Based in London. When not helping clients get their hours back, I keep up with the daily pace of technology development and spend time with my family. When there's time left over, I decompress by making music in my home recording studio.
See what's hiding in your week.
The free AI Readiness Quiz takes two minutes and gives you at least one practical thing you can act on today - no sign-up required to see your results.
If you're ready to look at your whole workflow, the paid assessment goes into the detail: a 60-minute conversation, a custom report, and thirty days of follow-up while you put it into practice.