Your local technology partner in Simcoe & Grey Counties

Make headway on what matters.

Win more customers, simplify the work behind the scenes and move your plans forward. I bring the technology experience and hands-on help to make it happen.

Book a free hour

At your business or by video. Discuss your biggest pain points and a possible way forward.

Chris Patten, founder of Headway

Chris Patten

18 years leading technology. Founder.
Based in Simcoe County.

Working across Simcoe & Grey Countiesheadwaydigital.ca

Senior advice.
Hands-on delivery.

Here is what I can take off your plate. Start with one problem, or bring me in as your ongoing technology and growth partner.

What I do.

From the first decision
to the working result.

Find your starting point

Technology strategy& fractional leadership

Decide what to tackle, what to invest in and what can wait. Get senior advice and hands-on leadership as your business changes.

A clear direction. Someone to own the next steps.

AI automation& workflows

Automate routine follow-up, document handling and repetitive tasks, with human review where it matters.

Less busywork. More time for useful work.

Digital marketing& lead generation

Improve your online presence and build campaigns around the customers you want to reach. Connect interest to a clear next step.

Bring the right opportunities into the business.

Websites& customer portals

Build websites that explain your value, plus portals, bookings and payments that connect to how your business runs.

Make it easier to choose you and work with you.

CRM &sales follow-up

Organize your enquiries, track opportunities and set up follow-up that fits the way you sell.

Know who needs a response and what happens next.

AI answering& customer follow-up

AI phone answering, texts after missed calls and routine customer follow-up. Capture enquiries, answer agreed questions and help with booking, with a clear handoff to a person.

Respond while you are busy. We agree the channels, permissions and human handoff before setup.

Reporting& better processes

Bring useful business information together and document the workflows your team relies on.

See what needs attention. Depend less on memory.

Accountingsystems

Choose and set up accounting software that fits the way you run your business. Connect invoicing, payments and useful reporting.

Keep financial information organized and easier to work with.

Back-officeintegrations

Connect the parts of your CRM, accounting, booking and operational tools that your setup supports.

Less double entry. Fewer gaps between your systems.

Paymentintegrations

Connect payment collection to your website, invoices or bookings, and bring payment records into your business systems.

Make it easier for customers to pay and for you to track it.

Software reviews& cost reduction

Review your subscriptions, find overlap and decide what to keep, connect or replace. No software to sell.

Spend on what your business actually needs.

Experience.
Put into practice.

Senior leadership, working products and client projects.

18 years leading technology.

I led technology as VP, IT and CIO from 1998 to 2016, then built and sold my own company. I bring both perspectives to the decisions and the work.

Meet Chris

One person accountable.

You work directly with me to agree priorities and move delivery forward. I work alongside your staff and draw on experienced specialists when the engagement needs additional expertise or capacity.

Field notesWhat small business owners need to know about AI

Start with
your business.

Start with a free hour to discuss what is getting in the way, where I can help and what a practical next step could look like.

Understand the problem.

You explain the biggest pain points and what a better result would look like. I outline a high-level direction and the questions still to answer.

Agree a plan.

Before paid work starts, we agree scope, price, responsibilities, milestones and acceptance criteria. A paid pilot can test the approach before a larger commitment.

Deliver. Review. Move forward.

I work alongside your team to drive the agreed timeline. Your workspace shows progress and decisions needed. We review the result before deciding on the next project or ongoing partnership.

Across Grey.
Across Simcoe.

Based in Simcoe County. Working alongside business owners across Grey and Simcoe, from Owen Sound and Meaford to Barrie and Orillia.

Let's meet