Lancashire entrepreneurs launch BasicBS

A new East Lancashire web development service has launched with a mission to support the county’s independent businesses and trades against overcomplicated agency retainers.

BasicBS has been established to offer transparent, affordable web solutions for sole traders, salons, cafés, and tradespeople who feel priced out by traditional design agencies or frustrated by poor value for money.

Explaining the motivation behind the launch, founder Rhys Brereton said: “We didn’t come out of a shiny design agency. We come from hands on graft and running our own small operations right here in the county. We know what it feels like to count every pound, make payroll, and watch an agency invoice land for work that didn’t bring in a single lead."

“Too many honest sole traders, salons, cafés, and trades across Lancashire get rinsed by predatory retainers and overcomplicated tech they never asked for. We decided to build the exact service we wish had existed back then: fast, tidy websites at prices that make practical commercial sense.”

Rather than charging hefty upfront fees that run into thousands of pounds, BasicBS operates on a subscription led framework. Packages begin with an initial small setup fee followed by a rolling monthly fee. The service includes custom-built responsive websites, UK hosting, SSL certification, fundamental search engine optimisation, and routine content updates, with standard builds delivered within five to seven working days.

The platform is also built to address shifting online search behaviours, optimising websites for modern generative search tools such as ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews to ensure regional firms remain discoverable when local consumers seek recommendations.

A core tenet of the business is client independence, guaranteeing that businesses retain full ownership of their domain names without restrictive long term, lock-in, contracts or exit penalties. In addition, BasicBS reduces clients’ monthly fees by 35 per cent after their first 12 months on a rolling contract.

To celebrate its launch across the county, BasicBS is offering a 10 per cent discount on all plans for Lancashire businesses until November.