Last updated May 23rd, 2025 This privacy notice for BearPeak Technology Group ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"), describes how and why we might collect, store, use, and/or share ("process") your information when you use our services ("Services"), such as when you: Visit our website at http://www.bearpeak.io , or any website of ours that links to this privacy notice. Engage with us in other related ways, including any sales, marketing, or events. Questions or concerns? Reading this privacy notice will help you understand your privacy rights and choices. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services. If you still have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@bearpeak.io . Summary of this Privacy Policy's Key Points What personal information do we process? When you visit, use, or navigate our Services, we may process personal information depending on how you interact with BearPeak Technology Group and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. Do we process any sensitive personal information? We do not process sensitive personal information. Do we receive any information from third parties? We may receive information from public databases, marketing partners, social media platforms, and other outside sources. How do we process your information? We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, to analyze traffic, improve performance, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent. We process your information only when we have a valid legal reason to do so. In what situations and with which types of parties do we share personal information? We may share information in specific situations and with specific categories of third parties. What are your rights? Depending on where you are located geographically, the applicable privacy law may mean you have certain rights regarding your personal information. How do you exercise your rights? The easiest way to exercise your rights is by filling out our form available here: https://www.bearpeak.io/contact , or by contacting us by phone, post, or social media platform. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws. What tracking technologies are automatically collected? In addition to cookies and similar technologies, we may log IP addresses and other technical information automatically through server logs or analytics tools. This helps us detect and prevent fraudulent activity and monitor overall site usage. Keep reading to learn more about what BearPeak Technology Group does with any information we collect. ​ TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click each question for a drop-down answer) 1. What information do we collect? In Short: We collect personal information that you provide to us as well as visitor tracking data. This website uses minimal tracking tools and may set cookies in your browser to improve performance. You can disable cookies in your browser settings if preferred. We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and Services, when you participate in activities on the Services, or otherwise when you contact us. Personal Information Provided by You. The personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect may include the following: Names Phone numbers Email addresses Mailing addresses Job titles Contact preferences Contact or authentication data Billing addresses Debit/credit card numbers Sensitive Information? We do not process sensitive information. All personal information that you provide to us must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information. ​ In Short: Some information — such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address and/or browser and device characteristics — is collected automatically when you visit our Services. Information We Collect Automatically When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically using standard web technologies. This includes: Your IP address Your browser type and version Your operating system Your screen size and resolution Your language preference Your time zone The URL of the page you visited The website that referred you The date and time of your visit We collect this data to better understand how visitors interact with our site, to monitor traffic patterns, and to improve the functionality and performance of our website. All data is securely logged and may be stored in third-party systems for internal analytics purposes only. We do not share this data with advertisers or unrelated third parties. Information collected from other sources: We may collect limited data from public databases, marketing partners, and other outside sources. In order to enhance our ability to provide relevant marketing, offers, and services to you and update our records, we may obtain information about you from other sources, such as public databases, joint marketing partners, affiliate programs, data providers, and from other third parties. This information includes mailing addresses, job titles, email addresses, phone numbers, intent data (or user behavior data), Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, social media profiles, social media URLs, and custom profiles, for purposes of targeted advertising and event promotion. 2. How do we process your information? In short, we process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, to analyze traffic, improve performance, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent. We use visitor tracking data to analyze website traffic, improve performance and user experience, maintain the security of our services, and comply with legal obligations. We process your personal information for a variety of reasons, depending on how you interact with our Services, including: To deliver and facilitate delivery of services to the user. We may process your information to provide you with the requested service. To respond to user inquiries/offer support to users. We may process your information to respond to your inquiries and solve any potential issues you might have with the requested service. To send administrative information to you. We may process your information to send you details about our products and services, changes to our terms and policies, and other similar information. To fulfill and manage your orders. We may process your information to fulfill and manage your orders, payments, returns, and exchanges made through the Services. To request feedback. We may process your information when necessary to request feedback and to contact you about your use of our Services. To post testimonials. We post testimonials on our Services that may contain personal information. To protect our Services. We may process your information as part of our efforts to keep our Services safe and secure, including fraud monitoring and prevention. To evaluate and improve our Services, products, marketing, and your experience. We may process your information when we believe it is necessary to identify usage trends, determine the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns, and to evaluate and improve our Services, products, marketing, and your experience. To identify usage trends. We may process information about how you use our Services to better understand how they are being used so we can improve them. 3. What legal bases do we rely on to process your personal information? In Short: We only process your personal information when we believe it is necessary and we have a valid legal reason (i.e., legal basis) to do so under applicable law, like with your consent, to comply with laws, to provide you with services to enter into or fulfill our contractual obligations, to protect your rights, or to fulfill our legitimate business interests. If you are located in Canada, this section applies to you. We may process your information if you have given us specific permission (i.e., express consent) to use your personal information for a specific purpose, or in situations where your permission can be inferred (i.e., implied consent). You can withdraw your consent at any time. In some exceptional cases, we may be legally permitted under applicable law to process your information without your consent, including, for example: If collection is clearly in the interests of an individual and consent cannot be obtained in a timely way For investigations and fraud detection and prevention For business transactions provided certain conditions are met If it is contained in a witness statement and the collection is necessary to assess, process, or settle an insurance claim For identifying injured, ill, or deceased persons and communicating with next of kin If we have reasonable grounds to believe an individual has been, is, or may be victim of financial abuse If it is reasonable to expect collection and use with consent would compromise the availability or the accuracy of the information and the collection is reasonable for purposes related to investigating a breach of an agreement or a contravention of the laws of Canada or a province If disclosure is required to comply with a subpoena, warrant, court order, or rules of the court relating to the production of records If it was produced by an individual in the course of their employment, business, or profession and the collection is consistent with the purposes for which the information was produced If the collection is solely for journalistic, artistic, or literary purposes If the information is publicly available and is specified by the regulations 4. When and with whom do we share your personal information? In Short: We may share information in specific situations described in this section and/or with the following categories of third parties. Vendors, Consultants, and Other Third-Party Service Providers. We may share your data with third-party vendors, service providers, contractors, or agents ("third parties") who perform services for us or on our behalf and require access to such information to do that work. We have contracts in place with our third parties, which are designed to help safeguard your personal information. This means that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do it. They will also not share your personal information with any organization apart from us. They also commit to protect the data they hold on our behalf and to retain it for the period we instruct. The categories of third parties we may share personal information with are as follows: Cloud Computing Services Communication & Collaboration Tools Data Analytics Services Data Storage Service Providers Finance & Accounting Tools Order Fulfillment Service Providers Payment Processors Performance Monitoring Tools Product Engineering & Design Tools Website Hosting Service Providers Social Networks Sales & Marketing Tools We also may need to share your personal information in the following situations: Business Transfers. We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company. 5. How long do we keep your information? In Short: We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy notice unless otherwise required by law. We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements). When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymize such information, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible. 6. Do we collect information from minors? In Short: We do not knowingly collect data from or market to children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly solicit data from or market to children under 18 years of age. By using the Services, you represent that you are at least 18 or that you are the parent or guardian of such a minor and consent to such minor dependent’s use of the Services. If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will deactivate the account and take reasonable measures to promptly delete such data from our records. If you become aware of any data we may have collected from children under age 18, please contact us at info@bearpeak.io . 7. What are your privacy rights? In Short: In some regions, such as Canada, you have rights that allow you greater access to and control over your personal information. You may review, change, or terminate your account at any time. In some regions (like Canada), you have certain rights under applicable data protection laws. These may include the right (i) to request access and obtain a copy of your personal information, (ii) to request rectification or erasure; (iii) to restrict the processing of your personal information; and (iv) if applicable, to data portability. In certain circumstances, you may also have the right to object to the processing of your personal information. You can make such a request by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section " HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE? " below. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are located in the EEA or UK and you believe we are unlawfully processing your personal information, you also have the right to complain to your local data protection supervisory authority. You can find their contact details here: https://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/bodies/authorities/index_en.htm . If you are located in Switzerland, the contact details for the data protection authorities are available here: https://www.edoeb.admin.ch/edoeb/en/home.html . Withdrawing your consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, which may be express and/or implied consent depending on the applicable law, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section " HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE? " below. However, please note that this will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before its withdrawal nor, when applicable law allows, will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent. If you have questions or comments about your privacy rights, you may email us at info@bearpeak.io . 8. Controls for do-not-track features Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage no uniform technology standard for recognizing and implementing DNT signals has been finalized. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this privacy notice. 9. Do California residents have specific privacy rights? In Short: Yes, if you are a resident of California, you are granted specific rights regarding access to your personal information. California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the "Shine The Light" law, permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from us, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing to us using the contact information provided below. If you are under 18 years of age, reside in California, and have a registered account with Services, you have the right to request removal of unwanted data that you publicly post on the Services. To request removal of such data, please contact us using the contact information provided below and include the email address associated with your account and a statement that you reside in California. We will make sure the data is not publicly displayed on the Services, but please be aware that the data may not be completely or comprehensively removed from all our systems (e.g., backups, etc.). CCPA Privacy Notice The California Code of Regulations defines a "resident" as: (1) every individual who is in the State of California for other than a temporary or transitory purpose and (2) every individual who is domiciled in the State of California who is outside the State of California for a temporary or transitory purpose All other individuals are defined as "non-residents." If this definition of "resident" applies to you, we must adhere to certain rights and obligations regarding your personal information. What categories of personal information do we collect? We have collected the following categories of personal information in the past twelve (12) months: ​ A. Identifiers Contact details, such as real name, alias, postal address, telephone or mobile contact number, unique personal identifier, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, email address, and account name YES B. Personal information categories listed in the California Customer Records statute Name, contact information, education, employment, employment history, and financial information YES C. Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law Gender and date of birth NO D. Commercial information Transaction information, purchase history, financial details, and payment information YES E. Biometric information Fingerprints and voiceprints NO F. Internet or other similar network activity Browsing history, search history, online behavior, interest data, and interactions with our and other websites, applications, systems, and advertisements NO G. Geolocation data Device location NO H. Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information Images and audio, video or call recordings created in connection with our business activities NO I. Professional or employment-related information Business contact details in order to provide you our Services at a business level or job title, work history, and professional qualifications if you apply for a job with us YES J. Education Information Student records and directory information NO K. Inferences drawn from other personal information Inferences drawn from any of the collected personal information listed above to create a profile or summary about, for example, an individual’s preferences and characteristics NO We may also collect other personal information outside of these categories through instances where you interact with us in person, online, or by phone or mail in the context of: Receiving help through our customer support channels; Participation in customer surveys or contests; and Facilitation in the delivery of our Services and to respond to your inquiries. How do we use and share your personal information? More information about our data collection and sharing practices can be found in this privacy notice. You may contact us by email at info@bearpeak.io , by visiting https://www.bearpeak.io/contact-us , or by referring to the contact details at the bottom of this document. If you are using an authorized agent to exercise your right to opt out we may deny a request if the authorized agent does not submit proof that they have been validly authorized to act on your behalf. Will your information be shared with anyone else? We may disclose your personal information with our service providers pursuant to a written contract between us and each service provider. Each service provider is a for-profit entity that processes the information on our behalf. We may use your personal information for our own business purposes, such as for undertaking internal research for technological development and demonstration. This is not considered to be "selling" of your personal information. BearPeak Technology Group has not sold any personal information to third parties for a business or commercial purpose in the preceding twelve (12) months. BearPeak Technology Group has disclosed the following categories of personal information to third parties for a business or commercial purpose in the preceding twelve (12) months: ​ The categories of third parties to whom we disclosed personal information for a business or commercial purpose can be found under " WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? ". Your rights with respect to your personal data: Right to request deletion of the data — Request to delete You can ask for the deletion of your personal information. If you ask us to delete your personal information, we will respect your request and delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions provided by law, such as (but not limited to) the exercise by another consumer of his or her right to free speech, our compliance requirements resulting from a legal obligation, or any processing that may be required to protect against illegal activities. Right to be informed — Request to know Depending on the circumstances, you have a right to know: whether we collect and use your personal information; the categories of personal information that we collect; the purposes for which the collected personal information is used; whether we sell your personal information to third parties; the categories of personal information that we sold or disclosed for a business purpose; the categories of third parties to whom the personal information was sold or disclosed for a business purpose; and the business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling personal information. ​​ In accordance with applicable law, we are not obligated to provide or delete consumer information that is de-identified in response to a consumer request or to re-identify individual data to verify a consumer request. Right to Non-Discrimination for the Exercise of a Consumer’s Privacy Rights We will not discriminate against you if you exercise your privacy rights. Verification process Upon receiving your request, we will need to verify your identity to determine you are the same person about whom we have the information in our system. These verification efforts require us to ask you to provide information so that we can match it with information you have previously provided us. For instance, depending on the type of request you submit, we may ask you to provide certain information so that we can match the information you provide with the information we already have on file, or we may contact you through a communication method (e.g., phone or email) that you have previously provided to us. We may also use other verification methods as the circumstances dictate. We will only use personal information provided in your request to verify your identity or authority to make the request. To the extent possible, we will avoid requesting additional information from you for the purposes of verification. However, if we cannot verify your identity from the information already maintained by us, we may request that you provide additional information for the purposes of verifying your identity and for security or fraud-prevention purposes. We will delete such additionally provided information as soon as we finish verifying you. Other privacy rights You may object to the processing of your personal information. You may request correction of your personal data if it is incorrect or no longer relevant, or ask to restrict the processing of the information. You can designate an authorized agent to make a request under the CCPA on your behalf. We may deny a request from an authorized agent that does not submit proof that they have been validly authorized to act on your behalf in accordance with the CCPA. You may request to opt out from future selling of your personal information to third parties. Upon receiving an opt-out request, we will act upon the request as soon as feasibly possible, but no later than fifteen (15) days from the date of the request submission. ​​To exercise these rights, you can contact us by email at info@bearpeak.io , by visiting https://www.bearpeak.io/contact-us , or by referring to the contact details at the bottom of this document. If you have a complaint about how we handle your data, we would like to hear from you. 10. Do we make updates to this notice? In Short: Yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws. We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated "Revised" date and the updated version will be effective as soon as it is accessible. If we make material changes to this privacy notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this privacy notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information. 11. How can you contact us about this notice? If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at info@bearpeak.io or by post to: BearPeak Technology Group 2033 11th St Suite 6 Boulder, CO 80302 __________ United States 12. How can you review, update, or delete the data we collect from you? Based on the applicable laws of your country, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we collect from you, change that information, or delete it. To request to review, update, or delete your personal information, please visit: https://www.bearpeak.io/contact-us . BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

Standing out from the competition is essential. You can carve a niche for your small business with a custom app, but how would it truly make a difference? Let's dive into why custom apps are not just an option but a must-have for small businesses looking to dominate the market. Direct Access & Visibility Since an app lives on the user's device, your business will be visible every day. The icon is a subtle, sometimes even subconscious reminder of your products or services. Push notifications let you reach users instantly with updates, offers, and reminders, all things that a website can't do as easily. Email inboxes are now offering ways to stow away promotional emails, meaning yours may never be seen. Plus, integrating just one image into your email risks it landing in the spam folder. A custom app can make your small business look more credible and tech-savvy . The added convenience and value help build trust and loyalty over time. Better Performance Well-built mobile apps typically load faster and run smoother than websites, especially on native mobile devices. This leads to a better user experience, especially for repeat interactions like booking, ordering, and account management. On the backend, apps can be integrated directly with your CRM, scheduling software, inventory systems, and payment processors. This results in smoother operations and the potential for automated backend workflows. Custom applications excel in gathering data and providing insights into customer behavior. Harnessing data this way ensures that decisions are based on concrete evidence rather than assumption. Enhanced Engagement & Retention Features like loyalty programs, in-app rewards, and exclusive content keep users coming back . You can build habitual use far more effectively than through a website alone. Personalization is a huge bonus: Apps can offer customized content, settings, and experiences based on user preferences, behavior, or location. This could make your customers feel more valued and drive higher engagement and conversions. For example, a food delivery app could offer personalized meal recommendations based on users' dietary preferences, enhancing customer satisfaction. Improved Communication In-app messaging, chatbots, and support features give users instant access to help or information. Push notifications can help with timely reminders, promotions, or updates without needing email or social media. By using custom programming, your small business can connect with customers in new ways. High-quality user experiences directly contribute to customer loyalty. Offline Functionality Unlike websites, many apps can store data locally, allowing users to perform key functions even when offline or with a poor connection. Many small businesses only have a website. Having a well-designed app will set you apart and position your brand ahead of the curve . Unique Features Apps can access native device features like: Camera (for uploads, barcodes, AR) GPS/location (for local offers, directions) Biometric login (Face ID, fingerprint) Notifications and background activity ... all with the user's permission, of course! These features create seamless, modern user experiences that are hard to replicate with just a site. Consider a local coffee shop that develops an app for ordering and rewards. The app can incorporate the shop's unique logo, colors, and messaging, helping to strengthen its brand image. This provides more customizability than plugging in your brand's font and 2 main colors; this is fully-custom design! Evolution Custom applications can evolve as a business grows. For instance, let’s say a startup in the fitness industry decides to add virtual training sessions into their offerings. A custom app could easily incorporate this new service without the limitations of a cookie-cutter platform. Cost-Effectiveness in the Long Run The initial investment in custom app development may seem steep, but the long-term advantages outweigh the costs. Off-the-shelf solutions come with ongoing fees for licenses, updates, and technical support, not to mention they may lack essential functions needed by your businesses. Then you find yourself with accounts across three online apps, logging into each separately to access data or update core elements. Custom apps mean you don't have to do this anymore: you can automate tasks and reduce the need for multiple software tools. Why Custom Apps Win Markets For small business owners and entrepreneurs, investing in custom app development should be seen not just as an option but as a strategic necessity for market success. From enhancing customer experiences to providing critical analytics, the benefits of custom apps are incomparable. It's time to improve your brand identity, create competitive advantages in this saturated market, and promote internal efficiency within your team. In today’s tech-driven world, the path to success relies on tailored features and functions that custom applications uniquely offer. If you are looking to distinguish your startup, embracing custom app development is undoubtedly the way forward. This is where we come in: at BearPeak, we're ready to build your custom app. Get in touch , and let's build something amazing. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. OpenAI (2025). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/chatgpt " BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Schedule a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

The terms 'climate change' and 'sustainability' bring to mind plastic trash and fossil fuels. But there's another contributor behind the scenes: our digital lives come with very real costs. This Earth Day, we’re exploring the green side of data— the good, the bad, and the ugly. We'll uncover the hidden impacts, potential/hopeful innovations, and the part we can each play to keep this modern, data-driven world spinning. The Bad: Data has a footprint too. You might picture data as weightless—just ones and zeros floating in the cloud. But the reality is much heavier. Every photo we upload, email we send, and show we binge relies on massive physical infrastructure in the form of data centers. These are rooms, buildings, even full facilities packed with servers. Fiber optic cables stretch across continents, and devices constantly ping each other for updates. This won't stop anytime soon, and all of it consumes energy. A lot of it. Research estimates mark global data center power usage at 1–2% of total electricity use, or 250-500 TWh (terawatt-hours). Add to that the carbon cost of manufacturing new tech, powering billions of devices, and cooling those server rooms, and the invisible damage of our digital habits comes to light. It should be no surprise that the numbers keep climbing: The IEA predicts "data centres' total electricity consumption could reach more than 1000 TWh in 2026" ( IEA, Electricity 2024 Executive Summary ). The quest for better AI and machine learning comes with a price, too, climbing from 14% to an estimated 27% of the global market ( Goldman Sachs Research, 2024 ). So what's the takeaway? Our digital world isn’t as “clean” as its shiny new toys. Energy-hungry data centers, device manufacturing, AI, and internet usage come with carbon costs. While we may not see smokestacks when we hit “send,” the emissions are still there— they're just harder to spot. Photo Credit: Jordan Harrison | Unsplash & IG @jouwdan The Good: Green Innovations in Data Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there (not yet, anyways). We're a fortunate species that, despite its planet-sized blunders, still has brilliant innovators. Those problem-solvers are reimagining how we power and manage data. While being eco-friendly sounds kitschy and trendy for a while, it's very good that businesses hopped on board: Tech giants and startups alike are investing in data centers powered by renewable energy—solar, wind, even hydroelectric. Google, Microsoft, and AWS are building facilities that run on carbon-free electricity, energy-efficient cooling systems, even submerging the servers in liquid. It’s not just about where the power comes from, but also how we use it. We can make significant changes beyond building better data centers: Engineers are optimizing code, minimizing redundant data storage, and shifting to more efficient hardware. Some even utilize edge computing, which processes data closer to where it’s generated. This cuts down on the energy needed to transmit and store it. In addition, data is being used to do real good: We're using satellite data and machine learning to monitor deforestation, track ocean pollution, and forecast climate patterns. Analyzing for optimization allows cities to improve energy grids and transportation. Farmers are using data to reduce water waste and chemical runoff. Every bit makes a difference. The same tools that contribute to our footprint can also helping us shrink it— if we use them wisely. The Ugly: Doing the Hard Work Sustainability isn’t sleek or simple. Real change requires effort, trade-offs, even some discomfort. We can’t just wait for big tech to fix everything, so we can at least lead by example: Spring clean your cloud storage, emails, software bloat, and databases. Does every dataset truly need to be collected and kept forever? Switch to eco-friendly cloud providers. Support data-driven environmental initiatives. We know that these aren't headline-worthy actions, but they add up! If you're in tech, build with sustainability in mind: efficient code, lower-resolution assets, fewer server calls. If you're a consumer, resist the urge to upgrade devices every year or supporting companies that are transparent about their carbon goals. It’s not flashy, and it’s not easy. But that’s why it makes a difference. It matters. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. Goldman Sachs (2024), AI to drive 65% increase in data center power demand by 2030, Goldman Sachs, https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/ai-to-drive-165-increase-in-data-center-power-demand-by-2030 . Published February 4, 2025. Retrieved April 21, 2025. IEA (2024), Electricity 2024, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2024 , License: CC BY 4.0 OpenAI (2025). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/chatgpt " BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

In the software world, the terms architecture and design are closely related, sometimes even used interchangeably, but aren't quite the same thing. We're here to distinguish the differences between software architecture vs design (and why you need both). Photo Credit: Dennis Kummer "Just because architecture is supposed to be stable, it does not mean that it should never change." - Gereon Hermkes, Scaling Done Right New to BearPeak? -  Watch a client testimonial - Learn about  how we work - Read more  about us TABLE OF CONTENTS Software Architecture = The Big Picture Software Design = The Details The Importance of Proper Architecture 1. Provides a Roadmap 2. Ensures Scalability 3. Improves Maintainability 4. Enhances Reliability 5. Increases Reusability The Importance of Proper Design 1. Requirements Analysis 2. High Quality 3. Testing 4. Easy to Maintain Software Architecture vs Design To non-programmers, the world of coding gets confusing fast, especially when terms overlap but aren't exactly the same (for another example, see React vs. React Native ). To discuss the roles of software design and architecture, it's important to first identify the differences: Software Architecture = The Big Picture The high-level, comprehensive structure of a software system. This includes: The overall organization Its components The relationships between components Software architecture involves making strategic design decisions that affect the system's quality attributes, such as scalability, reliability, and maintainability. It may help to picture software architecture as the trail on a map: It would be represented by where the landmarks are placed, what type they are, and how the path connects from one to the next. Software architecture works similarly: Planning the big-picture pieces of a structure. Software Design = The Details Defining and planning the detailed specifications for a software system. This involves: Creating a plan. Ensuring the plan meets the functional and non-functional requirements. Following standard design principles like modularity, abstraction, encapsulation, and separation of concerns. Design affects the quality of the software. This includes how easy it is to maintain and how well it meets the needs of its users. In our map analogy, software design would be the details of the landscape and trip. The important sights to include and avoid, any potential pitfalls, and what supplies to pack so you have enough for the journey. Now that we've distinguished software architecture from design, let's discuss why both plans are vital to a successful project: The Importance of Proper Architecture 1. Provides a roadmap It's harder to get lost when you have a good, straight-forward guide. Software architecture sets the direction for the development process, defining the overall structure, the components it will contain, and how they will interact with one another. This helps the team to stay focused and aligned with the end goal. 2. Ensures scalability Good software architecture ensures that the system can be scaled up or down as needed. By anticipating future growth and change, the architecture can be designed to accommodate; The system can adapt without requiring a complete overhaul. 3. Improves maintainability Software architecture separates concerns and makes the system modular. This means that changes can be made to individual components without affecting the entire system, reducing the risk of introducing bugs or breaking the system. 4. Enhances reliability Well-designed architecture makes the system more reliable by minimizing the risk of errors and failures. By building in redundancy and failover mechanisms, the system can continue to operate even if individual components fail. 5. Increases reusability A well-designed software architecture can make the system more reusable, allowing components to be repurposed for other projects or reused within the same project. This can save time and resources by reducing the need to develop new components from scratch. The Importance of Proper Design 1. Requirements analysis Proper software design starts with requirements analysis. This involves understanding the needs of the users and the system's functionality requirements. Considering these details ensures that the software system will meet the needs of its users. 2. High quality Proper design means making a plan reliable, efficient, and easy to use. This is essential because it reduces the likelihood of bugs, crashes, and other problems that affect the user experience. It not only matters that software works, but that it can be navigated by human users. Proper design makes it easier for users to accomplish their tasks and reduces the likelihood of frustration and error. 3. Testing Proper software design includes testing to ensure that the software system meets its requirements and is high quality. Testing involves creating test cases that verify the behavior of the software system under different conditions. Testing ensures that the software system is reliable and free of bugs. 4. Easy to maintain Well-designed software is modular, meaning it's made up of individual components that can be updated/modified without affecting the rest of the system. Both software architecture and software design make it easier to fix bugs and add new features without the risk of everything crashing down. Software Architecture vs Design In summary, proper software architecture is essential for developing high-quality, scalable, maintainable, and reliable software systems that meet the needs of their stakeholders. Proper software design is critical because it affects the quality of the software, how easy it is to maintain, and how well it meets the needs of users. By following these elements, software developers create exceptional plans that cover the big picture and small details of a project. Looking for a software developer to elevate your company's code? Clean and efficient planning plus high-quality, scalable content? Contact us to get connected with an expert developer of your own! We always offer free consultations and reviews of your current code. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an exciting new AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. "OpenAI (2023). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/api-beta/gpt-3/" BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

How can you predict the unpredictable? Navigating a small business i s already a whirlwind on a normal day—so what happens when chaos strikes? Perhaps the internet goes down, someone launches a competitive product, a pipe bursts upstairs, or in this case, the market changes. Every small business faces uncertainty, but the right plan turns surprises into opportunities. Today, we’ll explore methods for adapting to market changes, with the aim of keeping your small business afloat. New to BearPeak? 👋 Nice to meet you! - Learn how we work - Watch a client testimonial - Read more about us TABLE OF CONTENTS Economic & Financial Changes Industry & Competitive Shifts Technological Changes Prep Work to Adapt to Market Changes Economic & Financial Changes This is the first category most of us think of when we hear 'market changes,' so let's tackle it straight away. Picture it— Interest rates are changing, you're facing inflation, or worst: you're in a recession. How can a small business pull through? Focus on customer retention The customer comes first. Without them, there's no business. Honing in on this focus could mean offering flexible pricing / payment plans, MORE HERE, or donating proceeds to a charity in need to draw awareness and stay in-the-know. Negotiate Time to be a salesman, maybe even a haggler. Try to negotiate better supplier contracts, adjust your product/service's pricing strategically without alienating customers. Secure fixed-rated loans when rates are low (if needed). Shuffle your eggs It's time to diversify to reduce risk: Place your eggs across more baskets by diversifying your revenue streams, suppliers, and even target audiences (if it won't detriment your current clientele). Secure the stronghold Optimize your inventory by ordering stock only when needed, avoid over-purchasing, and seek bulk discounts without overcommitting. Keep backup suppliers and communicate with customers about any delays. This is also the time to reduce unnecessary debt before rates rise. Industry & Competitive Shifts It's the classic scenario of a new next-door neighbor: A new competitor enters the market. Whether you're facing a duplicate to your service or one of your competitors has innovated something new, consumer trends are shifting: Shhhhh... Listen! In this moment, more than ever, understanding your audience is crucial. When customers have more choices, the best way to stand out is by being the genuinely better option. Elevate your customer service wherever possible. Invest in R&D and conduct regular market research to track industry shifts and identify what remains constant as new competitors emerge. Most importantly, listen to your customers. What do they appreciate about your competitor? And, just as importantly, what keeps them coming back to your small business? Strengthen your identity A memorable brand identity is powerful. Strive for a short, easy-to-pronounce name, a professional and recognizable logo, and consistent brand colors, typefaces, and messaging across all platforms. This doesn’t mean you need a complete rebrand—in fact, maintaining your brand’s established reputation can be a major advantage, especially as new competitors try to make a splash. Sometimes, a simple brand refresh is all you need to stay modern and memorable. Dress your best Put your best foot forward—this is your chance to showcase what makes your business stand out. Highlight your unique value propositions and remind your audience why your company is different. After all, no one else brings your vision, passion, and expertise to the table. At the same time, stay adaptable and amicable. Show that your business is willing to evolve with changing customer preferences. You can embrace current trends to stay relevant while retaining your core identity. Technological Changes Today, new software, automation tools, and algorithm updates seem never-ending. It’d be impossible to integrate every new app and AI tool into your business—so where should you focus? Strengthen What You Already Have Invest in cost-effective technology that streamlines operations and boosts efficiency. This includes implementing strong security measures, as cybersecurity threats are always changing, too. Educate your employees on updates and download a manual/tutorial for future hires to ensure smooth transitions. Diversify Your Approach Constant algorithm changes can make online marketing feel like a moving target. Instead of relying on a single platform, spread your efforts across multiple channels. A well-rounded strategy increases your chances of success and protects your business from sudden shifts in any one platform’s rules. Prep Work to Adapt to Market Changes Build a flexible framework If you’re in the early stages of your business while reading this, consider yourself lucky—seasoned entrepreneurs are dying to tell you two things: to go for it (naturally) and to plan ahead. A strong foundation gives you better insight, reduces the risk of needing to start over, and creates more room to grow. Foster innovation Encourage experimentation and creativity. Fresh ideas can help you stay ahead of competitors and adapt to evolving market demands. Keep the lines of communication open—invite suggestions, respond to emails and DMs, and make it clear that every voice matters. When your team feels heard and valued, you’ll be surprised by the innovative, out-of-the-box ideas they bring to the table—ones you might have never thought of on your own! Empower your decision-makers Providing a flexible, durable framework includes the people. If your company hits a new hurdle and everyone responds by freezing and waiting on you to fix it, it might already be too late to recover. Empower leaders on all levels of your business to feel confident making decisions so their team can pivot when needed. You need a reliable and dependable team of experts to make this work. External partnerships Collaborating with other small businesses, freelancers, or consultants can give you access to specialized expertise that's ready in a pinch. When challenges arise, having a network of experts, mentors, and business allies in your corner of the ring can make all the difference. We can't help but plug our team here at BearPeak. We're a team of hand-selected professionals led by a founder who's been part of 4 startups, all of them successful. Even if you choose not to hire us, let's get you connected with our network of professionals. Small businesses stick together! It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. OpenAI (2025). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/chatgpt " BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

Q: What services does BearPeak offer? We help small businesses however they need. Some clients aren't even sure what  they need, so we're here to listen. Then we bring roadmaps to the table; strategies to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Since every situation is different, BearPeak wears many hats. But here's how we typically sort our services into categories: Strategy - Leadership services from a Fractional CTO or other specialized skillset. We provide mentorship and guidance to fit your schedule. Staffing - Dev shop services like providing a front-end, back-end, full-stack, cloud, or 10x programmer for your project. Startup - Empowering startup founders from the moment they write an idea on a napkin through to a working MVP. Studio - Visual design services like brand identity, web and logo design, social media, merch, and e-commerce. Q: Are you serious about your money back guarantee? A: 100%! If you are not completely satisfied in the first month (30 calendar days) of the beginning of your engagement, you may - for any reason - request a refund. We will return all fees and work to find you a replacement resource. Q: What are the strategic advantages of working with BearPeak? A: Flexibility, well-rounded expertise, outside perspective, supervision, and significantly reduced risk. Technical projects don't fail because of the technology, but the people. Great people with a great process make an amazing product. Q: How do BearPeak prices compare to the market? A: Comparable to fully burdened FTE salaries, typically. Cheaper than most of our competitors as well, on a margin basis, which means you receive higher-quality resources. Q: Are you hiring? A: We're happy to hear you're interested in joining the BearPeak team! The best place to see our job openings and get notified of new ones is on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bearpeaktech/jobs Q: What if my question isn't here in your FAQs? If your Q isn't an FAQ, let's chat! Visit our   contact page  to get in touch. Q's about software developer staffing: Q: What makes BearPeak candidates better than other agencies? A: BearPeak vets our candidates more deeply than typical agencies. In many cases, our candidates are people we have personal knowledge of; almost referrals. Q: Is BearPeak a tech "matchmaking" service? A: We're more than that - We are your partner. Our clients look at BearPeak as an extension of their engineering team at all levels - Individual Contributor, Leadership / Strategy, and Human Resources. Q: Are BearPeak developer candidates BearPeak employees? A: Sometimes. BearPeak is flexible with our candidates (and clients), engaging with them on whatever basis is best for the individual. Some BearPeak candidates are employees, some are contractors. Q: What does BearPeak provide beyond the engineer? Any project management support, work tracking/guarantees, etc.? A: Every engagement (optionally) includes a dedicated "Software Delivery Director" at no additional cost, who ensures timelines are met and quality is high. We guarantee that if you're not happy - for any reason - in the first month (30 calendar days) we will refund our fee. Q: How do you compare contractors to FTEs from a cost perspective? A: We always look at compensation as a combination of base salary, benefits, bonuses, stock, etc - which we refer to as the "fully burdened" cost of the role. We also assume that only 48 full weeks of any given year are worked, as everyone needs time off. BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

It's the new big thing: Hosting a software application or service on remote servers over the internet (instead of a local server or personal computer). The process allows you to access the software from anywhere with an internet connection, rather than being restricted to a single physical location. If the tech jargon doesn't convince you to move to the cloud, maybe these benefits will! Read on for 6 excellent reasons you should move your company's software to the cloud. This article has been updated in 2025 for current relevance. Photo Credit: Ales Nesetril, Unsplash “Carrying around these non-connected computers is byzantine by comparison.” - Steve Jobs New to BearPeak? - Watch a client testimonial . - Explore our software studio . - Learn more about us . TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.  Scalability 2.  Accessibility 3 . Save $ 4. Improved Security 5. Increased Reliability 6. Automated Software Updates So... How Do You Move to the Cloud? 1. Scalability The cloud allows businesses to easily increase/decrease the amount of resources they use, depending on their needs. Want to try out a new extension? It no longer takes a CD download (or 2 or 3!) to install something new. It allows you to be proactive: If cloud computing works well for your company, you can later expand or shrink your software's contents much quicker and efficiently! 2. Accessibility Software in the cloud can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easier for remote employees or geographically-dispersed teams to collaborate. BearPeak Technology Group is a Colorado-based consultancy, but our remote software developers come from all over, and all of them can work on your software via the cloud. You can hire engineers whenever you need them, and they don't have to commute to your office. That means no flash drives, floppy disks, or long file downloads anymore! 3. Save $ Cloud computing eliminates the need for expensive on-premise hardware. This includes reducing the costs associated with maintaining a physical infrastructure. You no longer have to buy the next-gen computer or newest specialty machine to stay up-to-date! 4. Improved Security Cloud service providers have the resources and expertise to provide robust security measures, such as data backup and disaster recovery, that may be beyond the reach of many businesses. No matter what's happening in your home office, from construction to a natural disaster, you don't have to be at risk of losing your software if it's in the cloud instead. 5. Increased Reliability Cloud service providers have multiple servers and data centers, so if one fails, the system can be redirected to another. This minimizes downtime and reduces the risk of data loss. 6. Automated Software Updates Cloud service providers are responsible for maintaining and updating the software, which means that businesses no longer have to worry about manually updating software or installing security patches. This saves time and reduces the risk of technical issues that can arise from manual updates. So... How Do You Move to the Cloud? To move software to the cloud, your business needs to choose a cloud service provider. You'll also need to determine the right cloud deployment model (public, private, or hybrid) for your specific needs. Finally, you'll need to consider the security and privacy implications of storing data in the cloud, and take steps to ensure that your data is protected. If this doesn't sound like your field of expertise, hire someone who can help! Software consultancies like BearPeak Technology Group have expert developers for hire who can move your software to the cloud for you. Check us out! We offer free consultations. Moving software to the cloud offers numerous benefits to businesses of all sizes. With the right planning and preparation, businesses can reap the benefits of cloud computing and improve their competitiveness in today's rapidly-evolving technology landscape. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an exciting new AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. "OpenAI (2023). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/api-beta/gpt-3/" BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

Photo Credit: Valna Studio | Unsplash @valnastudio | IG @mukukostudio "Happiness us not at the top of the mountain, but in how to climb.” ~ Confucius Starting a business is an exciting yet challenging endeavor. The path is filled with twists and turns, but with the right strategy, you can increase your chances of success. Today, we’re sharing some of our favorite tips to help make your startup succeed. New to BearPeak? -  Watch a client testimonial - Learn about  how we work - Read more  about us TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Define a Problem & Solution 2. Validate Your Idea 3. Build a Strong Team 4. Make Connections 5. Be Flexible 6. Focus on Cash Flow 7. Stay Persistent 1. Define a Problem & Solution As the founder of TechCrunch Michael Arrington said, “The best startups generally come from somebody needing to scratch an itch.” For a stronger chance at success, your startup should be built to solve a specific problem for a specific clientele. Identify a clear problem and solution to help focus your efforts. It will give you a clear direction for your business, no matter what branding, technological, or business changes happen along your journey. For example, at BearPeak, we recognized the problem that 90% of startups fail, with 10% not even making it through their first year. We believe that with better guidance, a strong network, and access to experts in software development and leadership, we can provide a solution to those startups that truly want to succeed. We help startups start up. 2. Validate Your Idea We hate to say it, but there are ideas out there that simply don’t have a market. Before investing your hard-earned time and money into a startup, make sure there is a market for your product or service. It's important to conduct market research and validate your idea by talking to potential customers and getting feedback. Be your own first customer: Would you buy it? BearPeak validated its business idea by talking to startup Founders and CEOs. They were searching for software experts, leadership guidance, and a stronger local network, all things BearPeak provides! We found our first clients in our Boulder neighborhood. 3. Build a Strong Team "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Your team is the backbone of your startup, so it's important to build one that's strong, supportive, and diverse. Not only will you gain different perspectives and insights, but even ones that you don’t agree with will challenge what you previously thought true. Stay open to new ideas to keep your startup afloat through uncharted waters. 4. Make Connections For a better chance at success, it's important to surround yourself with like-minded people. Step outside your office and meet other startup founders! Building a network of contacts and relationships can help you find new opportunities, gain access to resources, and even find new customers. It's excellent to follow a structured system to get your startup moving, but making connections will bring opportunities you couldn't have predicted. We recommend attending events, joining organizations, and connecting with others in your industry as often as possible. 5. Be Flexible In the early stages of a startup, it's important to be flexible. It’s your baby, but you can’t control exactly how it will turn out. Be prepared to pivot your strategy and make changes as needed based on feedback from customers and the market. When our founder John Eckhardt had the idea for BearPeak, he had a completely different name in mind! He was willing to brainstorm new names, styles, even services and clienteles, in order to serve people as best as he could. You're currently browsing the fourth version of our website! New and improved iterations wouldn't have been possible without flexibility. 6. Focus on Cash Flow No, you’re not being greedy by focusing on the money; Cash flow is the lifeblood of your startup, and it's important to carefully manage your finances. Before investing all your savings into one new tool or extra-cool gadget, do your research and compare competitors. The ultimate goal is to keep expenses low, track your cash flow, and make sure you have enough money to sustain your business through its early stages. 7. Stay Persistent Starting a business is not easy, and there will be challenges along the way. Stay focused, persistent, and never give up. Why did you start your business? What motives you to keep going? Reflect on your successes so far to encourage yourself to keep making improvements every day. Even minuscule improvements can add up to something great. Make Your Startup Succeed This takes hard work, dedication, and a bit of luck. But by following these tips, you can increase your chances of success and turn your dream into a reality. It's hard to stay persistent without accountability and assistance; make sure to check out BearPeak's services to start building a network of startup professionals. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an exciting new AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. "OpenAI (2023). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/api-beta/gpt-3/" BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

Software development is a fast-paced environment. It's an endless cycle of improvements, making it hard to gauge whether your team is truly thriving. How can you tell if your technical team is on the right track? Measuring success is tricky business. Unsure whether it's time to bring in a tech expert? Here are telltale signs that your engineers are in trouble. New to BearPeak? - Watch a client testimonial - Learn how we work - Read more about us TABLE OF CONTENTS Missed deadlines High turnover Bottle-necked decision making Failure to adopt best practices The Knowledge Silo Solutions have been temporary 1. Missed deadlines Think this sounds obvious? You may only have that clarity when you aren't deep in a project. When you're there in the thick of it, all sorts of explanations come up: Maybe you hit an unexpected roadblock. Maybe an emergency derailed the project as your team hurried to fix a new issue instead of working on the material they were initially assigned. Whatever the reason, review why your team missed deadlines. If projects are consistently delayed, and especially if the product delivered was below expectations, your team is in trouble. 2. High turnover Are engineers frequently leaving your team? Time to find out why morale is low. It could be anything from poor communication to burnout. If your devs display high levels of stress, fatigue, or disengagement, it's time to reevaluate. Here are some details to look for: A great engineer has an uptick in bugs or a drop in code quality. Your team is staying quiet; avoiding suggesting improvements or taking initiative. There's silence in meetings, fewer questions, and lack of discussion. Peers are venting in private chats to each other instead of addressing issues constructively. Sudden resignations. If top engineers leave, others may be inclined to follow. Increased sick days & time off, especially without notice. A lack of passion; they're doing the bare minimum and showing less enthusiasm. More friction between team members or between the team + leadership. Overwork without results; Long hours but little real progress. Honest insights from departing employees that highlight unaddressed issues. 3. Bottlenecked decision-making When a new decision needs to be made, who makes it? How long does it take? Your team may be great engineers, but they might have difficulty articulating their current challenges or aligning with other departments. If there is any uncertainty about who has task authority, you're facing an issue. Poor communication only causes further confusion and delays. 4. Failure to adopt best practices Don't avoid the hard work and research it takes to follow best practices. Whether its outdated tools, a lack of automated testing, or a resistance to modern dev trends, lack of quality will eventually rear its ugly head: Increased technical debt, frequent bugs, and more. Your team will struggle to grow the product, infrastructure, or team size if it doesn't have a proper foundation. Look for inefficient workflows, like a lack of clear objectives, or poor adherence to Agile or Scrum. 5. The Knowledge Silo Every team has its best players. But if key individuals on your team are the sole holders of critical knowledge, failure is only a sick or vacation day away. Your current team should be proposing and experimenting with new ideas and solutions, otherwise innovation is stalled. If they aren't, how do we fill the knowledge gap? Introduce a knowledge base or wiki (this could be in Confluence, Notion, or even a well-organized GitHub repo) to store key information. You may have to request the key individual to document the missing critical processes/architectures into this base. Make documentation updates a recurring task, not a one-time effort. Pair programmers / Shadowing days. Rotate responsibilities Host internal knowledge sessions (& record these for future reference) Mandate cross-training Make knowledge-sharing part of performance evaluations 6. Solutions have been temporary You may have tried one, five, maybe dozens of third-party consultants already. But if they've only provided temporary fixes rather than building internal capabilities, you need an expert. Sometimes you need a 3rd-party viewpoint on a confusing situation. An outside voice can reassess how the team works together. Bring in someone who will address your team's progress, processes, and dynamics, like one of our experts here at BearPeak. This is the part where we toot our own horn, because we've seen quite a few dev teams dealing with a range of issues, and we know how to help. If you're interested in how our process works, let's chat! An intro call is free, with no strings and no stress, just insights: Let's talk about your team. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. " OpenAI (2025). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/chatgpt " BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

This statement was last updated on Monday, March 3rd. We at BearPeak Technology Group are working to make our site www.bearpeak.io accessible to people with disabilities. What Web Accessibility Is An accessible site allows visitors with disabilities to browse the site with the same or a similar level of ease and enjoyment as other visitors. This can be achieved with the capabilities of the system on which the site is operating, and through assistive technologies. Accessibility Adjustments on This Site We have adapted this site in accordance with WCAG 2.2 guidelines, and have made the site accessible to the level of AA . This site's contents have been adapted to work with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and keyboard use. As part of this effort, we have also: Used the Accessibility Wizard to find and fix potential accessibility issues Set the content order of the site’s pages Defined clear heading structures on all of the site’s pages Added alternative text to images Implemented color combinations that meet the required color contrast Ensured all videos, audio, and files on the site are accessible Requests, Issues, and Suggestions If you find an accessibility issue on the site, or if you require further assistance, you are welcome to contact us through the organization's accessibility coordinator: John Eckhardt (303)-900-3093 info@bearpeak.io

TERMS OF USE AGREEMENT TO OUR LEGAL TERMS We are BearPeak Technology Group (" Company ," " we ," " us ," our "), a company registered in Colorado, United States at 2033 11th St Suite 6, Boulder, CO 80302. We operate the website https://www.bearpeak.io (the " Site "), as well as any other related products and services that refer or link to these legal terms (the " Legal Terms ") (collectively, the " Services "). You can contact us by phone at (303) 900-3093, email at info@bearpeak.io , or by mail to 2033 11th St Suite 6, Boulder, CO 80302, United States. These Legal Terms constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (" you "), and BearPeak Technology Group, concerning your access to and use of the Services. You agree that by accessing the Services, you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these Legal Terms. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE LEGAL TERMS, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM USING THE SERVICES AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE USE IMMEDIATELY. Supplemental terms and conditions or documents that may be posted on the Services from time to time are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to make changes or modifications to these Legal Terms at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes made by updating the "Last updated" date of these Legal Terms, and you waive any right to receive specific notice of each such change. It is your responsibility to periodically review these Legal Terms to stay informed of updates. You will be subject to, and will be deemed to have been made aware of and to have accepted, the changes in any revised Legal Terms by your continued use of the Services after the date such revised Legal Terms are posted. We recommend that you print a copy of these Legal Terms for your records. TABLE OF CONTENTS Our Services Intellectual Property Rights User Representations Purchases and Payment Policy Prohibited Activities User Generated Contributions Contribution License Guidelines for Reviews Third-Party Websites and Content Services Management Privacy Policy Copyright Infringements Term and Termination Modifications and Interruptions Governing Law Dispute Resolution Corrections Disclaimer Limitations of Liability Indemnification User Data Electronic Communications, Transactions, and Signatures California Users and Residents Miscellaneous Contact Us 1. OUR SERVICES The information provided when using the Services is not intended for distribution to or use by any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation or which would subject us to any registration requirement without such jurisdiction or country. Accordingly, those persons who choose to access the Services from other locations do so on their own initiative and are solely responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable. By default, the Services do not comply with industry-specific regulations (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), etc.). However, the Services can be tailored to comply with industry-specific regulations if required and provided by the client. If your interactions would be subjected to such laws, you may only use the Services once you directly provide the required regulations and receive confirmation from BearPeak Technology Group before the project begins. You may not use the Services in a way that would violate the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). 2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS Our Intellectual Property We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our Services, including all source code, databases, functionality, software, website designs, audio, video, text, photographs, and graphics in the Services (collectively, the "Content"), as well as the trademarks, service marks, and logos contained therein (the "Marks"). Our Content and Marks are protected by copyright and trademark laws (and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws) and treaties in the United States and around the world. The Content and Marks are provided in or through the Services "AS IS" for your personal, non-commercial use or internal business purpose only. Your Use of Our Services Subject to your compliance with these Legal Terms, including the "PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES" section below, we grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to: access the Services; and download or print a copy of any portion of the Content to which you have properly gained access. solely for your internal business purpose. Except as set out in this section or elsewhere in our Legal Terms, no part of the Services and no Content or Marks may be copied, reproduced, aggregated, republished, uploaded, posted, publicly displayed, encoded, translated, transmitted, distributed, sold, licensed, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose whatsoever, without our express prior written permission. If you wish to make any use of the Services, Content, or Marks other than as set out in this section or elsewhere in our Legal Terms, please address your request to: info@bearpeak.io. If we ever grant you the permission to post, reproduce or publicly display any part of our Services or Content, you must identify us as the owners or licensors of the Services, Content or Marks and ensure that any copyright or proprietary notice appears or is visible on posting, reproducing, or displaying our Content. We reserve all rights not expressly granted to you in and to the Services, Content, and Marks. Any breach of these Intellectual Property Rights will constitute a material breach of our Legal Terms and your right to use our Services will terminate immediately. Your Submissions and Contributions Please review the section and the "PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES" section carefully prior to using our Services to understand the (a) rights you give us and (b) obligations you have when you post or upload any content through the Services. Submissions: By directly sending us any question comment, suggestion, idea, feedback, or other information about the Services ("Submissions"), you agree to assign to us all intellectual property rights in such Submission. You agree that we shall own this Submission and be entitled to its unrestricted use and dissemination for any lawful purpose, commercial or otherwise, without acknowledgment or compensation to you. Contributions: The services may invite you to chat, contribute to, or participate in blogs, message boards, online forums, and other functionality during which you may create, submit post, display, transmit, publish, distribute, or broadcast content and materials to us or through the Services. Including but not limited to text, writings, video, audio, photographs, music, graphics, comments, reviews, rating suggestions, personal information, or other material ("Contributions"). Any Submission that is publicly posted shall also be treated as a Contribution. You understand that Contributions may be viewable by other users of the Services and possibly through third party websites. When you post contributions, you grant us a license (including use of your name, trademarks, and logos): By posting any Contributions, you grant us an unrestricted, unlimited, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free, fully-paid, worldwide right, and license to: use, copy, reproduce, distribute, sell, resell, publish, broadcast, retitle, store, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part), and exploit your contributions(including, without limitation, your image, name and voice) for any purpose, commercial, advertising, or otherwise, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, your Contributions, and to sublicense the licenses is granted in this section. Our use and distribution may occur in any media formats and through any media channels. This license includes our use of your name, company name, and franchise name, as applicable, and any of the trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, and personal and commercial images you provide. You are responsible for what you post or upload: By sending us Submissions and/or posting Contributions through any part of the Services or making Contributions accessible through the Services by linking your account through the Services to any of your social networking accounts, you: Confirm that you have read and agree with our "PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES" and will not post, send, publish, upload, or transmit through the Services any Submission nor post any Contribution that is illegal, harassing, hateful, harmful, defamatory, obscene, bullying, abusive, discriminatory, threatening to any person or group, sexually explicit, false, inaccurate, deceitful or misleading; to the extent permissible by applicable law, waive any and all moral rights to any such Submission and/or Contribution; warrant that any such Submission and/or Contributions are original to you or that you have the necessary rights and licenses to submit such Submissions and/or Contributions and that you have full authority to grant us the above-mentioned rights in relation to your Submissions and/or Contributions; and warrant and represent that your Submissions and/or Contributions do not constitute confidential information. You are, you are solely responsible for your Submissions and/or Contributions and you expressly agree to reimburse us for any and all losses that we may suffer because of your breach of (a) this section, (b) any third party's intellectual property rights, or (c) applicable law. We may remove or edit your Content: Although we have no obligation to monitor any Contributions, we shall have the right to remove or edit any Contributions at any time without notice if in our reasonable opinion we consider such Contributions harmful or in breach of these Legal Terms. If we remove or edit any such Contributions, we may also suspend or disable your account and report you to the authorities. Copyright Infringement We respect the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that any material available on or through the Services infringes upon any copyright you own or control, please immediately refer to the "COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTS" section below. 3. USER REPRESENTATIONS By using the Services, you represent and warrant that:(1) you have the legal capacity and you agree to comply with these Legal Terms; (2) you are not a minor in the jurisdiction in which you reside; (3) you will not access the Services through automated or non-human means, whether through a bot, script or otherwise; (4) you will not use the Services for any illegal or unauthorized purpose ; and (5) your use of the Services will not violate any applicable law or regulation. If you provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, we have the right to suspend or terminate your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the Services (or any portion thereof). 4. PURCHASES AND PAYMENT We accept the following forms of payment: Visa Mastercard American Express Discover You agree to provide current, complete, and accurate purchase an account information for all purchases made via the Services. you further agree to promptly update account and payment information, including email address, payment method, and payment card expiration date, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed. Sales tax will be added to the price of purchases as deemed required by us. We may change prices at any time. All payments shall be in US Dollars. You agree to pay all charges at the prices then in effect for your purchases and any applicable shipping fees, and you authorize us to charge your chosen payment provider for any such amounts upon placing your order. If your order is subject to recurring charges, then you consent to our charging your payment method on a recurring basis without requiring your prior approval for each recurring charge, until such time as you cancel the applicable order. We reserve the right to correct any errors or mistakes in pricing, even if we have already requested or received payment. We reserve the right to refuse any order placed through the Services. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household, or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same payment method, and/or orders that use the same building or shipping address. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors. 5. POLICY All sales are final and no refund will be issued. 6. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES You may not access or use the Services for any purpose other than that for which we make the Services available. The Services may not be used in connection with any commercial endeavors except those that are specifically endorsed or approved by us. As we user of the Services you agree not to: Systematically retrieve data or other content from the Services to create or compile directly or indirectly, a collection, compilation, database, or directory without written permission from us. Trick, defraud, or mislead us and other users, especially in any attempt to learn sensitive account information such as user passwords. Circumvent, disable, or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the Services, including features that prevent or restrict the use or copying of any Content or enforce limitations on the use of the Services and/or the Content contained therein. Disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm in our opinion us and/or the Services. Use any information obtained from the Services in order to harass, abuse, or harm another person. Make improper use of our support services or submit false reports of abuse or misconduct. Use the Services in a manner inconsistent with any applicable laws or regulations. Engage in unauthorized framing of or linking to the services. Upload or transmit (or attempt to upload or to transmit) viruses, Trojan horses, or other material, including excessive use of capital letters and spamming (continuous posting of repetitive text), that interferes with any party's uninterrupted use and enjoyment of the Services or modifies, impairs, disrupts, alters, or interferes with the use, features, functions, operation, or maintenance of the Services. Engage in any automated use of the system, such as using scripts to send comments or messages, or use any data mining, robots, or similar data gathering and extraction tools. Delete the copyright or other proprietary rights notice from any Content. Attempt to impersonate another user or person or use the username of another user. Upload or transmit (or attempt to upload or to transmit) any material that acts as a passive or active information collection or transmission mechanism, including without limitation, clear graphics interchange formats ("gifs"), 1x1 pixels, web bugs, cookies ,or other similar devices (sometimes referred to as "spyware" or "passive collection mechanisms" or "pcms"). Interfere with, disrupt, or create an undue burden on the Services or the networks or services connected to the Services. Harass, annoy, intimidate, or threaten any of our employees or agents engaged in providing any portion of the Services to you. Attempt to bypass any measures of the Services designed to prevent or restrict access to the Services, or any portion of the services. Copy or adapt the Service's software, including but not limited to Flash PHP, HTML, JavaScript, or other code. Except as permitted by applicable law, decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer any of the software comprising or in any way making up a part of the Services. Except as may be the result of standard search engine or Internet browser usage, use, launch, develop, or distribute any automated system, including without limitation, any spider, robot, cheat utility, scraper, or offline reader that accesses the Services or use or launch any unauthorized script or other software. Use a buying agent or purchasing agent to make purchases on the Services Make any unauthorized use of the Services, including collecting usernames and/or email addresses of users by electronic or other means for the purpose of sending unsolicited email, or creating user accounts by automated means or under false pretenses. Use the Services as part of any effort to compete with us or otherwise use the Services and/or the Content for any revenue-generating endeavor or commercial enterprise. 7. USER GENERATED CONTRIBUTIONS The Services may invite you to chat, contribute to, or participate in blogs, message boards, online forums, and other functionality, and may provide you with the opportunity to create, submit, post, display, transmit, perform, publish, distribute, or broadcast content and materials to us or on the Services, including but not limited to text, writings, video, audio, photographs, graphics, comments, suggestions, or personal information or other material (collectively, "Contributions"). Contributions may be viewable by other users of the Services and through third-party websites. As such, any Contributions you transmit may be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary. When you create or make available any Contributions, you thereby represent and warrant that: The creation, distribution, transmission, public display, or performance, and the accessing, downloading, or copying of your Contributions do not and will not infringe the proprietary rights, including but not limited to the copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, or moral rights of any third party. You are the creator and owner of or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, releases, and permissions to use and to authorize us, the Services, and other users of the Services to use your Contributions in any manner contemplated by the Services and these Legal Terms. You have the written consent, release, and/or permission of each and every identifiable individual person in your Contributions to use the name or likeness of each and every such identifiable individual person to enable inclusion and use of your Contributions in any manner contemplated by the Services and these Legal Terms. Your Contributions are not false, inaccurate, or misleading. Your Contributions are not unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, pyramid schemes, chain letters, spam, mass mailings, or other forms of solicitation. Your Contributions are not obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, violent, harassing, libelous, slanderous, or otherwise objectionable (as determined by us). Your Contributions do not ridicule, mock, disparage, intimidate, or abuse any one. Your Contributions are not used to harass or threaten (in the legal sense of those terms) any other person and to promote violence against a specific person or class of people. Your Contributions do not violate any applicable law regulation or rule. Your Contributions do not violate the privacy or publicity rights of any third party. Your Contributions do not violate any applicable law concerning child pornography, or otherwise intended to protect the health or well-being of minors. Your Contributions do not include any offensive comments that are connected to race, national origin, gender, sexual preference, or physical handicap. Your Contributions do not otherwise violate, or link to material that violates, any provision of these Legal Terms, or any applicable law or regulation. Any use of the Services in violation of the foregoing violate these Legal Terms and may result in, among other things, termination or suspension of your rights to use the Services. 8. CONTRIBUTION LICENSE By posting your contributions to any part of the Services, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to us an unrestricted, unlimited, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free, fully-paid, worldwide right, and license to host, use, copy, reproduce, disclose, sell, resell, publish, broadcast, retitle, archive, store, cache, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, transmit, excerpt (in whole or in part), and distribute such Contributions (including, without limitation, your image and voice) for any purpose, commercial, advertising, or otherwise, and to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such Contributions, and grant and authorize sub-licenses of the foregoing. The use and distribution may occur in any media formats and through any media channels. This license will apply to any form, media, or technology now known or hereafter developed, and includes our use of your name, company name, and franchise name, as applicable, and any of the trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, and personal and commercial images you provide. You waive all moral rights to your Contributions and you warrant that moral rights have not otherwise been asserted in your Contributions. We do not assert any ownership over your Contributions. You retain full ownership of all of your Contributions and any intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights associated with your Contributions. We are not liable for any statements or representations in your Contributions provided by you in any area on the Services. You are solely responsible for your Contributions to the Services and you expressly agree to exonerate us from any and all responsibility and to refrain from any legal action against us regarding your Contributions. We have the right, in our sole and absolute discretion, (1) to edit, redact, or otherwise change any Contributions; (2) to re-categorize any Contributions to place them in more appropriate locations on the Services; and (3) to pre-screen or delete any Contributions at any time and for any reason, without notice. We have no obligation to monitor your Contributions. 9. GUIDELINES FOR REVIEWS We may provide you areas on the Services to leave reviews or ratings. When posting a review, you must comply with the following criteria: (1) you should have first-hand experience with the person/entity being reviewed; (2) your reviews should not contain offensive profanity, or abusive, racist, offensive, or hateful language; (3) your reviews should not contain discriminatory references based on religion, race, gender, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability; (4) your reviews should not contain references to illegal activity; (5) you should not be affiliated with competitors if posting negative reviews; (6) you should not make any conclusions as to the legality of conduct; (7) you may not post any false or misleading statements; and (8) you may not organize a campaign encouraging others to post reviews, whether positive or negative. We may accept, reject, or remove reviews in our sole discretion. We have absolutely no obligation to screen reviews or to delete reviews, even if anyone considers reviews objectionable or inaccurate. Reviews are not endorsed by us, and do not necessarily represent our opinions or the views of any of our affiliates or partners. We do not assume liability for any review or for any claims, liabilities, or losses resulting from any review. By posting a review, you hereby grant to us a perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid, assignable, and sub-licensable right and license to reproduce, modify, translate, transmit by any means, display, perform, and/or distribute all content relating to review. 10. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND CONTENT The Services may contain (or you may be sent via the Site) links to other websites ("Third-Party Websites") as well as articles, photographs, text, graphics, pictures, designs, music, sound, video, information, applications, software, and other content or items belonging to or originating from third parties ("Third-Party Content"). Such Third-Party Websites and Third-Party Content are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, appropriateness, or completeness by us, and we are not responsible for any Third-Party Websites accessed through the Services or any Third-Party Content posted on, available through, or installed from the Services, including the content, accuracy, offensiveness, opinions, reliability, privacy practices, or other policies of or contained in the Third-Party Websites or the Third-Party Content. Inclusion of, linking to, or permitting the use or installation of any Third-Party Websites or any Third-Party Content does not imply approval or endorsement thereof by us. If you decide to leave the Services and access the Third-Party Websites or to use or install any Third-Party Content, you do so at your own risk, and you should be aware that Legal Terms no longer govern. You should review the applicable terms in policies, including privacy and data gathering practices, of any website to which you navigate from the Services or relating to any applications you use or install from the Services. Any purchases you make through Third-Party Websites will be through other websites and from other companies, and we take no responsibility whatsoever in relation to such purchases which are exclusively between you and the applicable third party. You agree and acknowledge that we do not endorse the products or services offered on Third-Party Websites and you shall hold us blameless for any harm caused by your purchase of such products or services. Additionally, you shall hold us blameless from any losses sustained by you or harm caused to you relating to or resulting in any way from any Third-Party Content or any contact from Third-Party Websites. 11. SERVICES MANAGEMENT We reserve the right but not the obligation, to: (1) monitor the Services for violations of these Legal Terms; (2) take appropriate action against anyone who, in our sole discretion, violates the law or these Legal Terms, including without limitation, reporting such user to law enforcement authorities; (3) in our sole discretion and without limitation, refuse, restrict access to, limit the availability of, or disable (to the extent technologically feasible) any of your Contributions or any portion thereof; (4) in our sole discretion and without limitation, notice, or liability, to remove from the Services or otherwise disable all files and content that are excessive in size or are in any way burdensome to our systems; and (5) otherwise manage the Services in a manner designed to protect our rights and property and to facilitate the proper functioning of the Services. 12. PRIVACY POLICY We care about data privacy and security. Please review our Privacy Policy . By using the Services, you agree to be bound by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Legal Terms. Please be advised the Services are hosted in the United States. If you access the Services from any other region of the world with laws or other requirements governing personal data collection, use, or disclosure that differ from applicable laws in the United States, then through your continued use of the Services, you are transferring your data to the United States, and you expressly consent to have your data transferred to and processed in the United States. 13. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTS We respect the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that any material available on or through the Services infringes upon any copyright you own or control, please immediately notify us using the contact information provided below (a "Notification"). A copy of your Notification will be sent to the person who posted or stored the material addressed in the Notification. Please be advised that pursuant to applicable law you may be held liable for damages if you make material misrepresentations in a Notification. Thus, if you are not sure that material located on or linked to by the Services infringes your copyright, you should consider first contacting an attorney. 14. TERM AND TERMINATION These Legal Terms shall remain in full force and effect while you use the Services. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THESE LEGAL TERMS, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO, IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION AND WITHOUT NOTICE OR LIABILITY, DENY ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SERVICES (INCLUDING BLOCKING CERTAIN IP ADDRESSES), TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY REASON OR FOR NO REASON, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION FOR BREACH OF ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, OR COVENANT CONTAINED IN THESE LEGAL TERMS OR OF ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. WE MAY TERMINATE YOUR USE OF PARTICIPATION IN THE SERVICES OR DELETE ANY CONTENT OR INFORMATION THAT YOU POSTED AT ANY TIME, WITHOUT WARNING, IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION. If we terminate or suspend your account for any reason, you are prohibited from registering and creating a new account under your name, a fake or borrowed name, or the name of any third party, even if you may be acting on behalf of the third party. In addition to terminating or suspending your account, we reserve the right to take appropriate legal action, including without limitation pursuing civil, criminal, and injunctive redress. 15. MODIFICATIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS We reserve the right to change, modify, or remove the contents of the Services at any time or for any reason at our sole discretion without notice. However, we have no obligation to update any information on our Services. We also reserve the right to modify or discontinue all or part of the Services without notice at any time. We will not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, price change, suspension, or discontinuance of the Services. We cannot guarantee the Services will be available at all times. We may experience hardware, software, or other problems or needs to perform maintenance related to the Services, resulting in interruptions, delays, or errors. We reserve the right to change, revise, update, suspend, discontinue, or otherwise modify the Services at any time or for any reason without notice to you. You agree that we have no liability whatsoever for any loss, damage, or inconvenience caused by your inability to access or use the Services during any downtime or discontinuance of the Services. Nothing in these Legal Terms will be construed to obligate us to maintain and support the Services or to supply any corrections, updates, or releases in connection therewith. 16. GOVERNING LAW These Legal Terms and your use of the Services are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Colorado applicable to agreements made and to be entirely performed within the State of Colorado, without regard to its conflict of law principles. 17. DISPUTE RESOLUTION Any legal action of whatever nature brought by either you or us (collectively, the "Parties" and individually, a "Party") shall be commenced or prosecuted in the state and federal courts located in Colorado, and the Parties hereby consent to, and waive all defenses of lack of personal jurisdiction and forum non conveniens with respect to venue and jurisdiction in such state and federal courts. Application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods in the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA) are excluded from these Legal tTerms. 18. CORRECTIONS There may be information on the Services that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions, including descriptions, pricing, availability, and various other information. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions and to change or update the information on the Services at any time, without prior notice. 19. DISCLAIMER THE SURFACES ARE PROVIDED ON AN AS-IS AND AS-AVAILABLE BASIS. YOU AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES WILL BE AT YOUR SOLE RISK. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY THE LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICES AND YOUR USE THEREOF, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON INFRINGEMENT. WE MAKE NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE SERVICES' CONTENT OR THE CONTENT OF ANY WEBSITES OR MOBILE APPLICATIONS LINKED TO THE SERVICES AND WE WILL ASSUME NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY (1) ERRORS, MISTAKES, OR INACCURACIES OF CONTENT IN MATERIALS, (2) PERSONAL INJURY, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO AND THE USE OF THE SERVICES, (3) ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE SECURE SERVERS AND/OR ANY AND ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION AND/OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION STORED THEREIN, (4) ANY INTERRUPTION OR CESSATION OF TRANSMISSION TO OR FROM THE SERVICES, (5) ANY BUGS, VIRUSES, TROJAN HORSES, OR THE LIKE, WHICH MAY BE TRANSMITTED TO OR THROUGH THE SERVICES BY ANY THIRD PARTY AND/OR (6) ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN ANY CONTENT AND MATERIALS OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF ANY CONTENT POSTED, TRANSMITTED, OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE VIA THE SERVICES. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE ADVERTISED OR OFFERED BY A THIRD PARTY THROUGH THE SERVICES, ANY HYPERLINKED WEBSITE, OR ANY WEBSITE OR MOBILE APPLICATION FEATURED IN ANY BANNER OR OTHER ADVERTISING, AND WE WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO OR IN ANY WAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING ANY TRANSACTION BETWEEN YOU AND ANY THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. AS WITH THE PURCHASE OF A PRODUCT OR SERVICE THROUGH ANY MEDIUM OR IN ANY ENVIRONMENT, YOU SHOULD USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT AND EXERCISE CAUTION WHERE APPROPRIATE. 20. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED HEREIN, OUR LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER AND REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF THE ACTION, WILL AT ALL TIMES BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT PAID, IF ANY, BY YOU TO US DURING THE SIX (6) MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO ANY CAUSE OF ACTION RISING. CERTAIN US STATE LAWS AND INTERNATIONAL LAWS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES WHERE THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IF THESE LAWS APPLY TO YOU, SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE DISCLAIMERS OR LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS. 21. INDEMNIFICATION You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us harmless, including our subsidiaries, affiliates, and all of our respective officers, agents, partners, and employees, from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand, including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses, made by any third party due to or arising out of: (1) your Contributions; (2) use of the Services; (3) breach of these Legal Terms; (4) any breach of your representations and warranties set forth in these Legal Terms (5) your violation of the rights of a third party, including but not limited to intellectual property rights; or (6) any overt harmful act toward any other user of the Services with whom you connected via the Services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we reserve the right, at your expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any manner for which you are required to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate, at your expense, with our defense of such claims. We will use reasonable efforts to notify you of any such claim, action, or proceeding which is subject to this indemnification upon becoming aware of it. 22. USER DATA We will maintain certain data that you transmit to the Services for the purpose of managing the performance of the Services, as well as data relating to your use of the Services. Although we perform regular routine backups of data, you are solely responsible for all data that you transmit or that relates to any activity you have undertaken using the Services. You agree that we shall have no liability to you for any loss or corruption of any such data, and you hereby waive any right of action against us arising from any such loss or corruption of such data. 23. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, TRANSACTIONS, AND SIGNATURES Visiting the Services, sending us emails ,and completing online forms constitute electronic communications. You consent to receive electronic communications, and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications we provide to you electronically, via email and on the Services, satisfy any legal requirement that such communication be in writing. YOU HEREBY AGREE TO THE USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, CONTRACTS, ORDERS, AND OTHER RECORDS, AND TO ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF NOTICES, POLICIES, AND RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS INITIATED OR COMPLETED BY US OR VIA THE SERVICES. You hereby wave any rights requirements under any statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, or other laws in any jurisdiction which require an original signature or delivery or retention of non-electronic records, or to payments or the granting of credits by any means other than electronic means. 24. CALIFORNIA USERS AND RESIDENTS If any complaint with us is not satisfactorily resolved, you can contact the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N 112, Sacramento, California 95834 or by telephone at (800)-952-5210 or (916)-445-1254. 25. MISCELLANEOUS These Legal Terms and any policies or operating rules posted by us on the Services or in respect to the Services constitute the entire agreement and understanding between you and us. Our failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Legal Terms shall not operate as a waiver of such right or provision. These Legal Terms operate to the fullest extent permissible by law. We may assign any or all of our rights and obligations to others at any time. We shall not be responsible or liable for any loss, damage, delay, or failure to act caused by any cause beyond our reasonable control. If any provision or part of a provision of these Legal Terms is determined to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision or part of the provision is deemed severable from these Legal Terms and does not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. There is no joint venture, partnership, employment or agency relationship created between you and us as a result of these Legal Terms or use of the Services. You agree that these Legal Terms will not be construed against us by virtue of having drafted them. You hereby waive any and all defenses you may have based on the electronic form of these Legal Terms and the lack of signing by the parties hereto to execute these Legal Terms. 26. CONTACT US In order to resolve a complaint regarding the Services or to receive further information regarding use of the Services, please contact us at: BearPeak Technology Group 2033 11th St Suite 6 Boulder, CO 80302 United States Phone: (303)-900-3093 Email: info@bearpeak.io These Terms of Service were created using Termly's Terms and Conditions Generator. BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .

Finding the right talent to fit your needs can be time-consuming, overwhelming, and downright discouraging. From ghosting to inadequate deliverables, all sorts of things can go wrong when you hire an online programmer. Let's cover the top 5 most frustrating problems that occur when hiring software developers online. We'll also provide solutions so you never have to deal with these problems again. “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.” - Red Adair New to BearPeak? -  Watch a client testimonial - Learn about  how we work - Read more  about us In case we haven't met, hi! We're BearPeak Technology Group: A Colorado-based team of engineers who help you hire remote software developers efficiently and reliably. We have cumulative decades of experience in software development and startup success, so we can tell you first-hand about the difficulties you may run into along your company's journey. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Not Knowing What You Need 2. Not Knowing Who You Need 3. It Can Take Weeks 4. High Failure Rate 5. No Quality Guarantee 1. Not Knowing What You Need If you aren't a software engineer yourself, how are you supposed to know which type to hire? Learning terms like front-end, back-end, full stack, and DevOps is complicated enough, but then just in the software development category alone, there are hundreds of languages. Python, Javascript, Bash, Golang, Perl, Ansible... and the list of gibberish jargon goes on. Do you need someone who can match your current code language? Or are you looking to build something new, fresh and better? How do you even get started? Fortunately, some companies (like us, BearPeak Technology Group ) offer a free code assessment. The engineers on our team can review your current content and recommend professional developers who best fit your needs; We're the bridge between company leads and the software developers you're looking for. 2. Not Knowing Who You Need It's hard to trust people beyond your current network - It's like taking a shot in the dark. You're handing your code, your information, and your valuable website over to a complete stranger! You can find software developers online for quick projects, costing as little as $5 (you now the site). This may work fine for a small code error, but what about big projects? Are you comfortable giving all your information to someone whose face you'll never see? Fortunately, the experts at BearPeak would love to talk! We're suckers for face-to-face calls, catching up on life events and telling you all about our favorite Colorado hiking and skiing spots. Our team is made of diverse, senior-level professionals with decades of cumulative experience. In fact, we've had great success on startup teams, and have gone through the trials and errors so you don't have to. BearPeak programmers (or candidates) are vetted more deeply than typical agencies. In many cases, they are people we have personal knowledge of; almost referrals. We won't recommend anyone to join your team that we don't personally know and trust. 3. It Can Take Weeks Hiring a new employee can be such a long process: Researching, writing and posting listings, waiting for candidates to reach out, comparing credentials, scheduling and conducting interviews, selecting a candidate, onboarding and explaining the process, then finally seeing if the programmer can do what you need them to. This process for hiring a software developer can take up to 8-12 weeks. We know you and your team might not have that time; Are you looking for outside help with a current project? When is the deadline for that deliverable? BearPeak cuts down the hiring time by providing excellent candidates from the very beginning. You tell us what you need, and we'll provide the perfect match. We'll also provide a Software Delivery Director (free of charge!) who will stick by both you and the programmer as the project is completed. 4. High Failure Rate From ghosting to poor communication, unclear expectations to inadequate deliverables, hiring online can be a disaster. The last thing you want is to hire someone, think you've made a great decision in just the nick of time, then hear excuse after excuse about why you'll never receive the changes you wanted. Juggling a startup is complicated enough on its own. Adding an unreliable hire into the mix only makes it more likely that your big software dreams will remain just that: big dreams. BearPeak knows that fear of failure and never reaching your goals. But we've pushed through, reaching pitfalls and peaks of our own, to become experts in our field. Now we're ready to help you trek through your journey. Every BearPeak engagement includes a dedicated Software Delivery Director at no additional cost. They ensure that timelines are met and quality is high. We guarantee that if you’re not happy - for any reason - in the first month (30 calendar days) we will refund our fee. 5. No Quality Guarantee What if your new software programmer delivers... well... subpar work? All that money and time, emails back and forth, now a product that doesn't match what you thought you'd be getting. The conversation can be uncomfortable, and some freelancers won't correct their mistakes for free. Even if they will, do you even want to work with them anymore? You may have to hire someone new just to fix what the first programmer did wrong. Never want to worry about throwing your money away on inadequate programmers ever again? Hire a team that ensures a quality promise: All BearPeak Technology Group services come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It's important for us to disclose the multiple authors of this blog post: The original outline was written by chat.openai, an exciting new AI language model. The content was then edited and revised by Lindey Hoak. "OpenAI (2023). ChatGPT. Retrieved from https://openai.com/api-beta/gpt-3/" BearPeak Technology Group is a software studio based in Boulder, CO, offering studio, startup, strategy, and staffing services. Get in touch with BearPeak for a free consultation at bearpeak.io/contact .