Chobble's principles
This business works to a set of straightforward principles:
- Transparency: No secrets are kept from customers. The tools they rely on are theirs to keep.
- Honesty: If you don't need my services or another provider would suit you better, I'll tell you.
- Own, not rent: My income should come from doing work, not from charging rent.
- Fair prices: My prices are flat for all jobs and are set at the market rate for an experienced freelance programmer with a 50% discount for charities, cooperatives, and artists.
- Freedom: Customers have full control of their data and can move it to any provider.
- No harmful industries: I will not participate in the exploitation of humans or animals.
The goal of these principles is to encourage customers to choose Chobble based on the quality of its work. This might sound like a strange thing to have to spell out, but it's quite different from what many web companies do:
- Locking you into contracts that are hard to leave
- Hiding how your website works so you depend on them
- Making it difficult to move, which holds your data hostage
- Gradually increasing your ongoing costs
- Taking a cut of your sales
- Providing the minimum level of service to keep you paying
Chobble was founded to build a web development business that doesn't fall into any of these bad habits. By writing these principles out in public, I make it easier for customers and potential customers to hold me to them.
For a deep dive into the -isms behind Chobble, you might want to read the Wikipedia pages for Utilitarianism and Anarchism.
Who is Chobble?
Chobble is me, Stef, from Prestwich, Manchester (here's my CV) - a freelance software developer with over 20 years of experience working on websites of all sizes - from local charities like Blue Pits and social groups like Vegan Prestwich to busy web applications like Bouncy Castle Network and huge international storefronts like Bandcamp.com.
After years of working in other companies I decided to fully commit to freelancing, and started Chobble to:
- Build websites and tools for local organisations and individuals
- Provide honest advice and guidance
- Contribute to the wider open source community
In 2026, Chobble became a registered Community Interest Company (CIC), a type of company designed to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. This means Chobble is regulated to ensure its work serves the public interest, with an "asset lock" preventing profits from being extracted for private gain. Any surplus gets reinvested into community interest activities like developing open-source software and reducing costs for community-focused clients.
The CIC is set up to benefit small businesses, charities, co-operatives, and community organisations, particularly those in the Greater Manchester area, who need affordable, transparent, and open-source web development.
Transparent & flexible
I charge a flat per-hour rate for all web development services and tell you exactly what's included for each hour.
I build with open source tools that give you maximum flexibility. You can import and export your data easily, edit your site's content yourself, and move to any hosting provider you like. I don't force you to host on my server, and I provide instructions for hosting elsewhere or moving away - although you might like to host with me for the ongoing support.
I'm happy to explain as much about how your website works as you like, and will share all source code by default - here's my code repository.
I know many other designers, copywriters, and marketers and am happy to connect you with them if you need their services.
What does "Chobble" mean?
Either "to chew food", "to talk loudly" or "to calm down" - but really I just chose it because it's a fun word to say.
How do I hire you?
Just fill in the form below to get in touch and we can get things moving ASAP!