Shopify eCommerce Website | TCQuick
📦 TCQuick — Freelance Software Engineer & Business Operations Consultant
Role: Freelance Full-Stack Developer, Automation Engineer, and Business Consultant
Tech Stack: Python, Xero API, Notion, Google Sheets, Zapier, Airtable, Shopify, Stripe, EmailJS, JavaScript, Excel VBA, Docker (for internal testing), PostgreSQL (internal tracking)
🧾 Project Overview
TCQuick is an e-commerce logistics operation specializing in rapid fulfillment of niche, customizable products. The client required end-to-end technical and operational infrastructure to scale effectively while maintaining compliance with UK tax regulations and ensuring smooth customer experience.
I was contracted to implement scalable systems for automated order fulfillment, VAT-compliant bookkeeping, customer service tooling, and operations management, acting as the primary technical operator and systems architect.
🛠 Key Deliverables & Contributions
🖥️ Custom Fulfillment System
Developed internal tooling to automate the ingestion and processing of orders from multiple sources (Shopify, PayPal, Stripe, eBay) into a unified dashboard.
Built Python scripts to:
Generate packing slips and invoice PDFs automatically.
Trigger order status emails using EmailJS and Gmail API.
Parse customer metadata and produce SKU mappings for printers and suppliers.
Assumption Challenged: Off-the-shelf integrations were insufficient due to product customizability and print-on-demand complexity. Custom scripting was required for full control and auditability.
📦 Inventory & Supply Chain Automation
Created scripts to sync current stock levels between suppliers and internal tools.
Built low-stock alerts and just-in-time procurement signals using Google Sheets + App Script.
Designed a printer job scheduling system to maximize throughput and reduce misprints.
💸 Bookkeeping & VAT Integration
Integrated Xero API for live synchronization of invoices, expenses, and VAT submissions.
Authored internal documentation for quarterly Making Tax Digital (MTD) compliance and submission workflows.
Implemented reconciliation logic to match bank statements with multi-channel order data, reducing manual errors.
Automated generation of VAT-return-ready reports segmented by standard, reduced, and zero-rated supplies.
Challenge: Cross-referencing PayPal payouts, Stripe transactions, and shipping costs to maintain audit trails.
🧾 Financial Reporting & Analysis
Built detailed financial dashboards in Google Sheets, feeding live from:
Shopify sales data
Supplier invoices
Bank feed exports
Used Excel VBA for ad hoc profit-and-loss simulations and what-if pricing models.
Alternative View: While full SQL/BI dashboards could have been built, the lean spreadsheet-first approach maximized usability for non-technical stakeholders.
🧑💻 Client-Facing Website Support
Maintained and modified frontend components of the store (Shopify Liquid templates, JavaScript) to:
Embed dynamic delivery estimates.
Implement GDPR-compliant cookie notices.
A/B test pricing and promotional banners.
📞 Customer Support Infrastructure
Integrated Notion and Google Workspace into a custom CRM-lite system:
Used Zapier to route form submissions, flagged emails, and customer notes into Notion pipelines.
Enabled templated responses with tracking links and refund/return automations.
Designed returns management system to log, track, and resolve customer issues with proper tagging for SLA compliance.
🧩 Broader Business Strategy Contributions
Created SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for hiring, training, and daily fulfillment tasks.
Consulted on GDPR compliance, refund policies, and PCI-DSS considerations for Stripe usage.
Designed onboarding materials for new team members on operations, tooling, and customer service tone.
Counterpoint Considered: These tasks could be seen as "non-technical," but in a solo founder/freelancer environment, blending tech and ops yields better outcomes through contextual awareness.
🧠 Skills Demonstrated
Business Process Automation
API Integration (Xero, Shopify, Stripe, PayPal)
Data Cleaning and Financial Analysis
Custom Scripting and Internal Tooling
VAT and MTD Compliance
Spreadsheet Engineering and Scripting
E-Commerce UX and Customer Support Systems
Systems Thinking and Lean Operations
📈 Impact
Reduced daily order processing time by 65% through automation.
Decreased bookkeeping reconciliation errors by 90% over 3 VAT quarters.
Scaled operations to handle 3x order volume during seasonal peaks with no additional hires.
🗒️ Notes & Retrospective
If repeated today, I would refactor the internal tools using a proper Flask/Django backend and deploy to Railway/Render for observability and testing.
PostgreSQL would replace Google Sheets for better consistency and relational tracking of order history, returns, and financials.
Long-term: Recommend implementing a Headless CMS (e.g., Sanity or Strapi) to enable flexible promotions and content changes without Shopify constraints.
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Posted Apr 11, 2025
Built a custom site for TCQuick and automated order packing, shipping, and sales imports from all channels into Xero to streamline daily operations.
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Timeline
Mar 1, 2024 - Jan 1, 2025
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