Set-up, care and messages: one account, not three products
People get lost here, so I'll say it plainly. Up & Running is the one-off start. Care is optional, afterwards, if you want me to keep an eye on it. WhatsApp and texts are how the messages go out. Same account. You don't buy three different things and hope they meet.
WhatsApp and texts in one list
Messages from different places can sit in one HighLevel inbox. These three threads are examples, with made-up names.
Example data
1 · WhatsApp
A WhatsApp thread
Same contact record as everything else. Example conversation.
Can you fit us in Friday?
Friday at 11 is free. Want me to book it?
How they fit
1. I set it up
Up & Running is about three hours and a handover. Your account, your domain, your calendar, a handover so you can run it.
2. You run it, or I stay
Care is optional. Eyes On is a check and a backup. Hands On adds changes. Right-Hand is me as your part-time HighLevel person.
3. The messages
Texts are already in HighLevel. WhatsApp is an add-on, in the same inbox, if your customers actually use it.
The fees, plus VAT, are on the automation page. This page is how the work fits together.
Up & Running: the fiddly bit
Signing up to HighLevel is easy. Getting it to do anything useful is where people get stuck. You log in, see a wall of menus, and close the tab. Up & Running is me doing that bit, so you start with something that works.
- Creating and branding your HighLevel account
- Connecting your domain, email, calendars and payments
- Rebuilding connections that break when you move across from another system
- A basic pipeline, booking calendar and users
- A handover, so you know what to do each day
It's a starting point, not a 200-page manual. Bigger builds get quoted as a project before I start. If you only need the platform and you can run it, I'll tell you.
Care, if you want me to stay
Software doesn't break all at once. A connection quietly stops. A reminder sends at the wrong time. Care plans are optional, and they sit on top of the platform. You can run it yourself after the handover. Plenty of people do.
Eyes On
You run it. I provide the safety net.
- Monthly health check and report
- Monitoring and connection rechecks
- Monthly account backup
- Email advice when you're stuck
- No build hours
Hands On
Everything in Eyes On, plus:
- Up to an hour a month of tweaks
- A monthly chat about what's working
- Priority support
Right-Hand
Everything in Hands On, plus:
- Up to three hours a month
- A quarterly review
- Priority on projects
Unused hours don't roll over. None of the plans include unlimited project work, because "unlimited" usually means someone's going to be disappointed. Texts, calls and email sending are billed as you use them.
WhatsApp and texts
Your customers text. They WhatsApp. They don't read emails half the time. If those messages live on your personal phone, they get lost, nobody else can see them, and you're replying at 10pm. I've done it. It's rubbish.
HighLevel puts texts and WhatsApp in one inbox, next to the customer's record. Texts are built in and charged as you send them. WhatsApp connects to the official business platform, which is not the free app on your phone. Meta's per-message charges sit on top. The fee is on the automation page.
- Appointment reminders
- A reply when an enquiry comes in
- A review request after the job
- Due-date reminders, like MOTs or tax deadlines
Two rules I won't skip:
- People have to opt in to WhatsApp. You message people who've given you their number and agreed to hear from you.
- There's a 24-hour window. When a customer messages you, you can reply freely for 24 hours. Outside that, you use pre-approved templates. I'll set those up with you.
Keep the messages legal
A reminder about something a customer has booked is one thing. Marketing is another. In the UK, the rules on marketing texts (PECR) need people's consent, with a limited exception for your own existing customers, often called the soft opt-in, as long as you gave them an easy way to opt out. Sole traders count as individuals here.
I'll set things up so opt-outs are handled and recorded. I'm not a solicitor. If you're unsure about a campaign, check the ICO's guidance or get proper advice.