G’day Legend,
I’m Dave, ex sparkie turn computer geek and these days, I help tradies build smart business systems that actually work. And there’s one platform that powers pretty much every automation I build at Trade Magnet…
Most tradies have never heard of it. Actaully, most business owners haven’t. But if you’ve ever wondered how some businesses seem to have their follow-up game sorted, their reviews flowing in automatically, and their admin running like clockwork… there’s a good chance Go High Level is working behind the scenes.
Let me pull back the curtain and show you what this thing actually is.
What the Hell is Go High Level?
Go HighLevel (or GHL if you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about) started back in 2018-ish in Dallas. A bunch of smart marketers got sick of paying for fifteen different tools just to run their agencies properly.
Before GHL existed, marketing agencies were juggling:
*All prices in USD
These agencies were hemorrhaging money on software subscriptions.
So the GHL team said “stuff this” and built everything into one platform. The agencies loved it so much that GHL made it white-labelable — meaning agencies could rebrand it and sell it to their clients under their own company name.
These days, it’s used by marketing agencies all over the world to white-label and sell on to you as the customer — sometimes at 5x multiples. But hey, I’m not here to judge. If the agency is providing real value, setting it up properly, and actually supporting you, then why the hell not? You’re paying for their expertise, not just the software.
The Real Power of GHL: It Does Everything
Here’s what makes GHL different from every other “business tool” you’ve been pitched:
- Website & Landing Pages → Builds proper websites that actually convert visitors into leads
- Email Marketing → Sends targeted emails that don’t end up in spam
- SMS Marketing → Text messaging that actually gets read
- CRM & Pipeline Management → Keeps track of every lead and where they’re at in your process
- Appointment Booking → Lets customers book jobs directly into your calendar
- Review Management → Automatically asks for and manages Google reviews
- Form Builder → Creates quote request forms that actually work
- Automation Workflows → Connects everything together so it runs without you
It’s not just a CRM. It’s not just email marketing. It’s the whole bloody system working together.
How We Use GHL at Trade Magnet
At Trade Magnet, GHL is the engine that powers every automation we build for tradies. Here’s how we typically set it up:
Lead Capture & Instant Response Customer fills out your quote form → GHL captures all their details → Automatically sends confirmation SMS → Adds them to your pipeline → Notifies you with all the job details
Smart Follow-Up Sequences Quote sitting in “pending” for 3 days? GHL automatically sends: “Hey John, just checking if you had any questions about that quote. Happy to lock it in when you’re ready.”
Review Automation Job marked as complete → System waits 24 hours → Sends review request → Follows up if needed → You get more 5-star Google reviews without asking
Missed Call Recovery You miss a call while you’re on the tools? GHL instantly texts: “Sorry I missed your call — I’ll get back to you shortly. Feel free to text me here in the meantime.”
Integration with Your Existing Tools Already using ServiceM8 or similar? No worries. GHL connects with most job management systems, so leads flow automatically from your website into your existing workflow.
The Pricing Reality Check
Now, let’s talk money. Here’s what GHL actually costs:
GHL Starter Plan: $97 USD/month
- All the core tools (CRM, email, SMS, websites, automations)
- Up to 3 sub-accounts
- Everything most small tradies need
GHL Unlimited Plan: $297 USD/month
- Everything in Starter
- Unlimited sub-accounts (good if you want to manage multiple locations)
- API access for custom integrations
- White-label desktop app
Agency SaaS Plan: $497 USD/month
- This is what agencies like us use
- Lets us create unlimited client accounts
- Full white-labeling capabilities
- Advanced reporting and management tools
Here’s the thing — most “business automation systems” being sold to tradies for $200-500/month are actually just GHL with different branding. You’re often paying agency markup for the same core platform.
Why Most Tradies Don’t Buy GHL Direct
“So why don’t I just buy GHL myself for $97/month USD?”
Fair question. Here’s the honest answer:
It’s Been Built Out for Marketers Whilst GHL may have originally been intended for direct-to-service businesses, these days it’s been built out primarily for marketing agencies. This means support is often geared toward agencies, not individual business owners. So yeah, you could buy it yourself, but be prepared for a decent learning curve and support that assumes you speak marketing jargon.
Setup is Complex GHL is powerful, but it’s not plug-and-play. Setting up proper automations, integrations, and workflows takes serious time and technical knowledge.
The Interface Assumes Marketing Knowledge Terms like “funnels,” “sequences,” and “attribution” might as well be in Chinese if you’re not from that world.
Ongoing Management Someone needs to monitor it, update it, fix things when they break, and optimize it as your business grows.
Industry-Specific Setup Generic templates don’t work for tradies. You need workflows built specifically for how trade businesses actually operate.
👉 Plus, There’s Actually a Cost Saving Here’s the kicker — whilst GHL’s base model is $97 USD, at Trade Magnet we offer it at $89 AUD per month. After currency conversion, that’s usually a $60-80 saving, plus you get it set up specifically for tradies with ongoing support that actually understands your business.
That’s where agencies like Trade Magnet come in. We handle all the technical stuff, build tradie-specific workflows, and keep everything running smoothly. You just see the results.
At Trade Magnet we offer it at $89 AUD per month. After currency conversion, that’s usually a $60-80 saving.
Dave List – Trade Magnet
What This Means for Your Business
If you’ve ever wondered how some tradies seem to have their act together — instant responses to enquiries, consistent follow-up, steady stream of reviews, never missing leads — there’s probably a system like this running behind the scenes.
GHL isn’t magic. But when it’s set up right for your specific trade and business, it handles all the tedious admin stuff that’s either taking up your time or falling through the cracks.
The goal isn’t to make you a tech expert. The goal is to give you your time back so you can focus on the actual work that pays the bills.
The Bottom Line
Go High Level is the platform that powers most of the smart business automations you see in the trade industry. It’s not the only option, but it’s the one that consistently delivers results when set up properly.
Whether you tackle it yourself (good luck), work with us at Trade Magnet, or find another agency that knows what they’re doing — the important thing is getting a system that actually works for your business.
Because at the end of the day, you became a tradie to fix things and solve problems. Not to chase up quotes and remember to ask for reviews.
Want to see how we use GHL to build automation systems specifically for tradies? Drop me a line. I’ll show you exactly what’s possible — no marketing fluff, just practical systems that work.
