Running a marketing agency sounds like a big operation but in 2025, you don’t need a team, a fancy office, or a tech stack with a dozen tools. With GoHighLevel, you can run a full-service agency on your own, from your laptop, with everything under one roof.
In this guide, I’ll break down how to make money as a one-person agency using GoHighLevel’s CRM, automation, and marketing tools. This model is lean, scalable, and perfect for solopreneurs who want to build a business without burning out.
What Is GoHighLevel?
GoHighLevel is an all-in-one CRM and marketing automation platform. It replaces tools like ClickFunnels, Calendly, Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Zapier, saving you money and time by putting everything in one dashboard.
With GoHighLevel, you can:
- Manage leads and customers with a powerful CRM
- Launch email, SMS, and social media campaigns
- Build websites and landing pages
- Collect payments and send invoices
- Automate follow-ups, reminders, and onboarding
Whether you’re managing your own business or client campaigns, everything lives inside one tool.
Watch the full video tutorial here on how to set up your GoHighLevel agency step by step.
Step 1: Get Started With GoHighLevel
Start with the GoHighLevel 14-day free trial
Here’s what to expect:
- Sign up with your name, business email, and payment info (no charge until the trial ends)
- Choose your plan: the Starter plan is great for beginners, and Unlimited is better if you manage multiple client accounts.
- Set up your agency details, logo, domain, and contact info.
Once you’re in, you’ll see two key dashboards:
- Agency Dashboard: This is where you manage your entire operation
- Sub-Accounts: These are individual accounts you create for clients or for your own business
Step 2: Pick a Niche and Focus Your Offer
If you’re a one-person agency, the fastest path to success is picking one niche and mastering one offer.
Example Niches:
- Fitness coaches
- Real estate agents
- Med spas
- Local service providers (roofers, cleaners, plumbers)
Instead of doing “marketing for everyone,” become the go-to expert for one audience. Offer a clear outcome like:
- “I help med spas get 30 bookings a month using automated Instagram funnels.”
- “I help fitness coaches convert leads using AI and SMS automation.”
This positioning cuts through the noise and makes your sales process easier.
Step 3: Use Built-In Marketing Tools
GoHighLevel gives you everything you need to attract and convert clients, even if you’re doing it all solo.
What you can use:
- Website Builder: Build a landing page in minutes using templates
- Email Marketing: Launch nurture sequences and broadcast emails
- SMS & Voicemail Drops: Send automated text messages and ringless voicemails
- Social Planner: Schedule posts on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more
- Content AI: Generate captions, email copy, and ad text with built-in AI tools
Start by using the tools to market your own services. Then offer those same tools to clients once you’ve mastered them.
Step 4: Manage Leads Like a Pro (With Built-In CRM)
At its core, GoHighLevel is a client and lead management machine.
Here’s what you can do:
- Import leads from spreadsheets or forms
- Organize contacts into lists and tags
- Create pipelines to manage deals
- Track conversations across email, SMS, and DMs
- Score leads based on engagement
When you’re running a one-person agency, staying organized is everything. This system makes sure no lead falls through the cracks and helps you close more deals without extra work.
Step 5: Set Up Payment and Invoicing
Getting paid should be easy. GoHighLevel integrates with Stripe to help you:
- Send invoices and payment links
- Create one-time or recurring subscriptions
- Build checkout forms and order pages
- Automate payment reminders
- Track who’s paid and who hasn’t
This keeps your cash flow smooth and helps you look professional even if you’re just getting started.
Step 6: Automate Everything You Can
Automation is where you scale. GoHighLevel lets you set up workflow custom automations based on triggers.
Example Automations:
- If someone fills out a contact form, send a welcome email
- If a lead hasn’t replied in 3 days, send a reminder SMS
- If a client books a call, add them to your onboarding sequence
- If someone clicks your email, tag them and notify you to follow up
You don’t need to be technical. Use pre-built automation recipes, tweak them to fit your niche, and launch. The more you automate, the more clients you can handle, and the more money you can make with less time.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a team or huge overhead to run a profitable agency. With GoHighLevel, you can build everything from lead gen to client onboarding, marketing, and retention without switching tools or hiring help.
Recap:
- Start with GoHighLevel’s free trial
- Choose a clear niche and offer
- Use built-in marketing tools to grow
- Manage leads and payments in one dashboard
- Automate as much as possible
- Scale smart with systems, not stress
If you treat it like a real business, even as a one-person operation, this can easily become a full-time income stream or more.