Can you compare selling GHL (GoHighLevel) versus selling automation services built with tools like Make.com or NN, explain why you don’t run ads when promoting the ‘buy’ side, and clarify the difference between selling GHL as an affiliate/reseller versus selling your own automation solutions?
He explains that GHL is like a peg leg—it does many CRM functions well and gets you up and running fast, but it limits flexibility and articulation compared to tools like Make.com or NN, which act as glue and extensions of his own workflow, letting him build anything. He prefers those because they integrate seamlessly with his business, whereas GHL feels restrictive. He also notes that selling GHL often involves an MLM‑style resale model (buying a license and reselling sub‑licenses), while selling his own automation solutions means selling his expertise and custom‑built systems, which is fundamentally different from affiliate sales.
Don't get me wrong—you can do this; there are no hard rules in business, you can bend any rule you want. If you productize an automation for resale as a template and sell the outcome as an offer, you're no longer really an automation agency; you're an Outreach agency. You build one system, execute it well, and sell the outcome—you're selling cold email and LinkedIn Outreach, not automation itself. A community member named SOD did exactly this, scaling to $80,000 a month in revenue, with the vast majority of profit coming from this approach (minus some LinkedIn Outreach). It's totally doable; you're just shifting the essence of your business from automation agency to Outreach agency. Regarding one‑time versus subscription revenue: one‑time revenue looks like big spikes (e.g., January, February, March, April), while subscription revenue shows a gradual, predictable increase in monthly recurring revenue that eventually outscales the spike model if the trend lines favor it. Each has pros and cons—subscriptions give you a stable base minus churn, while one‑time gives big upfront cash but requires you to resell each time. What I usually recommend is to start with one‑time revenue to spike your cash flow quickly, stockpile that money, then reinvest it into a recurring service for growth. That way you get the best of both worlds: a big initial spike plus the ability to invest in growth and email systems, eventually recouping through the recurring model. This works for any service business model—get the big spike, then use that cash to fund growth. You’ll also benefit from referral opportunities and similar advantages that come with the early‑stage burst of work.
I understand the concern about friction, but GHL isn’t as cumbersome as it seems. The onboarding process is relatively straightforward, and once a client adopts the platform they’ll stay with it for a while, leading to recurring revenue. However, I believe there’s more opportunity in building a general‑purpose automation platform rather than white‑labeling an out‑of‑the‑box CRM. That’s why I suggested focusing on broader solutions.
Well, if I thought starting a copywriting agency was the highest-value thing I could do right now, my product would be called copywriting school. It's not; it's called Maker School, which is all about building an AI automation agency because I believe that's the straightest line to wealth and securing your future. In a gold rush, the people who get rich sell the shovels. If you're selling the shovel—meaning you sell the implementation that automates everything—you're in a much better position than if you sell the deliverable of something that can be automated. Do you know what I mean?
copywriting agencyai automation agencyniche selectionbusiness model
If you're building a system that generates $5,000 a month in value for a client, having them pay a small percentage fee is not a big deal; they care about the upside, not the tiny downside. As the service provider, you might worry about subscription costs, but the AI and automation field attracts technical people who overthink this. Get the client to pay for everything. On a kickoff call, walk them through exactly which platforms they need to sign up for. This builds perceived value because they see the technical setup and appreciate you handling it. You can also use your affiliate links—being a Make.com partner, for example—to earn 3–5% kickback or give clients discounts. If a client stays for a year, you earn recurring affiliate fees; e.g., 40% on a $100/month plan yields $40/month, or $480–$500 per year per client even if they stop working with you. This approach also minimizes your liability since you’re not making monthly payments on their behalf. It’s the best way to handle software costs. If you’d like a kickoff call SOP, I have a document that outlines how to run the call and get clients signed up on the platforms.