How to Start a Profitable SaaS Agency on HighLevel

TL;DR

Selling AI integration to local businesses converts fast because few competitors are helping small businesses adopt AI, with one agency owner reporting an 85-90% hit rate walking into local businesses. HighLevel is an all-in-one AI CRM built for agencies, and its most successful partners target a single franchisee within a 30-40 location franchise, deliver results, then expand across the group.

Transcript

just saying I want to implement AI into your business you're going to get sales right out the gate because no one else is really trying to help the small business on AI just leave the tools there cuz there's no cost to me walk to the next business my hit rate was over 85 90% walking into a local business how much are your biggest sass preneurs maki... Read More

Key Insights

• AI integration is an easy first sale to small businesses because, as the guest puts it, almost no one else is trying to help small businesses adopt AI, so an agency gets sales right out the gate simply by offering to implement it.
• The best growth strategy for a HighLevel agency is landing one franchisee inside a small franchise of roughly 30 to 40 locations, crushing it for that single customer, then expanding to the rest of the group.
• HighLevel is an all-in-one AI CRM that covers everything from top-of-funnel lead generation down to lead management, automations, connecting other software, sending invoices, and managing finances, positioned as a Zapier tailored for small businesses and marketing agencies.
• The top HighLevel SaaSpreneurs earn very high eight-figure incomes, with one reportedly moving into the nine-figure range, running marketing agencies entirely built on and powered by the HighLevel platform.
• HighLevel originated from Robin's own agency pain: he drove leads for clients through Facebook and Google ads, but clients churned because they did not know how to convert those leads into booked appointments or sales.
• Rather than build a sales team, Robin pivoted his agency into a consulting firm that helped businesses manage contacts and leads end to end, wiring together 15 different applications to track leads from first contact through follow-up, appointment, sale, and reviews.
• HighLevel grew almost entirely through word of mouth rather than traditional sales and marketing, driven by Robin's philosophy of providing as much value as possible and referring other agencies to the founders because the tool solved a major problem.
• Seven years after launch, HighLevel is approaching 100,000 customers worldwide with about 1,700 employees, representing roughly two and a half to three million businesses and five million users.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is HighLevel and what does it do?

HighLevel is an all-in-one AI CRM platform that helps grow a business from top of funnel down to lead management and operational tasks. It handles automations, connecting to other software applications, sending invoices, and managing finances. It is best known as a CRM and automations platform, described as a Zapier that is more fit for small businesses and marketing agencies, letting users build automated text back, voice answering, cold emailing, and website services on top of it.

Q: How much are the top HighLevel SaaSpreneurs making per month?

According to the co-founder, the most successful HighLevel partners, called SaaSpreneurs, are making definitely high eight figures. He notes they heard of one that is getting into the nine-figure range. A SaaSpreneur is basically a person running a marketing agency that is entirely built on and powered by HighLevel, reselling services like automated text back, voice answering, cold emailing, and websites to small business owners, typically charging between $500 and $5,000 a month.

Q: How do you get fast sales selling AI to small businesses?

The guest says just saying you want to implement AI into a business gets you sales right out the gate, because no one else is really trying to help small businesses with AI. He describes leaving tools with a business at no cost to him and walking to the next business, reporting a hit rate over 85 to 90 percent walking into a local business. The low competition and low cost of offering AI make it an easy first sale.

Q: What type of business should you build on HighLevel to succeed?

The recommended approach is to go find a franchisee customer that is part of a small franchise, roughly 30 to 40 locations. You crush it for that one location, deliver strong results, and then expand to get everyone else in the franchise group. The idea is that one big customer could change your life, and landing a single franchisee gives you a proven case study and a built-in path to many similar locations within the same brand.

Q: Why did Robin Alex start HighLevel?

Robin ran a marketing agency driving leads for small businesses through Facebook and Google ads, but clients churned because they did not know what to do with the leads and people were not showing up. He faced a choice between ramping up a sales team or understanding why customers left. He pivoted into a consulting firm helping businesses manage contacts and leads, building infrastructure that connected 15 different applications, which became the blueprint for HighLevel.

Q: How did HighLevel get its first customers?

HighLevel grew through word of mouth rather than traditional sales and marketing. Robin, thrilled that the founders solved a major problem for his agency, began referring other agencies to them as an evangelist. They were invited to a small business conference of about 20 people in person and 20 virtual, demoed the product, and attendees kept calling them back up with questions and asking about annual discounts, driving the first orders.

Q: How big is HighLevel now?

About seven years after launch, HighLevel is about to hit 100,000 customers worldwide. It has roughly 1,700 employees and represents about two and a half to three million businesses, with five million users worldwide. The co-founder calls the numbers insane, emphasizing that this scale came almost entirely from word of mouth because the company never really did true sales and marketing, instead focusing on providing as much good value as possible to customers.

Q: How much can an agency charge small businesses using HighLevel?

According to the episode, an agency built on HighLevel can charge between $500 and $5,000 a month to small business owners. The platform lets you build and resell services such as automated text back, an automated voice answering service, a cold emailing agency, and a website agency, all on top of HighLevel. This recurring revenue model is how SaaSpreneurs build large companies, with the most successful reaching high eight-figure and even nine-figure incomes.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• HighLevel is an all-in-one AI CRM platform serving over 100,000 customers, most of whom are SaaSpreneurs running marketing agencies built entirely on the tool. It handles lead generation, lead management, automations, software integrations, invoicing, and finances, and is often described as a Zapier fit for small businesses and marketing agencies.

• Co-founder Robin Alex built HighLevel out of his own agency's problem: he drove leads for clients but they churned because they could not convert those leads. He pivoted to consulting, wiring together 15 apps to manage the full lead-to-review journey, then met the founders through a customer referral.

• The founders built a version-one product matching Robin's whiteboard schematic, and it spread by word of mouth after a small 20-person conference demo. Seven years later HighLevel nears 100,000 customers, 1,700 employees, and five million users, with top partners earning high eight and even nine figures.