The 'Frankenstein' Problem Facing Brisbane Businesses
I see it every single week. A business owner in Chermside or Milton sits down with me, opens their laptop, and shows me a browser with 15 different tabs open.
They’ve got one tab for their email marketing, one for their calendar, another for their SMS logs, one for their website builder, and a spreadsheet for their leads. They are spending $50 here and $100 there, and by the end of the month, they’re bleeding $600 in software fees for tools that don't even talk to each other.
If you feel like you’re working for your software rather than the software working for you, you’re at a crossroads. You have two real choices: you can use an all-in-one system like GoHighLevel, or you can build a Custom Stack (picking the 'best' individual tool for every specific job).
Let’s cut through the rubbish and look at which one will actually put more money in your bank account.
Option 1: The All-In-One Powerhouse (GoHighLevel)
GoHighLevel is basically a Swiss Army knife for your business. It replaced about seven different pieces of software. It handles your website, your CRM (the list of your customers), your automated text messages, your emails, and your booking calendar all in one place.
Why it makes you money:
In business, speed is everything. If a lead comes in through your website at 8:00 PM while you're at dinner in South Bank, and you don't reply until 9:00 AM the next morning, you’ve probably lost that job.GoHighLevel allows you to start closing sales automatically by sending an instant text message to that lead the second they click 'submit'. Because everything is under one roof, there's no delay. The system knows they filled out the form, so it instantly sends the text and books them into your calendar.
The Pros:
One Monthly Bill: Instead of paying for Mailchimp, Calendly, ClickFunnels, and Podium separately, you pay one price. Everything Just Works: You don't need to be a computer whiz to link your emails to your calendar. It’s already connected. Better Visibility: You can see exactly how much money is sitting in your 'quotes sent' pile without digging through three different apps.The Cons:
Jack of All Trades: While it does everything well, it might not be the 'absolute best' at every single thing. A dedicated high-end email system might have fancier templates, but for 95% of Brisbane businesses, GoHighLevel is more than enough. Learning Curve: Because it does so much, the dashboard can look a bit busy at first.Option 2: The Custom Stack (Picking the Best of Each)
This is where you choose the absolute best tool for every specific task. You might use WordPress for your site, Pipedrive for your sales, and ActiveCampaign for your emails.
Why it makes you money:
If you have a very complex sales process—say you’re a high-end engineering firm or a large medical practice—you might need specific features that an all-in-one tool can't provide. Custom stacks allow you to pick software that wins jobs based on highly specific industry requirements.The Pros:
Best-in-Class Features: You get the most advanced features available for every single part of your marketing. Flexibility: If you hate your email provider, you can swap it out without moving your entire website or calendar.The Cons:
The 'Tech Tax': You end up paying way more in monthly subscriptions. Integration Headaches: You have to spend time and money trying to make your business software talk to each other using third-party tools like Zapier. If one tool updates its settings, your whole system might break, and you won't know until the phone stops ringing. Data Silos: Your customer info is scattered. Your email tool doesn't know what your sales tool is doing, which leads to double-handling and annoyed customers.The Real Cost Comparison
Let's talk brass tacks. What does this actually cost a typical Brisbane business owner?
The Custom Stack (Average Monthly Cost): Email Marketing: $50 - $150 CRM/Sales Tracker: $40 - $100 SMS Marketing Tool: $30 Booking Calendar: $20 Funnel/Landing Page Builder: $150 Reputation/Review Management: $100 Total: $390 - $550+ per month
The All-In-One (GoHighLevel): Total: Roughly $150 - $450 per month (depending on your setup and if you have an agency managing it for you).
Not only is the all-in-one cheaper, but it also saves you the most valuable thing you have: time. How much is two hours of your week worth? If you're a tradie or a consultant, that's hundreds of dollars in billable time you're currently wasting on admin.
When should you choose which?
Choose GoHighLevel if:
You want more leads and you want them handled automatically. You are sick of logging into five different apps every morning. You want to see a clear path from 'someone clicked my ad' to 'money in the bank'. You are a local service business (plumber, lawyer, gym, accountant) where speed of response is your biggest competitive advantage.Choose a Custom Stack if:
You are a massive company with a dedicated IT department. You have a very specific technical requirement that an all-in-one can't handle (like a complex medical booking system that must link to government databases).- You already have a system that works perfectly and the thought of moving makes you want to retire early (though, honestly, I've seen 'perfect' systems that were actually costing the owner thousands in lost leads).
My Honest Advice for Brisbane Owners
I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve seen businesses spend $20,000 on custom-built software only to find out it’s a nightmare to update. Most of what you read online about needing 'the best' individual tool is marketing fluff designed to get you to sign up for more subscriptions.
For 9 out of 10 businesses we work with at Local Marketing Group, GoHighLevel is the clear winner. It stops the 'leaky bucket' problem where leads fall through the cracks because you forgot to check a specific app. It simplifies your life, lowers your monthly overheads, and most importantly, it makes it easier for customers to give you money.
What should you do first?
Don't go out and cancel everything today. That's a recipe for disaster.
1. Audit your current spend: Look at your bank statement. How many 'software' or 'SaaS' subscriptions are you paying for? You might be surprised. 2. Identify the gaps: Are your leads getting a text message within 2 minutes of enquiring? If not, your current 'stack' is failing you. 3. Think about the outcome: Do you want a fancy tech setup, or do you want more phone calls?
If you want to stop messing about with tech and start growing your business, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in setting up these systems so they actually work for Brisbane businesses—without the jargon and without the headaches.
Ready to simplify your business and get more customers? Contact Local Marketing Group today.