We get asked one question consistently: ‘What are the tools that you use?’"
It’s an important question, and far too many agencies hide behind vague talk of ‘proprietary processes’ when they're really just using standard tools. Or, even worse, they’re not using automation at all.
We're not interested in gatekeeping. If sharing our exact stack helps you build better systems for your business, that's a good thing.
So, let's take a look at what we're running in 2026 to help our clients. We'll discuss:
- What each tool does
- Why we chose it over alternatives
- The rough costs involved
- The integration issues we had to learn the hard way
The Core Automation Engine: Make.com and N8n
At the centre of everything: workflow automation platforms that connect different systems and move data between them automatically.
We use two: Make.com for most workflows, and N8n for specific, complex scenarios that require more customisation.
Why Make.com
Make.com (formerly Integromat) has a visual workflow builder that makes it easy to see exactly what’s happening when you automate. When something breaks (and, yes, this will always happen, being able to visually trace the flow saves significant debugging time.
It has over 2,000 integrations, which means it connects to almost everything we need: HubSpot, ClickUp, Google Sheets, Calendly, CallRail, Typeform, Gmail, Slack, and dozens more.
Make allows you to pay per operation, with each action performed by an automation counting as a single operation. For most service-business workflows, this typically amounts to around 5–10 operations per lead.
For example:
Lead comes in → create CRM record → send notification → trigger email sequence
And thankfully, at scale, the pricing remains reasonable.
What we use it for:
- Routing new leads from forms into CRM systems
- Triggering SMS and email notifications to teams
- Syncing data between platforms (e.g., when a client signs up in one system, creating their record in another)
- Creating custom reporting workflows that pull data from multiple sources
- Automating client onboarding sequences
Where it falls short:
- The learning curve is steeper than Zapier; it's more powerful, but takes longer to master
- Some integrations occasionally require workarounds when the native connection doesn't support exactly what you need
- For extremely complex conditional logic with lots of branches, the visual interface can get messy
Cost: It is free for basic use, with most small businesses paying between $13 and $41 AUD per month, while agencies and higher-volume users typically fall in the $70–$210 AUD per month range.
Why N8n (For Specific Use Cases)
N8n is less polished than Make but offers something it doesn't: the ability to self-host and write custom JavaScript or Python code within workflows.
For complex data transformations, custom API integrations, or scenarios where we need precise control over execution, N8n gives us that flexibility.
N8n charges per workflow execution rather than per operation, making it more cost-effective for workflows with many steps. For simple 3-step automations, Make is cheaper. For 20-step workflows, N8n wins on cost.
We run N8n self-hosted, which means it's technically free but requires server infrastructure and maintenance. For clients, we typically stick with Make unless there's a specific reason to use N8n.
What we use it for:
- Complex data processing workflows
- Custom API integrations that require specific authentication or data formatting
- Workflows where the cost per execution matters more than how easy the setup is
Cost: It is free when self-hosted, although this involves server costs and technical setup, with the cloud version starting at approximately $32 AUD per month.
Task Management and Internal Automation: ClickUp
ClickUp is our task management platform, but it's also an automation powerhouse.
Why We Chose ClickUp Over Alternatives
We've used Asana, Monday, Trello, and others, but ClickUp came out on top because of its flexibility and native automation features.
ClickUp's automation system handles internal workflows without needing external tools. When a content piece moves from ‘Writing’ to ‘Editing’, it automatically reassigns to the editor, sends them a notification with a quick reminder of what's needed at that stage, and updates the due date based on our standard timeline.
This kind of micro-automation gets rid of those ‘So, whose task is it now?” type scenarios.
What We Actually Use It For
Content production workflow:
When an article moves through our pipeline (Writer → Editor → SEO Specialist → Website Publisher), ClickUp's automations handle reassignment, notifications, and status updates automatically.
At the final stage, once marked ‘Published’, the system triggers an automated email to the client with the article title and link. The client is notified of new content without anyone having to manually email them.
Daily AI-powered updates:
We use ClickUp's AI Brain feature to generate daily summaries. Each morning, the team lead gets a report showing: tasks completed the previous day, anything outstanding, upcoming due dates, and tasks that are currently blocking others.
It takes about 10 seconds and gives instant visibility as to where the team is at. Before automating this, it required 15-20 minutes of manually checking various lists and projects.
Client onboarding sequences:
When a new client is added to ClickUp, automations create a templated project with all the standard onboarding tasks, assign them to the appropriate team members, and set due dates based on the client's start date. What used to take 30 minutes of manual setup now happens automatically.
Cost: A free plan is available, but limited to 100 automation actions per month. Most businesses will need the Unlimited plan at around $10 AUD per user per month (1,000 automation actions) or the Business plan at approximately $17 AUD per user per month (10,000+ actions). We’re on the Business plan because we run a large number of automations.
Claude with MCP Integrations
This one's newer, but it’s been transformative for our workflow.
We use Claude, Anthropic’s AI, integrated with ClickUp via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This lets Claude directly interact with our tasks, reading what needs to be done, updating statuses, creating new tasks based on conversations, and pulling information from project descriptions.
It’s worth noting that this is essentially a custom integration layer, rather than something most users can switch on inside ClickUp directly.
Example workflow: ‘Claude, what's blocking the website launch for [client]?’ Claude checks ClickUp, sees that the copywriting task is marked as blocking with a note that client feedback is pending, and tells you exactly what's waiting and who needs to follow up.
Or: ‘Create a task for setting up Google Analytics 4 for [client], assign it to [team member], due next Friday, dependent on the website launch task.’ With this simple ask, Claude creates the whole chain.
This is particularly powerful for planning and breaking down complex projects. You can describe a project goal, and Claude can suggest task breakdowns, identify dependencies, and create the structure in ClickUp.
Cost: There are additional costs associated with Claude usage, as well as the time required to set up MCP integrations, which are not yet plug-and-play and do require some technical setup.
Client Workflows: Zapier
We use Zapier for some client implementations, particularly when clients are already familiar with it or when they're using platforms that integrate better with Zapier than Make.
Zapier is less powerful than Make for complex workflows, but it's easier for clients to understand and maintain themselves if needed.
What we use it for with clients:
- Creating and sending client agreements automatically before meetings
- Call tagging systems that push outcome data back into HubSpot (when a team member tags a call as ‘needs follow-up’, Zapier creates the follow-up task automatically)
- Automated SMS or email sending when calls aren't answered
- Simple form-to-CRM connections when using Make would be overkill
Cost: It starts with a free plan, but most clients need a tier in the $20–50 per month range. Zapier pricing jumps sharply as task volume increases.
The Client CRM: GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel is an all-in-one CRM and marketing platform that we provide to every client as part of our standard service.
Why GoHighLevel
For Australian service businesses, GoHighLevel offers exceptional value because it combines:
- CRM and pipeline management
- Email and SMS marketing (with affordable per-message costs)
- Landing page and funnel builder
- Appointment scheduling
- Forms and surveys
- Native automations
- Call tracking (though we typically use CallRail for more advanced needs)
Pricing starts at $97 USD/month (roughly $150 AUD) for the Starter plan, or $297 USD/month for unlimited sub-accounts if you're an agency managing multiple clients.
For a service business that would otherwise pay separately for a CRM ($50-100/month), email marketing ($30-50/month), landing page builder ($30-50/month), and appointment scheduling ($15-30/month), GoHighLevel consolidates everything and usually costs less than buying each tool separately.
What Clients Use It For
Lead management and nurture: All leads from forms, calls, and chat go into GoHighLevel. Automated sequences follow up via email and SMS based on lead source, service interest, and engagement level.
SMS marketing: GoHighLevel's SMS costs are competitive, around $0.008 USD per message. For service businesses doing SMS follow-up (which we strongly recommend), this adds up to meaningful savings versus standalone SMS platforms.
Appointment booking: Clients can embed GoHighLevel's scheduler on their website or send it via email/SMS. It syncs with calendars, sends reminders, and reduces no-shows.
Pipeline tracking: For law firms, dental practices, and other service businesses, being able to see exactly where every lead sits in the process (new enquiry → contacted → consultation booked → proposal sent → client) provides visibility that most small businesses don't have.
We provide GoHighLevel to all clients as part of our standard stack, which means they don’t have to pay for it separately.
Also read: Manual vs Automated Nurture-to-Sales Handoff: Which Converts More Finance Leads?
The Integration Layer: How It All Connects
Here's a typical workflow showing how these tools work together:
New lead comes in from website form:
- Make.com captures the submission
- Creates/updates contact in GoHighLevel’s CRM
- Sends Slack notification to intake team: ‘New lead: [Name] interested in [Service]’
- Triggers immediate email acknowledgement via GoHighLevel: ‘We received your enquiry, someone will contact you within 5 minutes’
- Sends SMS acknowledgement: ‘Thanks for contacting us, we'll call you shortly’
- If after-hours, it triggers a different sequence with next-day callback scheduling
- Creates a task in ClickUp for follow-up with a due date and relevant context
- Updates reporting dashboard (Google Sheets via Make) for monthly tracking
Client signs engagement agreement:
- Zapier detects the signed document
- Creates the client onboarding project in ClickUp (all tasks auto-generated from a standard template)
- Creates a client matter in the case management system (for law firms)
- Sends welcome email sequence via GoHighLevel with onboarding info
- Notifies the team in Slack that new client onboarding has started
- Creates first appointment/meeting via GoHighLevel scheduler
All of this happens automatically within minutes of the trigger event. Nobody needs to remember to do it. Nobody needs to manually copy information between systems. It just runs.
Cost Breakdown
For a typical service business client, this is the cost of a stack broken down:
- GoHighLevel: $150-200 AUD (included in our service)
- Make.com: $13-41 AUD/month depending on volume
- ClickUp: $10-17 AUD/user/month
- Zapier (if used): $20-50 AUD/month
- Misc tools (forms, scheduling if not using GoHighLevel): $0-50 AUD/month
Total: Roughly $300-450 AUD/month for the core automation stack
For context, we spend several thousand dollars per month on software because we run these systems at agency scale for dozens of clients. An individual business, however, can achieve around 80% of the same benefit at a fraction of that cost.
Budget Alternative: GoHighLevel + Minimal Extras
If your budget is more conservative, here's the lean version:
GoHighLevel only: $150 AUD/month
GoHighLevel includes native automations, email/SMS, forms, landing pages, CRM, and scheduling. For many service businesses, this alone covers most needs.
Add Make.com's free tier for simple external integrations (e.g., connecting GoHighLevel to Google Sheets for reporting), and you've got a functional automation stack for under $200/month.
You lose some flexibility and power compared to the full stack, but it's absolutely viable, and significantly better than manual processes or cobbling together free tools that don't talk to each other.
Integration Tips and Gotchas
After building hundreds of these automations, here are the things we found that consistently trip people up:
Use AI to Help Build Automations
ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini can significantly accelerate automation building. Describe your tech stack, explain the workflow you want to automate, and ask for step-by-step instructions.
The AI won't build it perfectly (automation tools have specific quirks the AI doesn't always know), but it'll get you 70% of the way there and save hours of trial-and-error.
Example prompt: ‘I use GoHighLevel CRM and Make.com. When a new contact is created in GoHighLevel with the tag 'consultation-booked', I want to send them an SMS reminder 24 hours before the appointment time, create a task in ClickUp for the team member assigned to that consultation, and log the reminder in a Google Sheet. How do I build this in Make?’
JSON Parsing in Make
When connecting APIs or webhooks (particularly CallRail webhook data going into Make), you often need to parse JSON data structures. Make's JSON module handles this, but understanding which fields to map takes practice.
Tip: Use Make's ‘Run Once’ feature to send real test data through, then inspect the output to see exactly what field names and structure you're working with.
GoHighLevel Workflow Limits
GoHighLevel's native automations are powerful but have limits. Complex branching logic or integrations with external tools often require using Make or Zapier as the bridge.
For example, GoHighLevel can send an email when a tag is added, but if you need to check whether the contact already received a similar email in the 7 days prior to that, you'll need external logic via Make.
Testing and Debugging
Build automations in stages. Don't create a 15-step workflow and go live. Build the first 3 steps, test with real data, confirm they work, then add the next 3.
When something breaks (and it will), Make's execution history shows you exactly where the error occurred and what data was present at that step. This makes debugging manageable rather than maddening.
Real-World Example: Law Firm Client Signup
Here's a specific automation we built for a law firm:
Trigger: Client signs engagement letter via DocuSign
Automation sequence:
- Zapier detects a signature
- Creates a client matter in Clio (legal practice management software)
- Creates contact in GoHighLevel CRM with status ‘Active Client’
- Creates a ClickUp project from a template with all standard matter tasks (intake form, initial research, court filing deadlines, etc.)
- Sends automated welcome email to client with:
- Confirmation of engagement
- Login details for the client portal
- What to expect next
- Calendar link to book the first full consultation
- Sends SMS: ‘Welcome to [Firm Name]! Check your email for next steps. Reply if you have questions.’
- Creates Slack notification: ‘[Client Name] matter opened - [Practice Area]’
- Adds event to shared calendar for team visibility
What used to take a paralegal 20–30 minutes of copy-pasting across systems now happens automatically in under a minute. No steps are forgotten, and no data entry errors occur. The result is consistent, reliable onboarding.
Time Savings Add Up
One of our clients calculated that automations save their team approximately 15 hours per week, by mostly eliminating repetitive data entry, manual follow-ups, and ‘did anyone handle this?’ communication.
At a conservative professional-services rate of $50 per hour, this translates to roughly $750 per week, or $39,000 per year, in labour savings. By comparison, the automation stack costs approximately $4,000 annually, resulting in a clear return on investment.
But beyond direct cost savings, there's reliability. Automations don't forget to follow up. They don't miss steps. They don't get tired on Friday afternoon and skip the data entry.
For service businesses where every lead matters and client experience determines referrals, consistency is worth more than the dollar savings.
What We’re Hoping to Add Next
We're currently testing:
- More advanced AI-powered lead qualification via SMS (using Claude or GPT-4 to have natural conversations with leads overnight)
- Voice AI for after-hours phone answering (improving but not quite ready for primetime across all businesses)
- Deeper integration of AI into content workflows (not just creation, but automated internal linking, meta description generation, and SEO optimisation)
These are all what we see as ‘nice to have’s. And as the technology improves, they become a reality.
Our Stack Summary
Marketing automation for service businesses doesn't require exotic tools or massive budgets. The brands winning in 2026 are the ones treating automation as infrastructure, not as a luxury purchase.
GoHighLevel + Make.com + ClickUp gives you 90% of what enterprise marketing teams have, at a fraction of the cost.
The hardest part isn't the tools; it's identifying which repetitive, time-consuming processes are worth automating, then actually building the workflows rather than just thinking about them.
Start small. Pick one annoying manual process. Automate it. Then move to the next one.
Within six months, you'll have a system that runs smoother, faster, and more reliably than anything you could manage manually.
Want to stop losing leads to manual processes? Leadtree specialises in marketing automation and CRM implementation for Australian service businesses. We don't just recommend tools; we build the workflows, integrations and automated pipelines that turn enquiries into clients without anything falling through the cracks. Book a 30-minute no obligation call to discuss how we can help today: https://calendly.com/leadtreemarketing/30min
Disclaimer: All currency amounts are approximate conversions based on indicative exchange rates at the time of writing and may change over time as rates and vendor pricing are updated.
