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Notes

Notes on CRMs, automation and running a business with less admin.

What we've learned building and running CRMs for Australian businesses — what to automate first, when to leave HubSpot, and how to design a pipeline people actually use.

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Migration

Leaving HubSpot without losing your history

Export, map, test-load, cut over. The migration checklist we run — including the three fields everyone forgets.

HubSpot export | data mapping | cut-over

Custom CRM

Pipeline stages people actually move deals through

Why most pipelines have too many stages, and a simple test for whether a stage should exist at all.

pipeline design | adoption | reporting

Portals

The "where's it up to?" email, and how to never get it again

What clients actually want to see in a portal — and the two things builders always want to show that nobody reads.

client portal | builders | communication

Automation

n8n vs Zapier for a business that's growing

Where per-task pricing bites, what "runs in your own account" actually buys you, and when Zapier is still the right call.

n8n | Zapier | workflow automation

Custom CRM

The true cost of a subscription CRM over three years

Seats, add-ons, the integration tier you'll need by month six, and the admin hours nobody puts on the invoice.

per-seat pricing | total cost | ownership

Automation

Speed to lead: what a 60-second reply changes

Why the first reply matters more than the tenth, and how to send a useful one automatically without sounding like a robot.

speed to lead | SMS | follow-up

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