Launch Guide

Your First 30 Days: From Zero to Launch

A practical day-by-day action plan to set up your white-label SaaS and acquire your first paying customer.

TLDR

Week 1: Platform setup and branding. Week 2: Pricing, processes, and documentation. Week 3: Marketing foundation and outreach. Week 4: Launch and first customer acquisition. Budget 20-30 hours for setup, then 20-40 hours/week ongoing.

Before You Start

Prerequisites Checklist

Time Commitment

Plan for 25-35 hours during your first month: 10-15 hours for initial setup, 5-10 hours for marketing preparation, and 10+ hours for outreach and sales.

Week 1: Platform Setup

Days 1-2 4-6 hours

Account Configuration

  • Activate HighLevel SaaS Pro plan
  • Connect custom domain for app (app.yourbrand.com)
  • Configure SSL certificate
  • Set up agency account with your branding
  • Configure default timezone and locale
Days 3-4 3-5 hours

Branding & White-Label

  • Upload your logo (main + favicon)
  • Set brand colors throughout platform
  • Customize login page
  • Set up custom email domain (notifications@yourbrand.com)
  • Configure white-label mobile app settings
Days 5-7 4-6 hours

Integrations & Testing

  • Connect Stripe for payment processing
  • Set up Twilio for SMS (if using)
  • Configure email sending (Mailgun/SendGrid)
  • Test all integrations with demo account
  • Create your first test sub-account

Week 1 Deliverable

A fully branded platform that you can log into at your custom domain, with all core integrations working.

Week 2: Business Foundation

Days 8-9 4-5 hours

Pricing & Plans

  • Define your pricing tiers (recommend 3 tiers)
  • Create subscription products in Stripe
  • Configure SaaS rebilling in HighLevel
  • Set up feature limits per tier
  • Create pricing page content
Days 10-11 3-4 hours

Templates & Snapshots

  • Create starter templates for your niche
  • Build 2-3 funnel templates
  • Set up email sequence templates
  • Create workflow automation templates
  • Package as snapshots for quick deployment
Days 12-14 5-7 hours

Documentation & Processes

  • Write onboarding checklist document
  • Create 5-10 help articles for common questions
  • Record Loom videos for basic features
  • Draft terms of service and privacy policy
  • Create client onboarding welcome email sequence

Week 2 Deliverable

Defined pricing, niche-specific templates ready to deploy, and basic documentation for customer onboarding.

Week 3: Marketing Foundation

Days 15-17 5-7 hours

Sales Assets

  • Build your marketing website (or landing page)
  • Create demo video walkthrough (5-10 minutes)
  • Write case study/use case examples
  • Design sales deck (10-15 slides)
  • Set up calendar booking for demos
Days 18-19 3-4 hours

Lead Generation Setup

  • Create lead magnet (checklist, guide, or template)
  • Build opt-in funnel
  • Set up email nurture sequence
  • Configure lead tracking and notifications
  • Test entire lead flow end-to-end
Days 20-21 3-4 hours

Outreach Preparation

  • Build prospect list (50-100 ideal customers)
  • Write cold email templates (3 variations)
  • Create LinkedIn connection message
  • Prepare objection handling document
  • Set up CRM pipeline for tracking prospects

Week 3 Deliverable

Marketing website live, lead generation funnel working, and outreach templates ready with a prospect list to contact.

Week 4: Launch & First Customer

Days 22-24 6-8 hours

Active Outreach

  • Send first batch of cold emails (20-30)
  • Connect with prospects on LinkedIn
  • Post in relevant Facebook groups/communities
  • Reach out to your existing network
  • Follow up on any responses immediately
Days 25-27 4-6 hours

Demo & Close

  • Conduct demo calls with interested prospects
  • Handle objections and questions
  • Send proposals with clear next steps
  • Follow up on pending proposals
  • Close your first customer!
Days 28-30 6-10 hours

First Customer Onboarding

  • Create their sub-account
  • Deploy niche templates
  • Conduct onboarding call (60-90 minutes)
  • Set up their first automation
  • Schedule follow-up check-in for week 2

Week 4 Goal

Sign your first paying customer and complete their onboarding. Even one customer validates your offering and provides real feedback.

Common First-Month Mistakes

Over-Engineering Setup

Don't spend 3 weeks perfecting templates. Launch with "good enough" and improve based on customer feedback.

Avoiding Sales

It's tempting to keep "preparing." Start outreach by week 3 at the latest. You learn the most from real conversations.

Pricing Too Low

Don't undervalue yourself. Starting at $97/month attracts price-sensitive customers who churn fastest.

No Niche Focus

"Anyone who needs marketing automation" isn't a niche. Pick a specific industry and build expertise there.

First Customer Acquisition Strategies

Your Network

Lowest Effort

Friends, family, former colleagues in your target niche. Ask for introductions, not sales.

Conversion: 10-20% Time to close: 1-2 weeks

Founder Offer

High Value

Offer first 5 customers 50% off for life in exchange for feedback and testimonials.

Conversion: 15-25% Time to close: 1-2 weeks

Cold Email

Scalable

Personalized outreach to niche businesses. Focus on pain points, not features.

Response rate: 5-15% Close rate: 10-20% of responses

LinkedIn Outreach

Relationship-Based

Connect, provide value, then pitch. Best for B2B niches.

Accept rate: 20-40% Reply rate: 10-20%

Key Takeaways

  • Week 1: Platform setup and branding (10-15 hours)
  • Week 2: Pricing, templates, and documentation (12-16 hours)
  • Week 3: Marketing assets and outreach prep (11-15 hours)
  • Week 4: Active selling and first customer onboarding (16-24 hours)
  • Start outreach in week 3 - don't wait until everything is "perfect"
  • Your first customer provides validation and real feedback