A Smarter Approach to HubSpot Onboarding
Getting started with HubSpot is more than just setting up an account and configuring basic tools. A well-structured onboarding process ensures that your business is not only prepared to use HubSpot but also set up for long-term success. At Cat Media, we offer a strategic, hands-on onboarding experience that aligns HubSpot with your business goals and ensures you make the most of your investment. Our onboarding process is match guaranteed to the cost of HubSpot’s onboarding, but with far greater value.
What is HubSpot Onboarding?
HubSpot onboarding is designed to help businesses configure and start using HubSpot effectively. It involves account setup, user permissions, CRM configuration, and initial training to ensure your team understands the platform. However, not all onboarding services are created equal.
While HubSpot’s own onboarding provides structured guidance and recommendations, Cat Media’s onboarding goes beyond that. We take a strategic approach with hands-on setup, tailored data migration, and a dedicated growth roadmap that ensures HubSpot is configured for your business’s unique needs.
Onboarding vs. Implementation
Many businesses assume onboarding is enough, but the reality is that some organisations need a more in-depth implementation project.
Here’s how to determine which approach is best for you:
When HubSpot Onboarding is the Right Choice
Onboarding is ideal for businesses that are starting fresh with HubSpot and need foundational guidance. This includes setting up users, configuring basic workflows, importing essential data, and ensuring that HubSpot is ready for day-to-day operations. If your business is new to CRM or marketing automation, onboarding will help you establish best practices and give your team the knowledge to manage HubSpot effectively.
When a Full HubSpot Implementation in Needed
Implementation is a more complex process that involves custom configurations, integrations, and workflow automation. If your business has existing processes, complex data structures, or multiple teams relying on HubSpot, then onboarding alone may not be sufficient. A full implementation project ensures that HubSpot is tailored to fit your business, seamlessly integrating with your existing tools and workflows.
The HubSpot Growth Journey
Your HubSpot journey doesn’t end with onboarding. We see it as the first step in a long-term strategy that evolves as your business scales. Our process includes:
- Onboarding – Setting up HubSpot and ensuring correct usage.
- Solutions Design Workshop – Mapping out CRM strategy, automation, and integrations.
- Custom Implementation – Developing and launching tailored workflows and integrations.
- Strategic Partnership – Ongoing optimisation, testing, and RevOps support.
Scenarios: Where are you in the HubSpot Journey?
Best Fit: Onboarding
Get started with Sales Hub Pro and Marketing Hub Starter, build sales processes, and set up marketing automation.
Best Fit: Solutions Design Workshop
Align multiple teams, consolidate data, and plan HubSpot adoption roadmap before implementation.
Best Fit: Implementation
Migrate existing CRM and workflows into HubSpot, integrate external apps, and create automation workflows.
Best Fit: Strategic Partnership
Ongoing optimisation, integrations, advanced RevOps support, and HubSpot customisation.
What’s Included in Our HubSpot Onboarding?
At Cat Media, we follow a structured process to ensure you get the most out of HubSpot. Our onboarding includes:
Day 1: Kickoff Call and Strategy
We begin with an in-depth discussion about your business goals, priorities, and challenges. This ensures that HubSpot is set up not just as a tool, but as a platform that supports your growth strategy. The kickoff call will outline clear next steps, define responsibilities, and establish timelines for a smooth onboarding process.
Week 1: HubSpot Account Setup
The next step is configuring your CRM, user permissions, and integrations to align with your business needs. This includes setting up sales pipelines, marketing lists, subscription preferences, social media connections, and ensuring email compliance (including CAN-SPAM regulations). If your business uses multiple domains, we configure subdomains, set up tracking codes, and filter internal traffic to provide accurate insights.
Week 2: Data Migration, Cleaning and Mapping
Unlike basic onboarding services, we don’t just import your data—we optimise it. Our process includes data mapping, transformation, and cleaning to ensure that only high-quality, usable information is brought into HubSpot powered by our furball data quality suite. We help you create custom properties tailored to your reporting and automation needs, removing duplicates and ensuring a clean, structured CRM foundation.
Week 3-4: Hub-Specific Configuration and Automation
Depending on your subscription, we configure your HubSpot tools to match your workflow. This includes goals such as:
- Sales Hub: Sales pipeline setup, AI-powered insights, and automation tools for prospecting and pipeline management.
- Marketing Hub: Email marketing configuration, landing pages, ad integrations, and lead scoring setup.
- Service Hub: Help desk configuration, customer service workflows, and inbox connections for improved support operations.
Week 5: Training and Growth Plan
To ensure long-term success, our onboarding includes comprehensive training sessions, where we walk your team through best practices, automation opportunities, and data-driven decision-making. We also provide a custom Growth Plan Page with next steps, a resource library with lead scoring templates, and a lifecycle stage blueprint to guide you beyond onboarding.
After the onboarding process, you move to the next step in the growth journey by the hand of the Cat Media team, exploring solutions, design and implementation stages, or you are handed off to the fantastic Customer Success and Support team at HubSpot!
How Cat Media’s Onboarding is Different
Our onboarding is not just about setting up HubSpot—it’s about making sure your business is positioned for growth. Unlike HubSpot’s standard onboarding or other partners, we take a hands-on approach, ensuring your system is configured correctly, data is clean, and automation is set up to save you time.
Solution |
Cat Media Onboarding |
Average Partner |
HubSpot Onboarding |
|
Basic CRM Setup |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
|
User & Permission Setup |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
|
Integration Guidance |
✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
|
Data Transformation & Mapping |
✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
|
Advanced Data Cleaning & Deduplication x furball |
✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
|
Custom Property Creation |
✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
|
AI-Powered Sales & Marketing Tools Setup |
✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
|
Dedicated Growth Plan Page |
✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
|
RevOps Expert x furball Access |
✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Why Choose Cat Media?
We are not just another HubSpot partner. Our team has deep technical expertise and takes a strategic approach to every implementation. Whether you are setting up HubSpot for the first time or optimising an existing instance, we ensure your business benefits from a fully configured, scalable system that delivers measurable results.
Unlike other onboarding providers, we match HubSpot’s onboarding pricing while offering a significantly higher level of service, strategic input, and hands-on setup for your business’s unique needs.
What our customers say
“It was a pleasure to work with Cat Media (both Indira and Juan), who took me from a very basic usage of HubSpot, to making it the core product around my sales approach. The support given was personal, professional and highly skillful. No matter what I asked, they were able to answer and help me to practically put those questions into action. Great service and team!”
“CatMedia is an absolute gem! Their expertise in basically everything HubSpot and beyond is unmatched, truly setting them apart. As a HubSpot Solutions Partner, they've been my go-to for complex CRM implementation, API integrations, and custom functions. The way they seamlessly align technology with intricate business models is nothing short of impressive. ”
“Working with Juan & Indira has been an absolute delight. They are incredibly easy to work with and are real experts in their field. Between them and their team, they manage to cover a huge range of expertise. They never fail to deliver and often go out of their way to make sure we have everything we need. Without a doubt, a first-class agency!”
Explore Essential Resources to Start Smart with HubSpot
Before diving into your onboarding, it’s important to understand how HubSpot aligns with your business goals and budget. Whether you're exploring potential ROI, total cost of ownership, or trying to find the right tools for your stage of growth—these resources are here to guide you. Use the HubSpot ROI Calculator, TCO Calculator, or take our HubSpot Product Fit Quiz to gain clarity and make informed decisions from day one.
ROI Calculator
HubSpot ROI Calculator helps you estimate the potential return on investment (ROI) for your HubSpot investment. Backed by aggregated data from 238,000+ HubSpot customers globally, this public tool provides valuable insights without storing any data you input.
DownloadProduct-Fit Quiz
The HubSpot Product-Fit Quiz is designed to help you identify the perfect solution based on your specific goals, operations, and process maturity. By answering a few simple questions, you'll receive personalised recommendations tailored to your business needs and growth stage.
Take QuizTCO Calculator
Understanding your software solutions' Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) can be challenging. It's not just about the upfront price tag but also the long-term implications, indirect costs, and potential hidden fees associated with software management. Start calculating your HubSpot investment.
DownloadSo you may be thinking...
What’s included in Cat Media’s HubSpot onboarding?
Our onboarding goes beyond basic setup. We partner with you to configure your HubSpot CRM according to your specific needs, including technical setup, data migration, initial automations, and training. You’ll also receive a Growth Plan with strategic recommendations and templates to help your team get the most out of HubSpot from day one.
How does your onboarding compare to HubSpot’s standard onboarding?
Unlike HubSpot’s onboarding—which is primarily advisory—our approach is hands-on and fully tailored to your business. We manage the technical setup, clean and import your data, and configure your marketing, sales, or service processes inside HubSpot. You’ll also gain access to a certified RevOps expert and a roadmap for long-term growth. And the best part? Our onboarding is price-matched to HubSpot’s—with significantly more value.
Is Cat Media’s onboarding mandatory if I buy HubSpot through you?
No, onboarding is only required if you're purchasing a Pro or Enterprise-level Hub from HubSpot directly. However, when you choose to work with Cat Media as your onboarding partner, we can waive HubSpot’s mandatory onboarding fee, ensuring you still meet HubSpot’s requirements—without the added cost.
Do you help during the HubSpot sales process?
Yes. We actively participate in the pre-purchase phase, collaborating with HubSpot’s sales team to ensure you select the most appropriate subscription tier for your goals and budget. We advise you on what’s essential, what can wait, and how to get the best value out of your HubSpot investment—often negotiating discounts and onboarding fee waivers on your behalf.
What does “onboarding price match” mean?
It means our onboarding service is priced to match HubSpot’s standard onboarding fees, so you won’t pay more. In fact, you’ll often receive more value for the same cost—including strategic setup, data work, and RevOps support—delivered by a dedicated HubSpot partner with deep technical expertise.
What if I need more than onboarding—like complex integrations or automation?
If your business requires more advanced work, such as integrations with other systems or complex workflow automation, we can extend your onboarding into a custom implementation project. This ensures HubSpot is fully adapted to your processes from the beginning. We’ll define the scope during our initial discovery call or growth planning session.
Do you only support new customers, or can you help existing HubSpot users too?
We support both! Whether you're brand new to HubSpot or expanding your use with a new Hub, we can onboard you, audit your current setup, or implement new solutions. Many of our clients come to us with an existing subscription that needs strategic alignment and deeper integration with their business operations.
Will I still have access to HubSpot support if I onboard with Cat Media?
Yes. After onboarding, you’ll retain full access to HubSpot’s technical support and customer success team. We also provide a comprehensive hand-off or continued strategic support—depending on what works best for your team.
Are there any discounts for startups?
If you're a startup, HubSpot has a special program that may be available to you, and we can help you qualify if you meet the criteria. You can learn more about this program on the HubSpot for Startups website.
Additionally, if you're based in Ireland, an Enterprise Ireland client, grants may be available to you for consultancy and digital transformation projects. You can learn more about these grants on the Enterprise Ireland website.
Our team can also work with you to explore other funding options that may be available to help support your growth and success.
What's furball?
furball is a suite of data management tools designed for HubSpot users, enabling businesses to maintain clean, structured, and reliable CRM data. furball helps companies improve operational efficiency and unlock automation across marketing, sales, and service processes, automating deduplication, standardisation, and data optimisation. Furball is currently available in BETA to invite-only users. Join the waitlist here.