Circle Community Setup
Community Setup
Ready to launch your Circle community but feeling stuck? Or building a complex community and need in-depth support?
My Community Setup service delivers a community that’s organized, thoughtful, and launch-ready in 4-6 weeks.
I’ll design your community architecture, build paywalls and workflows, and take care of the technical details—while keeping you involved in the decisions that matter most.
Together, we’ll create a space that feels intentional, aligned with your goals, and ready to welcome your members.
Community Setup Services
Ideal for
✦ Founders, Entrepreneurs, Coaches: You have big ideas but no time for setup.
✦ Smaller Communities: For new or migrating communities with fewer than ~1,000 members.
✦ First-Time Community Builders: You want a polished, professional setup with expert guidance.
Experience You Can Trust
30+
Communities Supported
100%
Job Success Rate on Upwork
50%
Client Return Rate
5+
Years Working in Circle
Community Setup Basics
Community Setup Basics
1. Planning
Kickoff Call (60–90 minutes): Collaborate on your community goals, structure, and Circle settings.
Define your community product offering including content and engagement elements.
Templates for Success:
Community Setup Checklist: A shared checklist to track progress and ensure no detail is missed.
Community North Star Document: Helps guide your community’s purpose and offerings.
Community Content Calendar: Notion Template
2. Community Architecture
Design & Build: Create access groups, spaces, and all settings.
Seed Content: Upload all content (pinned posts, events, courses, resources, etc.) where needed.
Content Mapping (Migrations Only): Review your existing setup and outline how it translates to Circle’s platform.
3. Branding & Imagery
Add logos, icons, and colors.
For imagery, choose from 7 templates or I will provide a Design Request Presentation for your own designer.
4. Onboarding & Member Management
Create onboarding sequence, community guidelines, and moderation settings.
Set up basic Circle Workflows to support member engagement and admin management.
5. Paywalls & Locked Screens
Configure paywalls and create locked screens.
6. Launch & Post Launch Support
Guidance on planning, announcements, and engagement strategies.
Assistance in training a hired Community Manager or team members, if applicable.
Troubleshooting and refinement after launch to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Optional Enhancements
These optional items may extend the timeline or increase the project scope and budget.
Landing pages with Circle’s Website Builder feature
Membership application or approval flows
Multiple paywall tiers or complex segmentation/access
High-volume content uploads
Advanced integrations with Zapier, Email CRM, etc.
SSO coordination
Circle AI Agents
Beta testing
Full platform migration
Communication & Collaboration
We typically use a mix of email and chat (Circle, Slack, etc.) for communication, along with a weekly meetings to review progress and approvals. I manage the full setup, and you can involve your team on any items from the Circle Setup Checklist if you prefer. Feedback and adjustments happen throughout the build to keep everything aligned.
Timeline
Basic setups typically take 4–6 weeks from the Kickoff Call to launch date. Timely communication and approvals help keep the project on schedule. Enhancements, complex setups, and migrations often extend this timeline.
Pricing
Rate: $65 USD per hour
Estimated Time & Cost: Most community setups take 25–40 hours depending on size, content upload required, and complexity. At $65/hour, this ranges from $1,625–$2,600.
Timeline: Typically 4–6 weeks from the Kickoff Call.
Deposit: A $500 deposit is required to begin and is credited toward your overall project cost.
Billing: Invoices are sent twice per month and include dates worked and a summary of completed tasks. Payment is requested within 7 days. Bank transfer, Wise, or Venmo are preferred. Credit Card payments can be accommodated.
FAQs
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First book a free, 20-minute Discovery Call so we can confirm fit, timeline, and scope. After that, you’ll submit the $500 deposit and we’ll schedule your Kickoff Call.
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I work with both! If you already have a community on Circle, I recommend my Optimization service instead; if you’re migrating from another platform or starting fresh, this Community Setup service is the right fit.
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Absolutely! I lead the project, and your team is welcome to collaborate on any task on the Setup Checklist where their expertise is helpful.
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The items below are not included:
Circle Marketing Hub and general marketing support.
Creating Marketing Deliverables: Email sequences, social media, video editing, etc.
Ongoing Community Management: Moderation, engagement, and long-term support after launch, including any Third Party Tools like Zapier or CRMs.
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Right now I focus solely on building on Circle and often have clients migrating from platforms like Mighty Networks, Heartbeat, etc.
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I’ve worked in Circle since its launch in 2020 and have helped build or optimize over 30+ communities across a range of industries.
I’ve seen Circle’s product evolve overtime and feel confident in it’s future.
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Yes. You can see a selection of recent projects on my website under Case Studies, along with examples of different community structures and use cases.
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No. I specialize in setup, optimization, audits, and consultations.
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Yes, when capacity allows. Rush projects are assessed on a case-by-case basis and start at $500.
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A Discovery Call is required to confirm alignment before we begin. Because this is a hands-on setup service with significant time invested, refunds are not available. While this offering includes full implementation of your setup, the success of your community depends on ongoing engagement and maintenance.