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Real-World Case Study: Our Self-Hosting Journey

This case study shows our complete self-hosting journey with actual numbers, challenges we faced, and lessons learned. Use this as a reference for what to expect when implementing self-hosting in your own organization.

Starting Point​

Company Profile:

  • Industry: Marketing agency
  • Size: 5 employees
  • Annual Revenue: £500K
  • Marketing Tech Spend: £774/month

Tools Before Self-Hosting:

  • HubSpot CRM: £400/month
  • Zapier: £200/month
  • Mailchimp: £75/month
  • Hotjar: £99/month
  • Total: £774/month = £9,288/year

Problems:

  • High monthly costs
  • Per-user pricing escalations
  • Limited customization
  • Vendor lock-in concerns
  • Data control issues

Decision to Self-Host​

Trigger:

  • Annual tool costs approaching £10K
  • Need for customization beyond SaaS limits
  • Desire for complete data control
  • Technical capability available

Assessment:

  • Calculated potential savings: £5,000+/year
  • Evaluated technical readiness: Yes
  • Planned implementation: 3-month timeline
  • Budgeted setup costs: £2,000

Implementation Timeline​

Month 1: Infrastructure & CRM

  • Week 1: Server setup, Docker installation
  • Week 2: Twenty CRM installation
  • Week 3: Data migration from HubSpot
  • Week 4: Team training and optimization

Month 2: Automation & Email

  • Week 1: n8n installation
  • Week 2: Workflow migration from Zapier
  • Week 3: Notifuse installation and email setup
  • Week 4: Contact migration and testing

Month 3: Custom Tools & Optimization

  • Week 1: Tech stack analyzer development
  • Week 2: User journey analyzer development
  • Week 3: Headshots AI platform setup
  • Week 4: Integration and optimization

Results & Savings​

Cost Savings:

  • Before: £774/month = £9,288/year
  • After (Year 1): £403/month = £4,840/year
  • After (Year 2+): £320/month = £3,840/year
  • Year 1 Savings: £4,448 (48%)
  • Year 2+ Savings: £5,448/year (59%)

Operational Benefits:

  • Complete data control
  • Unlimited customization
  • No per-user or per-task limits
  • Full API access
  • Competitive advantage with custom tools

Challenges Overcome:

  • Initial setup complexity (solved with documentation)
  • Email deliverability (solved with proper DNS setup)
  • Team training (solved with hands-on sessions)
  • Maintenance concerns (solved with automation)

Lessons Learned​

What Worked Well:

  • Phased implementation (one tool at a time)
  • Comprehensive documentation
  • Team involvement in setup
  • Regular backup testing
  • Community support for tools

What We'd Do Differently:

  • Start with simpler tools (n8n before CRM)
  • Allocate more time for testing
  • Set up monitoring earlier
  • Create runbooks before going live

Key Takeaways:

  • Self-hosting is viable for small teams
  • Significant cost savings achievable
  • Technical capability is essential (or access to it)
  • Maintenance is manageable with proper processes
  • Custom tools provide competitive advantage

Next: Review Common Pitfalls to Avoid to learn from mistakes, or check Next Steps & Resources for your action plan.