Booking systems make it easy for clients to schedule time with you without the back-and-forth of emails or phone calls. A proper booking session setup saves you time, reduces confusion, and gives clients a smooth experience from start to finish.
Whether you offer coaching, consulting, or group workshops, knowing how to set up your sessions correctly on startbuddi makes a big difference. This guide walks you through every step so you can get your bookings running without any guesswork.
Step 1: Choosing a Booking Type
Before anything else, decide what type of session you want to create on startbuddi.
One-on-One Sessions are private appointments between you and a single client. These work best for coaching calls, consultations, strategy sessions, or any service that requires personal attention.
Group Sessions allow multiple clients to book the same time slot. These are ideal for workshops, webinars, fitness classes, or training programs where one host serves several participants at once.
Pick the format that matches how you work. You can always create multiple session types for different services.
Step 2: Setting Up a One-on-One Session
Once you select the one-on-one option in startbuddi, you will need to fill in the basic details.
Session Title — Give your session a clear, professional name. Examples include Strategic Session, Consultation Call, or Coaching Session. A good title tells clients exactly what they are booking.
Description — Write a short summary of what the session covers. This is where you explain the value clients will get. A clear description builds trust and reduces the number of questions you receive before a call. Do not skip this field.
Session Duration — Choose how long the session will last. Common options include 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 60 minutes. Set a realistic time that matches the depth of your service.
Getting these details right is one of the most important parts of your booking session setup. It shapes how clients perceive your offer before they even book.
Step 3: Selecting the Meeting Format or Location
Next, choose how the session will take place. startbuddi gives you several options:
- Google Meet — Automatically generates a meeting link for each booking
- Zoom — Connects to your Zoom account and creates a unique link
- Phone Call — You or the client places a call at the scheduled time
- In-Person Meeting — You add a physical address where the meeting will happen
- Client-Specifies
Pick the format that fits your workflow. If you work remotely, Google Meet or Zoom is the easiest option. If you serve local clients, an in-person or phone option may work better.
Step 4: Adding Pricing and Currency
Set a price for your session and choose the right currency directly inside startbuddi. The platform supports common currencies including USD, Euro, and GBP.
Be specific about your pricing. Clients should never have to wonder what they will pay before booking. Clear pricing also filters out clients who are not ready to invest, which saves your time.
If you offer a free introductory call, you can set the price to zero. For paid services, enter the exact amount and match the currency to your target market.
Step 5: Choosing Your Booking Color on startbuddi
startbuddi lets you assign a color to each session type you create. This is a small but useful feature. Colors help you stay organized when you have multiple session types on your calendar. At a glance, you can tell which sessions are consultations, which are coaching calls, and which are group workshops.
The color you select also appears in the booking invitation that your client receives. Consistent use of color creates a more polished experience and makes your communications look intentional and professional.
Step 6: Understanding the Booking Link
Once you complete your booking session setup in startbuddi, the platform automatically generates a unique booking link for your session. You do not need to type or create this link manually.
This link is what you share with clients. You can paste it into emails, add it to your website, or include it in your social media bio. The link only becomes active after you publish the session, so no one can access it before you are ready.
Step 7: Payment and Approval Settings
Two important settings in StartBuddi control how bookings are confirmed.
Require Payment Before Confirmation — With this enabled, clients must pay at the time of booking before the appointment is locked in. This is ideal for paid services where you want to avoid no-shows or unconfirmed slots.
Require Approval Before Confirmation — This setting puts you in control. A booking is not confirmed until you manually review and approve it. Use this when you want to screen clients before committing to a session, especially for high-value or selective services.
You can enable one, both, or neither depending on how you run your business.
Step 8: Publishing the Booking
Once everything looks good, publish your session on startbuddi. Publishing makes the booking link live and accessible to clients. After publishing, clients can visit the link, choose a time that works for them, and complete the booking process on their own.
You will receive a notification when someone books, and the appointment will appear on your startbuddi calendar automatically. No manual entry needed. If you want a full walkthrough of what happens after publishing, including how to select the client, assign a host, and send a confirmation email, check out the step-by-step guide on how to create a booking event on startbuddi.
Step 9: Group Session Capacity
If you chose the group session format, you will need to set a participant limit inside startbuddi. This tells the system how many people can book the same time slot before it closes.
For example, you might set a limit of 4 participants for a small mastermind group, 6 participants for a workshop, or 5 participants for a fitness class. Once the limit is reached, the time slot becomes unavailable for new bookings automatically.
Setting the right capacity ensures you are never overbooked and that every participant gets a quality experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. startbuddi lets you create as many session types as you need. You can set up a one-on-one session for private consultations and a separate group session for workshops or classes, all from the same account.
Once the maximum number of participants you set has been reached, startbuddi automatically closes that time slot. New clients will no longer be able to book it, which prevents overbooking without any manual action from you.
No. startbuddi generates the booking link automatically once you complete your booking session setup. You just need to publish the session and the link becomes live and ready to share with clients.
Yes. startbuddi includes a setting that requires clients to pay at the time of booking before the appointment is confirmed. This helps reduce no-shows and ensures your time is protected for every session you schedule.
Conclusion
A well-organized booking session setup on startbuddi removes friction for both you and your clients. From choosing the session type and meeting format to setting pricing, approval rules, and group capacity, each step plays a role in creating a professional experience.
Take the time to fill in every detail carefully. When your bookings are set up properly, clients feel confident, your calendar stays organized, and your business runs more smoothly. Start building your sessions on startbuddi today and make every appointment count.
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