If you run a small business, you know the pain of endless back-and-forth emails just to nail down a meeting time. Or the hassle of tracking client appointments in a color-coded spreadsheet that’s always one typo away from disaster. That’s where scheduling tools come in. But not all of them are built with real-world small businesses in mind.
This guide is for small business owners, managers, or anyone who’s tired of playing calendar Tetris and wants their team to look more organized than it feels. We’re diving deep into Setmore, a B2B scheduling and client management tool that claims to keep your appointments—and your sanity—on track. Here’s what it actually does, what it doesn’t, and how to get the most out of it without wasting your time or money.
What Is Setmore, Really?
Setmore is a cloud-based scheduling and client management platform. In plain English: it’s an online calendar where clients can book with you, your team can see who’s doing what, and reminders go out automatically so no one flakes. It aims to help small businesses—think salons, consultants, clinics, trainers, agencies, and even freelancers—ditch manual scheduling and focus on their actual work.
What Setmore Promises
- Let clients book appointments online 24/7
- Reduce no-shows with automated reminders
- Manage your team’s schedules in one place
- Keep a client database with notes and history
- Integrate with tools like Zoom, Google Calendar, and payment processors
Does it live up to the hype? Sometimes. Let’s dig in.
First Impressions: Setup and Usability
Getting Started
Signing up is straightforward. You fill in your business name, pick your working hours, and add staff. No credit card required for the free tier, which is a good sign—they’re not trying to trap you out of the gate.
Pro tip: Spend the extra 10 minutes setting up your services and availability right away. If you skip it, you’ll end up with a generic page that confuses clients.
The Dashboard
The main dashboard is clean and mostly self-explanatory. You see your appointments for the day, upcoming bookings, and quick links to client info or calendars. It’s not the prettiest interface on the market, but it’s not cluttered or overwhelming.
What’s good:
- No hidden menus or confusing jargon
- Easy to add staff and services
What could be better:
- Customizing the look and feel is limited (your logo, colors, etc. only go so far)
- The free plan has a Setmore watermark on client booking pages. Not a dealbreaker, but not ideal if you’re picky about branding.
Key Features: What Works and What Doesn’t
1. Online Booking
Clients get a secure URL to your booking page. They pick a service, select a staff member, and book a time. You both get confirmation instantly.
Why this matters:
No more “Does Tuesday at 3 work for you?” emails. Clients self-serve, and you get your evenings back.
What works:
- Booking page is mobile-friendly and easy to use
- You can embed it in your website or share via social media
What doesn’t:
- The look is generic unless you upgrade or use custom CSS (not available on all plans)
- Some advanced customizations (like intake forms) are paywalled
2. Calendar and Staff Scheduling
You see a color-coded calendar for your whole team. You can set working hours, add time off, and assign appointments.
What works:
- Drag-and-drop rescheduling is simple
- Staff get their own login and calendar
- Supports recurring appointments (good for ongoing clients)
What doesn’t:
- No fancy AI scheduling or “find best time” features—you set the hours, clients pick from what’s left
- If your team works weird shifts, setup can get tedious
3. Client Management
Setmore keeps a running list of clients, including appointment history and notes. Nothing fancy, but it’s better than sticky notes or a cluttered spreadsheet.
What works:
- Search clients by name, email, or phone
- Add private notes (e.g., “always late, prefers mornings”)
- Export client lists for email marketing or follow-ups
What doesn’t:
- No real CRM features—don’t expect deal tracking, sales pipelines, or automated emails
- Limited fields for custom client info
4. Reminders and Notifications
You can set up automatic email or SMS reminders for clients and staff. This cuts down on no-shows, which is huge if you bill for your time.
What works:
- Reminders are reliable and easy to set up
- You can customize the timing (e.g., 24 hours or 1 hour before)
What doesn’t:
- SMS reminders cost extra (unless you’re on a paid plan)
- You can’t customize messages much beyond basic text
5. Payments and Integrations
Setmore integrates with Stripe, Square, and PayPal for accepting payments at booking. It also connects with Zoom, Google Calendar, Office 365, and a handful of others.
What works:
- Clients can pay when they book—nice if you want prepayment or deposits
- Calendar sync is solid (no weird time zone bugs)
What doesn’t:
- Payment features are basic—no invoicing, no tipping, no partial payments
- Integrations library is small compared to bigger players
How To: Streamline Scheduling and Client Management with Setmore
Here’s how to actually get value from Setmore, step by step. Skip the bells and whistles—focus on what moves the needle.
1. Get Your Services and Staff Set Up
- List every service you offer (with clear names and durations)
- Add all your team members and set their availability
- If you have part-timers or rotating shifts, block off time as needed
Tip: Keep service options simple. Too many choices slow clients down.
2. Share Your Booking Link
- Copy your booking page URL and add it everywhere: website, email signature, social profiles
- Use the embed option if you want it directly on your website
Tip: If clients keep calling instead of booking online, move the link higher up on your site or use a QR code at your front desk.
3. Turn On Reminders
- Set up both email and SMS reminders (if you can afford the upgrade)
- Confirm your business time zone—this avoids awkward “I thought it was at 2” mix-ups
Tip: Test the booking flow yourself to catch any confusing steps.
4. Use the Client Database
- Add notes after each appointment—stuff like preferences or follow-up tasks
- Export your client list every so often as a backup (never trust any cloud tool 100%)
5. Sync Your Calendar
- Connect to your personal or team calendars so you’re not double-booked
- Set working hours and holidays early—don’t wait for a disaster
6. Collect Payments (Optional)
- If you want clients to prepay, set up Stripe or Square in the integrations menu
- Make sure your cancellation policy is clear (especially if you take deposits)
What You Can Ignore (For Now)
- Advanced automation: Setmore isn’t Zapier-level. If you want to automate complex workflows, you’ll hit a wall.
- Deep CRM tools: It’s not Salesforce, and that’s honestly fine for most small businesses.
- Custom branding: Unless you’re paying for the premium plan, Setmore’s branding will show on client-facing pages. Don’t let it slow you down—get bookings working first, then worry about looks.
Pricing: Is It Worth It?
Setmore has a free plan that works for solo operators or small teams. The paid plans add more staff, SMS reminders, payments, and branding options.
The honest take:
- The free version is good enough for many.
- If you need multiple staff logins, payments, or hate the Setmore branding, the paid plan isn’t outrageous ($12–$25/month at last check).
- Watch out for SMS charges—these can add up if you’re sending lots of reminders.
The Bottom Line
Setmore does what it says on the tin. It’s not life-changing software, but it’s a solid, reliable choice for small businesses that need to fix their scheduling mess without hiring an IT consultant. Don’t get distracted by features you don’t need. Set up the basics, see how it works for your team, and tweak as you go.
Keep it simple. Automate what you hate. If Setmore solves your biggest headache—even if it’s not perfect—it’s doing its job.