Pavel Ketsuk’s SWAS Accelerator is a free learning platform that teaches the Software-with-a-Service (SWAS) agency model. The course is free, but you need to sign up for HighLevel’s free trial offer to access the full modules. This is because the SWAS Accelerator’s platform is funded by HighLevel’s affiliate program.

Basically, SWAS is an agency model that combines selling white-label SaaS and providing digital marketing services. In this model, the agency offers its clients a rebranded SaaS tool as a base service, teaches them how to use it, and then provides additional digital marketing services as upsells – like web design, SEO, Facebook or Google Ad campaigns, and more. 

In this review, you will learn more about the SWAS agency model, Pavel Ketsuk’s background, and the content of his free course. You will also discover whether Pavel’s approach to running a digital marketing agency is the best way to earn passive income.

Pavel Ketsuk's SWAS Accelerator Pros and Cons

How Does the SWAS Model Work?

The SWAS or Software-with-a-Service model works as a hybrid of providing digital marketing services and selling a rebranded SaaS tool (usually a CRM software like HighLevel). This means a digital marketer needs to buy or rent a white-label SaaS tool to make the SWAS model possible.

Here’s how SWAS usually works: (1) A digital marketer/agency rents or buys a white-label SaaS tool; (2) Rebrands the tool as their own; (3) Sell it to their clients at a recurring fee; and (4) Offers additional digital marketing services as upsells.

The SWAS Accelerator course teaches this exact same model – Pavel has his own rebranded SaaS tool from HighLevel, which he sells to his clients. On top of the software, he also offers SMM, SEO, Facebook/Google Ads, and web design as high-ticket services.

One of the advantages of this model is it reduces an agency's churn rate. When the client's customer relationship activities depend on your rebranded tool, it would be harder for them to cancel. And even if they do cancel the other services that you give (SEO, SMM, ad campaigns, etc.), they will still need to pay the recurring fee for your rebranded tool if they want to keep using it.

What Do You Get With SWAS Accelerator?

The SWAS Accelerator’s course outlines what you must do to set up a digital marketing agency under the SWAS model. This includes setting up your HighLevel account, choosing your brand and niche, client acquisition, building your team by hiring VAs, and some bonuses.

Here are SWAS Accelerator’s course modules:

• Phase 0: Setting Up GHL for Success
• Phase 1: Model, Structure, Offer, Mindset
• Phase 2: Your Client Getting Funnel, Prospecting Deep Dive, & Closing Clients
• Phase 3: Client Success, Getting Case Studies, Referrals, Testimonials
• Phase 4: Hiring VAs to Manage The Business
• Phase 5: Bonuses

How To Sign Up with SWAS Accelerator?

To sign up for SWAS Accelerator, you need to provide your email and full name on the course’s landing page. You will then receive a verification email with your login credentials – you don’t have to use these at first, as the link should bring you directly to the course library.

You can initially watch the introduction and some bonus videos. To access the full course, you need to sign up for HighLevel’s free trial using Pavel Ketsuk’s affiliate link. Signing up with Pavel’s affiliate link should give you an extended free trial of 30 days instead of just 14 days.

You need to send a message to Pavel Ketsuk in Facebook for confirmation, so he can get you in to the full course. You can also email him with proof of your HighLevel trial.

What Is HighLevel?

HighLevel or GoHighLevel is an all-in-one CRM platform offering a white-labeled version of its SaaS service. As a white-label SaaS, HighLevel’s unlimited plan of $297 per month allows marketers and agencies to rebrand the same software and sell it to their customers (at the same price or higher). The platform itself includes a page builder, pipeline automation tool, social media integration tool, reputation management, and many other plugins. The same features are available on the rebranded software.

Who Is SWAS Accelerator For?

SWAS Accelerator is for anyone engaging in a digital marketing business, either as an agency or as an individual marketer. Since Pavel’s SWAS model relies on the HighLevel platform, you must also be willing to sign up for its free trial and/or potentially use it moving forward.

If you’re looking for in-depth learning on digital marketing techniques, then SWAS Accelerator may not be for you. The reason for this is that the course mainly focuses on building and running a SWAS digital marketing agency using the HighLevel tool. It only has a few bonus videos on actual digital marketing techniques, such as Facebook Ads, website building, and SEO.

What Do People Say About SWAS Accelerator?

SWAS Accelerator doesn’t have any existing reviews from third-party sites such as Trustpilot or Reddit. You can find some video testimonials on Pavel’s HighLevel affiliate landing page, which, of course, you should take with a grain of salt.

And here are some testimonials from Pavel’s private Facebook community.

Who Is Pavel Ketsuk?

Is a Digital Marketing Agency Worth It in 2024?

Yes, running a digital marketing agency is still worth it in 2024. There’s competition, but there’s also consistent growth in the digital marketing industry. According to a study published by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., global digital advertising and marketing is expected to reach $786.2 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 9%.

Also, digital marketing efforts are getting more and more complex and personalized, so getting help from an agency is becoming the most cost-efficient solution. This is especially true for small businesses that are less likely to afford an in-house digital marketing team. And 99.9% of businesses are categorized as small enterprises, data from the US Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy indicates.

Why Local Lead Generation Is a Better Model for Creating Passive Income?

The SWAS model is like a mixture of passive and “non-passive” income sources. You charge clients fees for digital marketing services you and your team perform (non-passive), and you’re also receiving monthly recurring fees for the usage of your rebranded software (passive).

But there is one problem: white-labeling is notorious for oversaturating a market. Since HighLevel launched the 40% affiliate share, YouTube and other social media platforms have been flooded with content creators (Pavel included) sharing their affiliate links. Those who sign up using these affiliate links will also be selling a rebranded tool. This means you have thousands of competitors selling the same white-labeled software with exactly the same features.

At the end of the day, you only have your existing and past clients as your “users,” which is not bad given the price of HighLevel’s white-label plan. But there should be a better way of earning passive income. And in my opinion, local lead generation best fits the bill.

The thing is, clients usually just want to get leads, especially small businesses. If you can provide these leads without all the hassle of running a complex CRM tool and other digital marketing stuff, they would be willing to pay you monthly.

And that’s exactly what local lead generation does. You rank a website locally in a specific niche, get leads, and rent your site out at a monthly recurring fee. Your website can stay at the top of search engines for a long time, so you can earn a passive income $500-$3000 per site for longer periods. The best thing about this model is you own the website as a digital real estate – a more stable resource than relying on a single SaaS tool.