Growth plan90 days · Instagram · Facebook · LinkedIn

Khyber Pass Gallery · Laguna Beach · since 1980

Ninety days to make the gallery the most-seen rug house in Orange County.

A working plan for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn: the angles competitors are already winning with, the three funnels that turn attention into booked jobs and sold pieces, the GoHighLevel build that catches every lead, and a week-by-week creative calendar.

20competitors scraped
3revenue funnels
12weeks, planned
Stacked rugs and brass in the Khyber Pass Gallery showroom
01

Where we start

Forty-six years on Coast Highway, a collection where every piece is one of a kind, and four service lines the neighbours already trust. What is missing is not credibility. It is distribution.

Assets in hand

Ready to sell

Two new sites are live: the gallery and Khyber Pass Rug Care. A payment, booking and CRM spine is built and tested behind them (Stripe, Cal.com, GoHighLevel), waiting only on deployment.

Buy-now pieces run from $25 to $695. The significant rugs are by inquiry, with a deposit-to-hold flow ready.

Audience

Three buyers

Neighbours in Laguna, Newport and Dana Point who own rugs and need cleaning, repair or an appraisal.

Collectors and design lovers nationwide, buying provenance, not decor.

The trade: interior designers, stagers, set decorators and hotels who rent and buy in volume.

Gap

A footprint nobody maintained

An Instagram account and a Facebook Page existverified, but the old website never linked to either across its 38 pagesverified. Yelp shows a 5-star listing whose top review is a designer referring all her clientsverified, yet it still points at a retired domain.

And a 1988 Los Angeles Times feature, "Rambo's Man in Laguna", documents Sadiq supplying the costumes for Rambo IIIverified. Nobody has told that story online.

The one-line strategy

Lead with services for fast local revenue, use every service job to film the content that sells the collection, and turn the collection's provenance into the LinkedIn story that wins the trade.

02

What competitors are doing, and what we take from it

Twenty rug galleries, dealers and rug-care operators were scraped: their sites, offers and search-indexed Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn posts. Every angle below is tagged by how it was established.

verified seen on the competitor's own site or post   inferred reasonable from context, not directly observed

Angles worth stealing

Peter Pap · Claremont · Nazmiyal · Khazai

Owner on camera, first personverified

Antique rugs are a trust purchase. A named person who 'personally selected' the piece collapses the authenticity question into 'do I trust him'. The dealers do it in writing; none of them do it on video.

Khyber Pass versionSadiq opens every reel with a three-second identification ('this is a 1960s Baluch from Herat') before the wash, the story or the price. A weekly first-person post: 'I bought this in 1984 from...'.
Mountain Rug Cleaning · Khazai · Thomas Rug Cleaning (LA)

Filth-to-reveal wash reelsverified

Guaranteed narrative arc, sensory payoff, near-zero production cost because the wash happens anyway. Mountain Rug Cleaning posts pull 200k to 9M views; a Khazai Yelp reviewer 'stopped in after seeing an ad reel on Instagram'. No Orange County cleaner does it at volume.

Khyber Pass versionEvery wash gets filmed top-down. Title formula: shock adjective + rug identity + reveal promise. Laguna's version of the dirty-water beat: weigh the beach sand each rug gives up, on camera.
Claremont · Matt Camron · Rug & Kilim · Nazmiyal (trade)

Try it in your homeverified

Colour and scale are the two reasons people do not buy. Claremont absorbs two-way shipping for up to three rugs per room; letting the rug sit in the room for a weekend removes both objections.

Khyber Pass version'Laguna Home Try-On': for Laguna, Newport and Dana Point addresses Sadiq brings up to three rugs, lays them out and leaves them for the weekend, no charge. One carousel of the same room with three rugs sells the idea.
Nazmiyal · Rug & Kilim · Aga John

One rug, one storyverified

Per-piece essays ('saffron palmettes the size of a hand') turn a listing into an object of desire. Aga John's 'this week's rug' cadence trains followers to return. Only Matt Camron names its Afghan workshops; nobody has first-hand field provenance.

Khyber Pass version'Rug of the Week' with a fixed template: tribe or region, when and where Sadiq found it, what the motif means, one honest condition note, the price or 'by inquiry'. Pair each with a 1970–72 Nuristan photograph.
Claremont · Nazmiyal · Esmaili

Teach the framework, then sell from itverified

Claremont's six-level 'Rug Pyramid' and nine-point method turn connoisseurship into a checklist readers apply to Claremont's own inventory. Nazmiyal's 'Heriz vs Gorevan' posts run on curiosity gaps.

Khyber Pass version'Tribal 101' carousel series: how to read a Turkmen gul, five things Sadiq checks before he buys, village versus city rug in sixty seconds, what abrash tells you. Each ends on one buy-now piece under $700.
Khazai (photo appraisal hero) · Landry & Arcari · Rug Ideas

Free rug check-up as the lead magnetverified

Value curiosity is a lower-commitment ask than 'book a clean'. Khazai's homepage leads with an online photo appraisal, not cleaning. Every appraisal exposes cleaning and repair needs and captures a contact.

Khyber Pass versionThe old site's hero already says 'schedule a rug appraisal' with no form behind it. Add a three-photo upload (front, back, corner), a written opinion in 48 hours, then the quote. Film the reactions: 'Is my grandmother's rug worth anything?'
Persian Rug Cleaning Co (10-step) · SoCal Rug Masters · Khazai

Numbered process and facility proofverified

Turns a black box into a checklist, justifies a price above carpet cleaners, and answers 'will you ruin my rug' before it is asked.

Khyber Pass versionPublish the seven-step Gallery Wash with a photo per step, pin a sixty-second walkthrough on Instagram, and include the dye-bleed test and pH-neutral soap on camera.
Khazai · SoCal Rug Masters · Gentle Genie

Frictionless pickup, white-gloveverified

The rug is heavy and the customer is busy. Khazai moves the furniture, vacuums and mops under the rug, and puts it all back. Free pickup above a threshold ($400 to $500 in Orange County) is the going offer.

Khyber Pass version'Free Orange County pickup on cleans over $400; we move the furniture and put it back.' The van, the doorstep and the mop-under-the-rug moment are a reel.
Peter Pap · Nazmiyal · SoCal Rug Masters

Guarantee and a written cardverified

Peter Pap's money-back guarantee on age, authenticity and condition pre-empts the fear of fakes and hidden repairs. SoCal Rug Masters promises re-clean, re-repair or refund. Galleries only guarantee the expensive pieces.

Khyber Pass versionEvery piece, even a $45 bag face, ships with a signed Gallery Card: origin, tribe, approximate age, dyes, honest condition, Sadiq's signature. Every clean returns with an identification card, which is the appraisal upsell in disguise.
Rug & Kilim · Old New House · Nazmiyal · Jaipur Living

Designer trade program, spelled outverified

Designers buy repeatedly and bring rooms to photograph. Rug & Kilim lists nine concrete perks; Old New House gives trade priority access. Only Rug & Kilim and Jaipur Living work LinkedIn at all, and no Southern California gallery is there with a trade offer.

Khyber Pass version'Khyber Pass for Designers': trade pricing, borrow-for-install-day on approval, first look at tribal arrivals, on-site cleaning and repair for client rugs. The one Yelp review the gallery has is a designer referring every client; formalise it.
Nazmiyal (film, TV, staging) · Lawrence of La Brea

Rentals for staging, film and eventsverified

Nazmiyal runs a dedicated rentals page for film, television, staging and events. Among twenty competitors only Lawrence of La Brea markets it locally, and nobody courts stagers or set decorators on LinkedIn.

Khyber Pass versionThe gallery already lists rug and decor rentals. Sadiq supplied the costumes for Rambo III; that is the LinkedIn hook. Post three dressed rooms, a turnaround promise (out Monday, back Friday) and a same-day quote form.
Old New House · Landry & Arcari · Revival Rugs

Entry-price antiques, shown with the priceverified

Old New House sells 2x2.5 antique mats and fragment sets as an affordable way to own something genuinely old. Landry's tribal pieces start at $1,100 and Lawrence at $6,750, so a real one-of-a-kind under $700 is an unclaimed position.

Khyber Pass versionMerchandise the $25 to $695 tier as 'your first antique': bag faces, chuvals, saddle bags, mats, the 1971 prints. Prices in every caption. A gift guide by price band for the season.
Esmaili (15% off, dated, auto-applied) · Revival (buy two, save 15%)

Dated promotions, small tier onlyverified

A reason and a deadline without cheapening the antiques. Esmaili's 'Summer Serenity' runs two weeks, sitewide, code-free.

Khyber Pass versionNever discount the significant rugs. An Anniversary Week around the 1980 founding date and a standing 'Pair & Save' on bags, mats and pillows for gifting.
SoCal Rug Masters · Khazai

Rug specialist, not a carpet cleanerverified

Reframes the $0.70-per-square-foot carpet-cleaner quote as a risk rather than a bargain and justifies a price seven to ten times higher. Dealer's-eye identification is the one claim pure cleaners cannot copy.

Khyber Pass version'Before we wash it, we tell you what it is.' A cautionary reel: what a steam cleaner did to this Baluch (dye bleed). No Orange County competitor guarantees pet-odour removal; own 'pet odour gone or we re-wash free'.

Offers the market has trained buyers to expect

OfferWho runs itOur call
Free two-way shipping on approval, up to 3 rugs, 2–3 days at homeClaremontverifiedBeat it locally: dealer-delivered weekend try-on in South Orange County, no shipping at all.
Free shipping on all purchasesNazmiyal, Peter Pap, Landry & ArcariverifiedTable stakes for buy-now pieces; fold into price. Sadiq to confirm the rate.
Money-back guarantee on age, authenticity, conditionPeter PapverifiedMatch it, and extend it down to every piece with the Gallery Card.
Designer trade program with itemised perksRug & Kilim, Old New House, Jaipur LivingverifiedBuild 'Khyber Pass for Designers', LinkedIn-first. Terms are Sadiq's decision.
Rug rentals for film, staging, eventsNazmiyal, Lawrence of La BreaverifiedAlready offered; market it. Rambo III is the story.
Online photo appraisal as the homepage heroKhazaiverifiedAdopt as Funnel A's top: three-photo upload, 48-hour written opinion.
Free pickup above $400–500, furniture moved and replacedKhazai, SoCal Rug Masters, Gentle GenieverifiedMatch at $400 within Orange County. Sadiq to confirm the radius.
Published per-square-foot pricing by fibre (wool $5, silk $8) with re-clean or refund guaranteeSoCal Rug Masters, Laundry ButlerverifiedPublish 'from' prices and a size calculator on Rug Care; keep restoration by quote. Galleries all hide pricing, which reads as the weaker offer.
Financing (Affirm, Klarna)Esmaili, Rug & KiliminferredSkip for 90 days. Nothing in the buy-now tier needs it; by-inquiry rugs use the deposit-to-hold instead.
Dated sitewide promo, auto-appliedEsmaili, RevivalverifiedSmall tier only: Anniversary Week and Pair & Save.
Events, lectures, exhibition booklet by emailPeter Pap, Nazmiyal, Doris Leslie Blauverified'Nuristan 1970–72' photo exhibition night in the gallery with RSVP capture, tied to Laguna's art-walk calendar.
Mailing list promising new arrivals, auctions, lecturesNazmiyal, Landry & ArcariverifiedEvery form already captures consent; a monthly 'Sadiq's Notebook' letter from GoHighLevel.

Where nobody is standing

  • First-hand Afghan and tribal provenance told with a documentary photo archive. No competitor has a personal field history; the 1970–72 Nuristan photographs are unrepeatable.
  • An Orange County rug-wash video channel. Only Thomas Rug Cleaning in Los Angeles does the genre nearby, and no OC cleaner posts transformation reels at volume.
  • Dealer-delivered home try-on within Laguna and South Orange County. Claremont's approval program ships from Oakland.
  • Genuine one-of-a-kind tribal pieces at transparent buy-now prices under $700. The nearest gallery starts at $1,100.
  • The owner on camera. Only DTC brands use short video heavily; the antique dealers are static photos and long text.
  • A free ten-minute rug check-up as a stated offer. Appraisal is sold everywhere; nobody offers the free read.
  • Retail and services marketed as one loop: buy, clean, repair, appraise, trade up. Competitors that do both market them separately.
  • LinkedIn for Orange County designers, stagers, set decorators and estate professionals. Only Rug & Kilim and Jaipur Living post there at all.
  • A pet-odour guarantee. No Orange County competitor promises it.
  • Afghan-specific care expertise. Every competitor says 'Persian and Oriental'; Khyber Pass is the Baluch, Turkmen and kilim specialist.
  • Listing hygiene: Yelp and Yahoo still point at a retired domain, MapQuest calls it a fine-art gallery, and two 800 numbers conflict. Cheap wins before a dollar is spent.

Competitor snapshot

CompetitorTierPositioningFunnel mechanicsFormats seen
Claremont Rug Companyno handle on sitenational"Antique Oriental Art Carpets" — "The only Oriental rug company ever honored as Robb Report's 'Best of the Best.'" Sells art-level 19th-century Persian and Caucasian tribPhone-first (800 number on every page top and bottom) → high-res online inventory (1,000+ rugs) with login/wish list → 'Request Photos & Rugs on Approval' form → free appshowroom photography, client room-shots gallery, long-form educational articles, founder letters
Doris Leslie Blauno handle on sitenationalNYC/DC antique and vintage rug gallery selling primarily to interior designers and architects (inferred from staff LinkedIn roles; site did not scrape).Designer relationships and showroom events; sales staff dedicated to designers/architects. Site copy not captured, so no form/newsletter evidence.in-showroom designer events, designer collaborations
Esmaili Rugs@esmailirugs · fb/EsmailiRugs · li/esmaili-rugs-national"Hand-Curated Luxury by Esmaili Rugs Dallas" — "sources, restores, and curates heirloom-quality textiles for discerning collectors, architects, hoteliers, and interior deShopify e-commerce with cart and account login, sitewide promo bar, deep filter taxonomy (category / size / age / 28 colors), design blog for SEO, showroom in Dallas. Newe-commerce listings, blog articles, promo bars, YouTube channel (handle present, content not captured)
Jaipur Livingno handle on sitenational"Since 1978, Jaipur Living has redefined rug making—where the value lies not just in the rugs themselves, but in the hands that create them."B2B: trade partner registration → project lists → showroom/dealer events; LinkedIn company page posts collection launches; Instagram (81K followers, 2,329 posts) drives breels (HQ tour, room styling), styled room-shots, LinkedIn collection launches, dealer event reshares
Landry & Arcarino handle on sitenationalFamily-owned since 1938 rug and carpet retailer: "Over 20,000 satisfied customers · Family owned and operated since 1938 · Over 100,000 unique handwoven rugs sold · CertiShopify e-commerce with visible prices (tribal rugs $1,100–$7,300) → newsletter → showrooms (Boston/Salem) → wishlist. 'New rugs added daily' drives return visits.product grid / new arrivals, collection landing pages, newsletter
Nazmiyal Antique Rugs@nazmiyal · fb/NazmiyalAntiqueRugs · li/nazmiyal-rugsnational"Explore One of the World's Most Comprehensive Collections of Handwoven Rugs" — built on three pillars: "Unmatched Inventory Depth, Rigorous Authenticity Standards, and EE-commerce (cart/checkout/wishlist) + contact form + phone + direct email to named experts (jason@, alen@, farhad@) → mailing list → trade program registration → auctionssingle-rug photo + long descriptive caption (FB), bold-unicode headline captions, SEO blog posts, founder essa
Old New House@oldnewhouse · fb/oldnewhousenationalOnline one-of-a-kind vintage/antique rug dealer: "let Old New House® be your trusted resource for antique rugs, vintage carpets, and custom décor pieces."Shopify → trade registration form (EIN, business info, 24-hour confirmation, direct email md@) → repeat trade buyers. Consumer side: small entry-price pieces and fragmentproduct listings with size-first titles, trade pages
Peter Pap Oriental Rugs@peterpaprugs · fb/PeterPapOrientalRugsnational"For over 50 years, I've carefully chosen and vetted each piece ... selected for their authenticity, condition, artistry, beautiful color, and unique spirit ... fully traEmail inquiries@ and phone → gallery visits (Dublin NH; SF by appointment) → antique-show circuit → YouTube recaps → booklet request (email capture). No cart; inquiry-basevents/exhibitions, YouTube video recaps, exhibition booklet PDF, rug-type pages
Revival Rugs@revivalrugs · fb/revivalrugsnational"They ~~don't~~ make rugs like they used to. We're bringing back great rugs, from vintage to new." — DTC brand founded on "a quality rug shouldn't cost a month's rent."Promo bar → shop by size/room/color → quiz or design-consult form (upload room photo) → renderings → purchase; reviews (15,000 5-star) and press logos (WSJ) as proof; pai13–18s video ads, review-led product cards, quiz, room-photo upload tool
Rug & Kilimno handle on sitenational"more than purveyors of fine rugs—we are storytellers and custodians of a storied art form. Our passionate team led by Principal, Josh Nazmiyal..."Account-gated: trade pricing only visible to registered trade members; personal accounts for consumers; 'Schedule a consultation' + phone on every service page; Journal +LinkedIn long-form posts, collection edit pages, portfolio site, service pages with FAQs
Aga John Oriental Rugsno handle on sitelocal"Honoring the legacy and artistry of handmade & vintage rugs · Serving clients nationwide · West Hollywood • San Francisco" (Instagram bio).Instagram (carousels + reels) → phone call / DM → West Hollywood or SF showroom; designer trade via design-center presence.multi-image carousels (img_index up to 11), reels, weekly series
Lawrence of La Brea@lawrenceoflabrea · fb/lawrenceoflabrea · li/lawrence-of-la-brealocal"Luxury Rugs For Every Dance of Life" — "leading source of carefully curated one-of-a-kind, antique, high-quality rugs, and textiles ... As a family-owned business ... wePhone-first ('Call our expert rug team today, consultations are always free') → shop with prices → private appointment → services (cleaning/repair/rental/stairs) as repeaproduct grid with prices, virtual tour, services pages, blog
Mansour@mansourmodern · fb/Mansour-Mansour-Modern-1435425273373074local"The World's Largest Collection of Luxury Antique Rugs, Vintage Rugs, Reproduction Rugs, and Tapestries ... London - Los Angeles."Showroom-led (LA + London); newsletter keyword only. Instagram handle 'mansourmodern' suggests a separate modern sub-brand (inferred).unknown — social results were all unrelated Mansours
Matt Camron Rugs & Tapestriesno handle on sitelocal"The opportunities Matt Camron offers to create a custom rug that reflects a client's vision are nearly limitless." — custom + antique-reproduction rug house serving desiInquiry-only (call/email for pricing) → design meeting → rendering → strike-off; newsletter; designer showrooms staffed by territory managers (LinkedIn).process explainer, rug guides, newsletter
Rug Ideas@khosrow.sobhelocal"Rug Ideas, a 3rd Generation Full Service Family Business of Rugs, Animal Hides, Upholstery, Tapestry, and Fine Fabrics" — services-first (cleaning, repair, stain removalPhone (310-770-9085) + 'Sign up for specials' email → Yelp reviews → Facebook page (1,626 likes, 1,903 check-ins) → services drive retail.service pages with punchy taglines, Facebook page posts, Yelp
Jafri Oriental Rug Care (Albany NY / Hudson Valley)no handle on siterugcare'The Hudson Valley's Largest Showroom, Cleaning & Restoration Center' - 'Over 40 Years of Experience In Sales, Cleaning & Restoration'. Retail-first with services as fullPhone/contact form only. Google reviews block repeated on EVERY page (home, about, even careers) with 'Read More' links to per-review pages (SEO play by 'Galaxy SEO'). Sereview pages, service-area map, category tiles
Khazai Rug Cleaning (Lexington/Louisville KY; also claims DMV/DC)no handle on siterugcareDealer-turned-cleaner: 'Since we buy them, sell them, trade them, we know them' + '5 generations'. Homepage hero is NOT cleaning, it is an ONLINE PHOTO APPRAISAL lead magPaid IG reel -> walk-in/estimate (Yelp reviewer literally says 'stopped in after seeing an ad reel on Instagram'); homepage: photo-upload appraisal OR free estimate -> frphoto-upload appraisal form, sticky free-estimate bar, process video (FB), owner explainer (YouTube)
Lawrence of La Brea (LA gallery with services + rental) - non-rugcare tier, services page readno handle on siterugcareDesign-district gallery; services page frames care as continuation of the purchase: 'from the design to years of professional cleaning and repair'. Celebrity social proofContact/newsletter; no booking.long-form services page
Mansoor Oriental Rug Cleaning (Orange County)no handle on siterugcareUNKNOWN - site fetch failed, zero pages, all social snippets noise.No evidence.
Mountain Rug Cleaning (James; UK spelling 'Colourful')no handle on siterugcareNot a local-service funnel at all: a creator channel. FB bio: 'Hello, My name is James. Follow me if you like relaxing, satisfying, ASMR cleaning videos.' Monetizes attenReel/Short -> follow -> long-form YouTube 'Pure ASMR Sounds of Rug Cleaning' series -> game download / second channel. Engagement bait posts ('What do you think of my newFB/IG reels with view counts 127K-9.3M, long-form YouTube ASMR episodes, 2x-speed edits channel, TikTok @mount
Other national/local galleries (Nazmiyal, Claremont, Landry & Arcari, Peter Pap, Esmaili, Rug & Kilim, Revival, Old New House, Mansour, Aga John, Matt Camron, Jaipur, Doris Leslie Blau) - service-page sweepno handle on siterugcareServices are credentials, not products: Landry 'Certified by Oriental Rugs Retailers of America to appraise rugs' (since 1938, 20,000 customers); Nazmiyal '165+ years of Consultation/trade program/newsletter; services never have their own CTA.education hubs, trade programs, in-home consults
Persian Rug Cleaner OC@persianrugcleaner · fb/PersianRugCleanerrugcareScraped as an OC local; the agent found it is a Dallas company (Behnam Rugs division). Kept for its offer copy only.Phone + quote formbefore/after stills
Persian Rug Cleaning Co. (Dallas TX - mislabeled 'Persian Rug Cleaner OC' in seed)no handle on siterugcare'Rug Cleaning, Repair, Restoration Center' - 'Dallas-Fort Worth rug cleaning & repair experts since 1978. Specializing in Persian & Oriental hand-washing, restoration, anCall-first (phone number appears 6 times on homepage), service-area map, process video, contact form. Hours Mon-Sat.process video, service-area map, call CTA
Rug Ideas (Van Nuys, LA) - non-rugcare tierno handle on siterugcare'third generation family business specializing in professional rug cleaning'; 'When we say clean, we mean it.'; 'An Acclaimed, in-house Certified Rug Appraiser.'Yelp-led; newsletter; owner personal IG (khosrow.sobhe). FB page 1,626 likes.Yelp, newsletter

Method: a re-runnable Python scraper (Tavily API) in the project's research/ folder. Direct Instagram reads were not possible in this pass, so social evidence is limited to search-indexed posts and is labelled accordingly.

03

Positioning

Every competitor sells rugs. Almost none of them can say a family has been choosing them on the same street since 1980, with the photographs to prove where the pieces came from.

The line

Laguna's rug house since 1980. Every piece one of a kind, every rug cared for by the family that sold it.

Three proof points carry every post: the place (Coast Highway, forty-six years), the person (Sadiq on camera, Herat-born, hands on the wool, the man the Los Angeles Times once called "Rambo's man in Laguna") and the provenance (the 1970s Nuristan archive, tribal jewellery, the story behind each rug).

Voice

  • Museum-calm, never salesy. Captions read like a curator's label, then one plain sentence about what to do next.
  • Short on words, long on texture. Close-ups of pile, knots, fringe, dye. Hands in nearly every frame.
  • Never print inventory counts. "A variety", "one of a kind", "each unique on its own".

Per platform

Instagram

The gallery's visual front door. Reels for reach (wash, before/after, provenance), carousels for saves and depth (how to read a rug), Stories daily for the human side. Industry benchmarks put reels at roughly double the reach of stills for small accounts and carousels highest on engagementverified. Link-in-bio goes to one landing hub.

Facebook

Where Laguna and Orange County homeowners over forty actually are. Organic reach on Pages is close to zero nowverified, so Facebook's job is paid distribution of the same reels, local Groups and Marketplace, reviews, and being the Pixel and Ads home.

LinkedIn

Not for consumers. Sadiq's personal profile leads, the company page follows; personal profiles outperform pages and native document posts (a swipeable PDF) outperform every other formatverified. Audience: designers, stagers, set decorators, hotels, estate attorneys. Offers: rentals, trade program, insurance and estate appraisals.

04

Three funnels, one spine

Each funnel already has its endpoint built into the new sites. The plan's job is to fill the top and make sure nothing leaks in the middle.

Funnel A — Rug Care (fastest revenue)

Attention
Wash and before/after reels

Instagram + Facebook, boosted locally within 15 miles.

Click
Rug Care quote form

Photo, size, service, pickup address. Instant confirmation SMS.

Book
Cal.com pickup slot

Two-phase: the lead is saved before the calendar loads.

Deliver
Job + filmed content

Every pickup is a reel. Consent line lives on the form.

Return
Review, cross-sell, reminder

Google review at day 2, appraisal offer at day 14, cleaning reminder at 12 months.

Funnel B — Buy-now pieces ($25 to $695)

Attention
Piece of the week

Carousel: the piece, the detail, the origin, the price.

Click
Piece page

Catalogue number, provenance, cart. Retargeted if abandoned.

Buy
Stripe Checkout

One-of-one reservation while in cart; sold means gone.

Return
Care guide + next piece

Thank-you email with care notes, then a related piece 10 days later.

Funnel C — Significant rugs by inquiry (highest ticket)

Attention
Provenance story reel

Where it was woven, who wove it, how it got to Laguna.

Click
Inquiry form

Piece pre-filled. Sadiq calls within 24 hours.

Commit
Deposit to hold

Built: a refundable deposit reserves the rug.

See it
In-home trial

The offer the top galleries all run. Rug delivered, lived with, decided.

Close
Sale + trade tag

Designers who buy once get the trade program.

LinkedIn feeds Funnel C and the rentals line

Trade inquiries (designers, stagers, film, hotels) land in their own pipeline with a trade-program reply. Rentals inquiries get a same-day quote. Both are the same form on the site with a different intent field, so nothing new needs building.

05

The GoHighLevel build

One sub-account. Every form on both sites already posts a normalised event to the API, which forwards it to GoHighLevel through an inbound webhook. Nothing on the sites changes when the CRM goes live.

Pipelines

PipelineStagesEnters from
Rug CareNew quote → Contacted → Pickup scheduled → In progress → Delivered → Review requested → Won / LostBoth Rug Care quote forms, missed-call text-back, Cal.com bookings
Collection inquiryNew → Contacted → Deposit held → In-home trial → Won / LostPiece inquiry form, special-order form, deposit webhook
Trade & rentalsLead → Call booked → Proposal → Active accountBooking form with trade or rental intent, LinkedIn DMs logged manually
Customers (no stages, a list)Tagged on Stripe purchaseStripe checkout completed webhook

Custom fields

  • Piece: slug, catalogue number, price tier (buy-now / by-inquiry)
  • Service: type (cleaning, repair, appraisal, rental), rug size, pickup address, preferred window
  • Money: deposit amount, Stripe session id, order total
  • Booking: Cal.com booking id, event type, confirmed time
  • Attribution: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content, first landing page

Tags

src:instagram src:facebook src:linkedin src:google · form:quote form:inquiry form:booking form:special-order · customer trade rental vip

Workflows (eight, in build order)

  1. New lead alert: SMS + email to Sadiq in under a minute, auto-reply to the lead with a real sentence, not a template smell.
  2. Missed-call text-back: every unanswered call to the gallery line gets a text within 30 seconds.
  3. Quote follow-up: three touches at day 0, 2 and 5 if no reply; stops the moment they answer.
  4. Appointment reminders: Cal.com booking → reminder 24 h and 2 h before pickup.
  5. Review request: two days after Delivered, a Google review link, one nudge a week later.
  6. Twelve-month cleaning reminder: date-based, with the original invoice amount as the anchor.
  7. Abandoned checkout: Stripe session expired → one email the next morning, piece still available.
  8. Purchase thank-you: care guide, story of the piece, and a related-piece note ten days later.

Publishing: GoHighLevel's Social Planner schedules Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn from one calendar, so the creative calendar below is loaded once a month. Conversation AI is not switched on in the first 90 days; every reply is Sadiq's or ours.

06

Systems map

Free tiers wherever possible. The only recurring costs are GoHighLevel and ad spend.

LayerSystemRoleState
SitesAstro on Cloudflare Pages (gallery + Rug Care)Every landing page, piece page and form. Self-hosted images.Live; image mirror and API hookup ready to deploy
SpineCloudflare Worker + KV (khyberpass-api)Normalises every form and payment into one event log, fans out to the systems below. Replayable if anything is down.Built, 106 tests, not deployed
CRMGoHighLevelPipelines, workflows, SMS/email, Social Planner, review requests.To build (section 05)
PaymentsStripe CheckoutBuy-now pieces, deposits to hold. Webhooks close the loop into the CRM.Code ready; needs keys
SchedulingCal.comPickup, appraisal, assessment and consult slots on Sadiq's own Google Calendar.Code ready; needs account + event types
EmailResendTransactional receipts and lead copies so no lead is ever lost, even if the CRM is down.Code ready; needs key
TrackingMeta Pixel + Conversions API, Cloudflare Web AnalyticsPixel on both sites; server events from the Worker for Purchase, Lead, Schedule.To add (week 1)
LocalGoogle Business ProfileReviews, hours, photos, the map pin every service lead checks.Claim and verify (week 1)
ReachInstagram, Facebook Page, LinkedIn Page + Sadiq's profileOwned channels. Meta Business Suite ties Instagram, Facebook and Ads together.Instagram + Facebook exist, dormant; LinkedIn to create (week 1)
PaidMeta Ads ManagerLocal services campaign, collection retargeting.Week 3 onward
Integration rule

Every integration switches on by the presence of its key. Adding Stripe, Cal.com, Resend or the CRM is a secret set on the Worker, never a code change, and a missing key degrades to a logged lead rather than an error.

07

Twelve weeks of creative

Cadence: Instagram four posts a week (two reels, one carousel, one still) plus daily Stories; Facebook mirrors the reels and adds one local post a week; LinkedIn two posts a week. Assumed start: Monday 14 September 2026, so weeks 9 to 12 land in the gifting season.

Month 1 — Open the doors

Weeks 1–4 · 14 Sep to 11 Oct · Theme: the people and the wash
Week 1
Meet the gallery
  • Reel Sadiq opens the shop at dawn, one line: "Same door since 1980."
  • Reel First rug wash, top-down, no talking, water and wool.
  • Carousel The room: five corners of the showroom.
  • LinkedIn Founder post: 46 years, what changed, what did not.
Week 2
Before and after
  • Reel A stained runner arrives, leaves clean. Split-screen.
  • Reel "What your rug is trying to tell you": three wear signs.
  • Still Hands on the pile, close. Caption: the appraisal offer.
  • LinkedIn Insurance and estate appraisals: what a certified report contains.
Week 3
The pickup
  • Reel Pickup day in Laguna: van, doorstep, the rug rolled.
  • Reel Fringe repair, macro, 20 seconds.
  • Carousel How we clean: the six steps, one frame each.
  • FB local "Neighbours in Laguna, Newport, Dana Point: pickup is free this month."
Week 4
Proof
  • Reel A customer's living room, rug back in place, their words.
  • Reel Moth damage: what it looks like, what we do.
  • Still Sadiq with a client's rug and its story.
  • LinkedIn Rentals for staging and film: three rooms we dressed.

Month 2 — Provenance

Weeks 5–8 · 12 Oct to 8 Nov · Theme: where the pieces come from
Week 5
Nuristan, 1971
  • Reel The Kamdesh photograph and the journey behind it.
  • Reel "Rambo's man in Laguna": the 1988 LA Times story, retold by Sadiq.
  • Carousel Piece of the week: catalogue number, detail, origin, price.
  • LinkedIn Provenance as a design story: why designers ask for it.
Week 6
How to read a rug
  • Reel Knot count in ten seconds, with a coin for scale.
  • Reel Natural dye vs synthetic: the back tells you.
  • Carousel Five motifs and what they mean.
  • FB local Free rug-reading session in the gallery, Saturday.
Week 7
Jewellery and small treasures
  • Reel Tribal silver on a wool ground, turning.
  • Reel Pillows from kilim fragments: one cut, one sewn.
  • Carousel Under $200: six buy-now pieces.
  • LinkedIn The trade program: how designers buy from us.
Week 8
The significant rugs
  • Reel One by-inquiry rug unrolled in the showroom, full length.
  • Reel "Try it in your home": how the trial works.
  • Still Deposit-to-hold explained in two sentences.
  • LinkedIn A hotel or set project, before and after.

Month 3 — The season

Weeks 9–12 · 9 Nov to 6 Dec · Theme: gifting, trade and the year's close
Week 9
Gifts with a story
  • Reel Photography prints framed, on a wall, the 1971 story in a sentence.
  • Reel Wrapping a pillow in the gallery; ships nationwide.
  • Carousel Gift guide by price: under $100, under $300, under $700.
  • LinkedIn Corporate gifting and client thank-yous with provenance.
Week 10
Clean before the guests
  • Reel Holiday-ready: pickup now, back before Thanksgiving.
  • Reel Red wine on wool, live stain removal.
  • Still Gallery at night, lights on, open late.
  • FB local Holiday hours and the cleaning cut-off date.
Week 11
Designers' week
  • Reel A designer picks three rugs for one room; we deliver all three.
  • Reel Rental turnaround: out Monday, back Friday.
  • Carousel Trade: how it works, who qualifies, what you get.
  • LinkedIn Open call: Orange County designers, come see the back room.
Week 12
Year's close
  • Reel Twelve weeks in ninety seconds: the best moments.
  • Reel Sadiq's favourite piece of the year and why.
  • Still Thank you, Laguna. Reviews on screen.
  • LinkedIn What we learned, what we are doing in January.

Production reality

Two shoot days a month at the gallery cover everything above. Day one: showroom, pieces, Sadiq to camera. Day two: the wash floor and one real pickup. Phone-shot is fine; a tripod, a lav mic and window light are the whole kit.

Every service job is content. A consent line on the quote form ("we may film the cleaning process") makes the before/after library grow on its own.

Captions are written in batches from the shot list, in the curator voice, ending in one plain call to action: book a pickup, see the piece, message us.

Stories daily need no plan: what came in, what went out, one question box a week. Highlights: Wash, Before/After, Pieces, Visit, Reviews.

09

Launch sequence

Two weeks of setup, then content starts. Items already built are marked done.

  • Gallery and Rug Care sites live on Cloudflare Pagesdone
  • Payment, booking and CRM spine built and tested (Stripe, Cal.com, GoHighLevel, Resend)done
  • Catalogue images self-hosted, page weight halveddone, awaiting deploy
  • Deploy the image mirror and the API Worker; rebuild both sites against itBryan · week 1
  • Recover admin access to the existing Instagram and Facebook Page, create the LinkedIn Page, connect all three in Meta Business Suite; claim Google Business Profile and fix the Yelp website fieldBryan + Sadiq · week 1
  • Meta Pixel on both sites; Conversions API from the Worker; Cloudflare Web AnalyticsBryan · week 1
  • GoHighLevel sub-account: pipelines, fields, tags, the eight workflows, Social Planner connected to all three channelsBryan · week 1–2
  • Cal.com: four event types on Sadiq's Google Calendar; webhook secret on the WorkerSadiq + Bryan · week 2
  • Stripe live keys and webhook; one $25 test purchase end to endSadiq + Bryan · week 2
  • Shoot day one: showroom, pieces, Sadiq to camera; shoot day two: wash floor and a pickupSadiq + Bryan · week 2
  • Month 1 captions written and loaded into Social Planner; bios, highlights and link hub setBryan · week 2
  • Content liveweek 3
  • Services campaign live once the Pixel shows Lead eventsweek 3
  • Custom domains and the 301 map from the old site, so search equity moves with usBryan · week 4
10

Decisions needed

Everything above runs without these, but each one unlocks a funnel fully.

Sadiq

  • Deposit amount and refund policy for holding a significant rugFunnel C
  • In-home trial: yes or no, and for how many daysFunnel C
  • Shipping rate and sales-tax handling for buy-now piecesFunnel B
  • Which Google account hosts the Cal.com event typesFunnel A
  • Free pickup radius and the cleaning prices to publish. Orange County anchors: wool $5, silk $8 per square foot, free pickup above $400 to $500Funnel A
  • Trade program terms for designersLinkedIn
  • Ad budget approvalPaid
  • Rug Care slogan pick (three drafts waiting)Brand

Bryan

  • Deploy go on the image mirror and the API spineWeek 1
  • Which GoHighLevel account hosts the sub-accountWeek 1
  • Logo: the line-art K or the current lockup for social avatarsWeek 1
  • Raise the six-image cap on piece pages for the multi-image setsWeek 2
  • Open Meta Ad Library in Chrome for Nazmiyal, Rug & Kilim, Revival, Khazai, Jaipur and Thomas Rug Cleaning; the scraper could not see behind the login5 min