Notion has become a darling of modern workplaces because it brings notes, tasks, databases, wikis and project‑management tools into one flexible hub.
With one tool you can sketch ideas, manage client pipelines and publish wikis – all without jumping between apps.
Its superpower? Like a box of legos, you can combine Notion’s blocks to create your perfect workflows and shape the tool to your needs (instead of having to follow what someone else thought would be a good idea)
But this flexibility comes at a cost.
As your team grows, Notion quickly transforms from a simple note‑taking app into a complex system that feels like programming.
Throw everyone into a workspace without a plan and you risk messy permissions, broken dashboards and wasted hours.
You can definitely figure it our yourself, but that means spending countless hours experimenting.
So, what’s the best way to roll out Notion to your organisation?
This guide walks you through four paths to building a Notion system: working with certified consultants, hiring one‑off freelancers, buying a template and learning Notion yourself.
Each option has its place and you might jump between them during your Notion journey.
By the end of this article, you’ll know which mix suits your needs.
What Certified Notion Consultants Do
Yes, Notion Consultants actually exist – but what do they actually do?
Certified Notion consultants are more than database designers or template builders.
They are process engineers and change‑management coaches.
A good Notion consultant will begin by understanding your needs — they dive into your workflows and pain points to learn what’s slowing you down.
They then use Notion’s building blocks to create a tailored workspace that fits your projects, team dynamics and management style.
If you want to take it one step further, Notion Consultants can often also assist with building automations on top of Notion.
Whereas the Notion system itself focuses on helping you streamline collaboration, project & knowledge management (i.e. the “meta work“), automations tackle your actual to-do list and often eliminate repetitive tasks.
Finally, consultants train your team, making sure everyone can navigate and maintain the system.
What Makes Notion Consultants Different?
- ✅ Deep discovery: Consultants spend time learning how your business operates before designing anything. This context allows them to build systems that actually solve bottlenecks rather than just looking neat.
- ✅ Custom workflows: Rather than forcing your processes into a rigid template, they build structures around your unique way of working.
- ✅ Automation & integration: A good consultant implements automations and connects external tools so you stop wasting time on manual updates.
- ✅ Training & support: They ensure your team knows how to use the system and provide ongoing help.
- ✅ Organisational insight: Experienced consultants understand change management and team dynamics. Ben Borowski puts it well: hiring a consultant who understands organisational dysfunction and process engineering is more important than one who is simply “great at Notion”.
Working with a certified consultant isn’t cheap.
Prices for initial workspace setups typically start at $5,000 and can go up to $25,000 depending on the complexity involved and number of team members that require training.
Typically, this money is well invested. The price reflects the deep discovery work and long‑term value of having an efficient system.
Curious about the potential ROI of implementing Notion? You can use this handy Notion ROI calculator.
If you’re convinced that this is the right route to go, then there’s only one question remaining: how do you find the right Notion Consultant?
Option 1 – Work With A Team Of Certified Consultants
A full‑service consultancy like Matthias Frank Consulting brings a team of experts to build, train and maintain your Notion system.
It’s ideal when you’re scaling quickly and can justify the investment.
Why Choose A Team?
- 🚀 Custom solution that scales: Notion appears simple, but it becomes exponentially more complicated as you scale up to meet team demands. Certified consultants design workspaces with permissions, databases and integrations that grow with you. They can replicate complex workflows such as content planning or sales pipelines across teams.
- 📈 Change‑management expertise: Consultants know that technology is only part of the job. Organisational challenges often outweigh the technical ones. An experienced team on your side helps you set expectations, communicate new processes and avoid chaos.
- 🎓 Comprehensive training: Engagements typically include workshops and documentation so staff feel confident using the system. This training is vital when Notion’s steep learning curve would otherwise overwhelm your team.
- 💡 Long‑term partnership: A consultancy isn’t just a one‑off fix. You get access to an ongoing resource for updates, maintenance and strategic advice.
- 💰 Higher upfront investment: Full builds usually start around US $10k which requires significant free cashflow
Ideal For
Scaling startups and established teams (15–150 employees) that need a robust, integrated system and can justify the return on investment.
If you want to reduce tool sprawl, align teams and save hours each week, this is the option for you.
Option 2 – Hire One‑Off Technical Support
You might be tempted to hire a freelancer from platforms like Fiverr to build a quick Notion solution.
This approach is cost‑effective and flexible: outsourcing sites offer affordable services at various price points and provide access to a wide range of skilled providers.
Freelancers can deliver work quickly, giving you a fast turnaround.
When One‑Off Help Works
- ✅ Clear, small projects: If you know exactly what you need — such as adding a dashboard or fixing a formula — a gig can be perfect.
- ✅ Budget sensitive: Paying per task makes sense for individuals or small teams.
Risks To Consider
- ⚠️ Quality control: Open marketplaces don’t guarantee expertise. Make sure you trust the freelancer and verify through case studies.
- 🌐 Communication challenges: Language barriers and different time zones can lead to misunderstandings and delays.
- 🚫 Limited scope: Freelancers are great for one-off improvements but they often won’t be able to help with change management or long‑term strategy.
Ideal For
Individuals or small teams needing a quick fix or a single feature. Be prepared to manage the freelancer and provide a clear brief.
Option 3 – Buy A Notion Template
Notion Templates are another popular entry point.
They offer immediate structure: open a template and your workspace is filled with databases and dashboards that look like they were built by a productivity guru.
They help beginners understand how databases link together and are inexpensive compared with custom builds.
Benefits Of Templates
- ✅ Quick start & inspiration: Templates give you a ready‑made framework for task management, content planning, goal tracking and more.
- 💸 Low cost: Most templates cost less than US $100 and there are great free options, making them accessible for all kind of budgets.
Pitfalls To Watch Out For
- 🧩 One‑size‑fits‑all limitations: Templates assume specific workflows and project structures that may not match your business. What starts as a productivity boost often becomes a bottleneck.
- 🔧 Hard to customise: The more you tweak, the more you risk breaking the template. Customisations can lead to a “Frankenstein” system of patched‑together fixes and you may end up undoing half the template just to make it usable.
- 🧑🤝🧑 No support: With a template you’re on your own for onboarding and troubleshooting. Rolling a system out to a team is often the hardest part.
Ideal For
Solopreneurs and hobbyists experimenting with Notion who don’t mind rebuilding later. Templates can teach you how the tool works, but they rarely scale.
Option 4 – Learn Notion Yourself
In an ideal world with plenty of time at your hands, the best way to go about Notion is… to use Notion yourself and learn it from scratch.
Luckily, the Notion community is amazing and has created tutorials for pretty much any situation. From complete beginner tutorials all the way to specific masterclasses, you can find exactly what you need to learn Notion.
Upsides
- ✅ Low cost and full control: DIY is free or low cost. You build a deep understanding of your own system and can adapt it exactly how you like.
- ✅ Learning journey: Many enjoy the tinkering process and the satisfaction of building something themselves. In fact, the Ikea Effect may be one of the reasons that Notion became so popular.
Trade‑Offs
- ⏳ Time‑intensive: Learning Notion takes hours of trial and error. That’s great if you have plenty of runway to figure things out, but can be problematic if you need to get your team onboarded quickly.
- 🎢 Steep learning curve: Scaling a DIY system requires understanding permissions, integrations and change management. Using Notion as a company operating system often goes far beyond “understanding Notion features”
- 🚫 Risk of inefficiency: You might build a pretty dashboard that doesn’t solve real bottlenecks.
Ideal For
Individuals who enjoy tinkering, have more time than money, and don’t require immediate scalability. A hybrid approach – self‑learning plus occasional coaching – can offer the best of both worlds.
Comparison Table
| Approach | Typical Cost | Expertise & Customisation | Time Investment | Ongoing Support | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Certified consultants
|
High Custom projects often start atUS $15k+ |
Deep discovery; bespoke design; tackle organisational challenges | Minimal — consultants handle most work | Includes training and long‑term partnership | Scaling startups or teams seeking robust, future‑proof systems |
|
One‑off freelancers
|
Low to moderate Pay per project |
Adequate for specific tasks; quality varies | Low if requirements clear; higher if revisions needed | None — project ends after delivery | Simple fixes or solo users with well‑defined needs |
|
Notion templates
|
Low Often under US $100 |
Generic structure; not tailored to specific needs | Moderate — self‑customisation can break templates | No formal support | Hobbyists or early experimentation |
|
Self‑learning
|
Low to free | Depends on personal effort; full control but limited external insight | High — trial and error take time | None unless you purchase coaching | Individuals who enjoy building systems and have time |
Conclusion & Next Steps
Choosing the right path for your Notion journey comes down to budget, timeline and complexity.
Certified consultants deliver the highest level of customisation and support but require a significant investment.
Freelancers offer a quick, affordable fix for well‑defined tasks but lack holistic insight and long‑term support.
Templates give you an instant structure at a low cost yet rarely scale beyond solo use and can become messy when heavily customised.
Self‑learning empowers you with total control and costs little, but it demands time and may still leave you with inefficiencies.
If you’re drowning in spreadsheets and losing track of tasks, working with a certified consultancy can free you to focus on what matters.
The real question often isn’t whether you can figure out Notion on your own — it’s whether that’s the best use of your time.
Startups scaling quickly often recover the cost of consulting through time savings and better collaboration.
On the other hand, if you just need a one‑off dashboard or want to tinker with Notion as a side project, a freelancer or template may suffice.
Whatever path you take, remember that Notion is only as powerful as the system behind it.
Invest in understanding your workflows, involve your team in the process and don’t hesitate to seek help when you need it.
The goal isn’t to build a pretty dashboard — it’s to create a workspace that eliminates “meta work” and lets you focus on the work that matters most
Pro Tip
Adopting Notion without a clear roadmap can lead to frustration. Before you build anything, map out your most critical workflows on paper or a whiteboard. This clarity makes it easier to decide whether you need a template, a freelancer or a certified consultant.
Key Takeaways
- Notion’s flexibility is both its strength and weakness. Without guidance, teams often waste hours and end up with messy systems.
- Certified consultants offer deep discovery, custom design, automation and training, turning Notion into a tailored operating system. Their services often start around US $10k but save time and improve collaboration.
- Freelancers on gig platforms are cost‑effective and flexible but vary in quality and aren’t suited for complex projects.
- Templates provide a quick start but assume specific workflows and break easily when customised.
- Self‑learning offers full control at low cost, yet demands substantial time and carries a steep learning curve.
- The right approach depends on your goals. For scaling teams seeking long‑term efficiency, investing in certified consultants pays off. For small tasks or experiments, freelancers or templates may suffice. DIY is best for those who enjoy building systems and have plenty of time.
Need help deciding?
Explore the Staircase of Notion Adoption framework and see where your team sits on the journey.
When you’re ready to build a system that supports your mission, consider partnering with a certified consultancy like Matthias Frank Consulting – we help clear the clutter so you can focus on what truly matters.
