Getting Started: Your First 10 Minutes

First, let's set up your business information. This is whatanglers will see when they visit your booking page.

Where to find it:

Go to Dashboard → Settings → General

What to fill in:

• Business Name: The name anglers will see (e.g., "Captain Joe's Fishing Charters")
• Description: A brief overview of what you offer. Keep it to 2-3 sentences that capture what makes you unique.
• Contact Phone: The number anglers can reach you at
• Contact Email: Where booking confirmations and inquiries will go
• Location: Your city and state—this helps anglers find you
• Logo: Upload a square image (recommended: 400x400 pixels or larger)

Now let's add your first trip. This is what anglers will book.

Where to find it:

Go to Dashboard → Trip Types → Add Trip

Required information:

• Name: What you call this trip (e.g., "Half-Day Inshore Fishing")
• Description: What anglers can expect. Include target species, techniques, what's included, etc.
• Duration: How long is the trip? (in hours)
• Price: Your base rate for this trip
• Capacity: Maximum number of guests you can take

Optional but recommended:

• Photos: Upload 2-3 photos showing happy anglers, catches, or your equipment
• What's Included: List everything you provide (rods, bait, ice, cleaning, etc.)
• What to Bring: Help anglers come prepared (sunscreen, food, cooler, etc.)

Control when anglers can book you. By default, you're marked as unavailable—you need to open up dates.

Where to find it:

Go to Dashboard → Calendar

How it works:

• Click a date to toggle it between available and blocked
• Set default start times for each day of the week
• Block specific dates when you know you won't be available (maintenance, vacation, etc.)

Setting recurring availability:

Instead of clicking individual dates, you can set a recurring schedule. For example: "Available Monday through Saturday, 6 AM".

To accept online payments, you'll need to connect your Stripe account. This takes about 3 minutes.

Where to find it:

Go to Dashboard → Settings → Payments

What happens:

1. Click "Connect with Stripe"
2. You'll be redirected to Stripe to enter your business and bank details
3. Once complete, you'll be redirected back to Guidewinds
4. You'll see "Connected" status on your Payments page

What you'll need for Stripe:

• Your legal business name (or your name if sole proprietor)
• Your EIN or SSN
• Bank account and routing number
• A phone number for verification

Need more details? See our complete Stripe setup guide →

You're live! Now let's get anglers to your booking page.

Find your booking page URL:

Go to Dashboard → Settings → Booking Page

Your unique booking page URL looks like:

Where to share it:

• Your website: Add a "Book Now" button that links to your booking page
• Social media: Put it in your Instagram bio, Facebook page, etc.
• Google Business Profile: Add it as your booking link
• Direct messages: Send it to anglers who inquire
• Email signature: Include it in every email you send