5 Workflows Every Small Business Should Automate Today
Stop doing manually what a machine can handle. Here are 5 workflows most Australian SMBs can automate this week.
5 Workflows Every Small Business Should Automate Today
Most small businesses waste 10-15 hours a week on tasks a machine could handle. Here are the five workflows I automate first for every client : because they deliver the fastest ROI with the least disruption.
1. Quote and Proposal Generation
If you're manually typing up quotes in Word or Excel, you're burning time you could be spending on paid work.
The fix: A form or trigger that pulls job details, calculates pricing from your rate card, and generates a branded PDF quote : emailed to the client automatically.
- Time saved: 3-5 hours/week for most trades and service businesses
- Tools: Make.com, Google Sheets, PDF generation API
- Complexity: Low : most businesses can set this up in a week
2. Lead Follow-Up Sequences
A lead comes in. You're on a job. By the time you respond, they've already called your competitor. Sound familiar?
The fix: Automated follow-up within 5 minutes of enquiry. A personalised email confirming receipt, setting expectations, and offering a booking link.
- Time saved: 2-3 hours/week
- Impact: 30-50% improvement in lead conversion (industry average)
- Tools: n8n or Zapier + your CRM or email
3. Invoice and Payment Reminders
Chasing payments is soul-destroying work. It also costs you money : every day an invoice sits unpaid is cash you can't use.
The fix: Automated reminders at 3, 7, and 14 days overdue. Polite, professional, and relentless : without you lifting a finger.
- Time saved: 1-2 hours/week
- Cash flow impact: Typically reduces average payment time by 40%
4. Client Onboarding
New client says yes. Now what? Collect details, send welcome pack, set up their project, add them to your system… all manually?
The fix: A single trigger that kicks off the entire onboarding sequence. Form → welcome email → project setup → task creation → calendar invite.
- Time saved: 1-3 hours per new client
- Bonus: Consistent, professional first impression every time
5. Weekly Reporting
You should know how your business is doing without spending Friday afternoon building spreadsheets.
The fix: Automated weekly summary: revenue, leads, jobs completed, outstanding invoices : delivered to your inbox every Monday morning.
- Time saved: 2-3 hours/week
- Decision quality: Better data = better decisions
What to Do Next
Pick the workflow that costs you the most time right now. That's your starting point. You don't need to automate everything at once : start with one, see the results, then expand.
If you're not sure where to start, book a free 30-minute call and I'll help you identify the biggest opportunity.
"The best automation is the one your team never notices : things just start working better." - Jay