Automating the Small Stuff: 3 Simple Workflows You Can Set Up This Week

The term "business automation" can sound complex and expensive, but the reality is that the biggest wins often come from automating the small, repetitive tasks that consume your day.

The goal isn't to replace your team, but to free them up to focus on what matters most: growing your business. Here are three simple but powerful workflows you can set up this week.

1. Automate Your New Client Onboarding

The Problem: Manually sending welcome emails, creating folders, and assigning tasks for every new client is time-consuming and leaves room for important steps to be missed.

The Fix: Create a sequence that triggers the moment a client says "yes."

1. Trigger: A new deal is marked as "Won" in your CRM or a contract is signed in DocuSign.

2. Action 1: Instantly send a pre-written "Welcome & What's Next" email to the client.

3. Action 2: Automatically create a new client folder in Google Drive or SharePoint from a template.

4. Action 3: Assign a "Schedule Kickoff Call" task to the project manager in your task management app (like Asana or Trello).

"The future belongs to companies that leverage AI not just for efficiency but for strategic decision-making." – Industry Expert

2. Triage and Assign Support Emails Automatically

The Problem: A single info@ or support@ inbox quickly becomes a mess. Emails pile up, and it's unclear who is responsible for what, leading to slow response times.

The Fix: Use simple keywords to automatically tag and forward emails to the right person or department.

1. Trigger: A new email arrives in your main support inbox.

2. Filter 1: If the email body contains words like "invoice" or "billing," automatically forward it to the accounting team.

3. Filter 2: If it contains "error" or "can't log in," automatically assign it to your technical support lead.

4. Action: Apply a label (e.g., "Billing," "Tech Issue") so you can track the types of inquiries you receive most often.

3. Never Miss a Social Media Mention

The Problem: Manually searching for mentions of your brand across Twitter, LinkedIn, and other platforms is nearly impossible. You miss opportunities to engage with customers and manage your reputation.

The Fix: Funnel all your brand mentions into a single place, like a dedicated Slack channel.

1. Trigger: A tool like Google Alerts or a social listening app finds a new mention of your company's name.

2. Action: Automatically post the mention directly into a #social-mentions channel in Slack.

3. The message should include: The text of the mention and a direct link to the source, allowing your marketing team to respond in real-time.

Start Small, Win Big

True automation isn't about a single, massive project. It's about building a system of small efficiencies that compound over time. Pick one of these workflows and try implementing it this week.

When you're ready to tackle your bigger, more complex processes, we're here to help.