Automation 101: How to Get Started

What if tomorrow, you could free up 5 extra hours of work, slash your costs, and double your productivity—all at the same time? How would that transform your business?

That’s the power of automation. In this article, I’ll share the key lessons I’ve learned on my journey from beginner to certified automation specialist—so you can start reaping these rewards too.

What is Automation?

Automation is when technology, like software or machines, is used to complete tasks with little or no help from people. It helps save time, reduce mistakes, and make work more efficient.

In a business, automation can look like:

• Sending follow-up emails to new leads automatically
• Updating customer records in a CRM when a sale is made
• Moving data between platforms without someone copying and pasting
  

Simply put, automation takes care of repetitive or time-consuming tasks so people can focus on more important work.

There are different types of automation. Some handle small tasks (workflow automation), while others improve entire business processes (business process automation). No matter the type, automation helps get work done faster and more accurately.

Benefits of Automation

Automation provides some significant benefits and can change the way that you work. Some of these benefits aren't immediately obvious.

• Saves Time: The biggest benefit of automation is that it saves time. Software does the work for you, so you can focus on more important things.
• Reduces Costs: With less manual work, businesses spend less on labor. Fewer mistakes also mean less costs from fixing problems.
• Speed: Automation works faster than people, runs 24/7, and handles many tasks at once. This means more gets done in less time.
• Decreases Errors: Unlike humans, software doesn’t make mistakes from being tired or distracted. This makes work more accurate.
• Increases Profits: Saving time, cutting costs, and working faster all help businesses make more money.
• Easier to Scale: Automation systems can handle more work as your business grows, making it easier to scale up without needing to hire more workers.

Examples of Automation in Action

Let’s have a look at two great case studies where automation was implemented and produced strong results.

These are from an agency which built automations for their client and a large insurance company which introduced automations internally in their operations. You can find more like these at Make's blog page.

Automated Lead Follow-Up

A digital marketing agency was struggling to keep up with sending follow-up emails to new leads. Manually writing and sending these emails took up 80 hours of work every month. By using automation, LeAndolini Solutions created a system for their client that automatically sent personalised follow-up emails to potential customers as soon as they showed interest.

Benefits:

• Time Saved: Automation gave the team 80 hours back each month, freeing them up to focus on more important tasks like building strategies and nurturing leads.
• Increased Efficiency: The system worked 24/7 without errors, ensuring every lead received a timely and consistent follow-up.
• Better Results: With quicker and more personalized responses, the company improved its lead conversion rates, meaning more sales and higher profits.

Read more: Case Study

Streamlining Insurance Processes

Fonds Finanz, a large insurance company, was overwhelmed by thousands of customer service requests every month. Their team spent too much time on repetitive tasks like data entry and sending email updates, which slowed down response times. By automating these processes, they saved over 2,500 hours of work per month.

Benefits:

• Faster Service: Automating repetitive tasks sped up the entire process, helping the company respond to customers much more quickly.
• Reduced Errors: With automation handling data entry and updates, human mistakes were eliminated, making the process more accurate.
• Improved Focus: With less time spent on busywork, the team could focus on solving complex customer issues and improving overall service quality.

Read more: Case Study

No-Code vs Full-Code

In the past, creating software or apps required coding. Businesses had to pick a platform, hire developers, write custom code, and go through a lengthy, expensive process to build what they needed. This is known as full-code development.

No-code platforms have completely changed how things are done. With no-code, you don’t need programming skills to create apps or automate tasks. Instead, these tools let you build solutions using simple, visual features like drag-and-drop, templates, and pre-made functions.

For businesses, this means:

• Faster results: Build apps or automations in hours instead of weeks.
• Lower costs: Skip the need for a large development team.
• Ease of use: Anyone can use no-code platforms with minimal training.

While no-code platforms are great for quickly building simple apps or automating processes, full-code development is often better for projects that require advanced customisation, complex functionality, or tight integration with other systems. 

Full-code gives developers complete control over the design, features, and scalability of a solution, making it ideal for large-scale applications, highly specialised tools, or businesses with unique needs that no-code platforms can't fully address.

With that being said, no-code tools are more accessible for most people and preferable in many situations. Therefore, I'll only be addressing this type from here on. If you want to dive deeper into this topic, check out this article by Airdev.

Choosing the Right Tool

Before starting with automation, it’s important to figure out which tool is best for your needs. With so many options available today, the process can feel overwhelming.

To make it simpler, automation tools can be divided into two main categories:

• Specific Platforms
• General Platforms

In the sections ahead, we’ll explore the differences between these types of tools and guide you on how to choose the one that fits your business best.

Specific Platforms

A great place to start with automation is by looking at the tools and software you already use. Many businesses rely on platforms like HubSpot for sales and marketing, Pandadoc for document signing, Asana for project management, or Instantly for cold outreach.

These tools often come with built-in automation features designed to make specific tasks easier. For example, HubSpot has workflows, and Asana offers rules that can automate repetitive steps in your daily processes. If you’re currently doing these tasks manually, using these built-in features can save a lot of time and significantly boost efficiency.

However, these tools aren’t always enough, especially if you need to connect multiple apps that don’t have direct integrations. In those cases, you’ll need to look at general automation platforms, which are more flexible and powerful.

General Platforms

General no-code automation platforms let you create workflows that connect different apps and software. These platforms make it easy to build even complex automations without writing any code. While they all serve the same basic purpose, each platform has unique features that make it better for certain tasks. Here are my top three picks:

Make

Make.com (formerly known as Integromat) is a powerful tool for creating advanced automations. It uses a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to set up workflows, even for complex tasks like data processing or handling advanced logic.

Why I Love It:

• It gives you detailed control over your workflows.
• The interface provides an easy-to-read overview of all processes.
• It’s affordable, with pricing options that work well for most budgets.
  

If you want advanced capabilities and flexibility, this is my favorite platform—and the one I specialize in.

Website: Make

Zapier

Zapier is perfect for beginners or small businesses looking to automate simple tasks. It uses "Zaps" to connect apps and set up workflows quickly and easily. While it’s not the best option for very complex setups, it’s great for simple and mid-level automations.

Best for:

• Quick, easy workflows that don’t require advanced logic.
• Small businesses or users who are new to automation.

Website: Zapier

n8n

n8n is an open-source platform that allows for a lot of customisation and flexibility. You can self-host it, which makes it ideal for users who prioritise privacy or need advanced control over their automations. While it’s more technical than other options, it’s a fantastic choice for developers or tech-savvy users.

Highlights:

• Self-hosting for greater privacy and security.
• Lots of customisation options for advanced users.
• Ideal for developers who want full control over workflows.

I have personally no experience with n8n as I find Make.com to provide me with all the flexibility I need in my work. I added it to show an example of a more advanced platform. For most people Zapier and Make are more than enough.

Website: n8n

How To Choose

If you’re not sure which tool to use for automation, here’s my advice:

First, check if the tools you already use can handle the tasks you want to automate. Many apps and platforms have built-in automation features that might meet your needs.

If they don’t, follow these steps:

• Identify Your Needs
  • Which apps or services need to work together?
  • What kinds of tasks are you automating? For example, are you handling email follow-ups, CRM updates, or data processing?
    
• Evaluate the Features
  
  • Does the tool support the apps you rely on?
  • Do you need advanced features like multi-step workflows, conditional logic, or simple one-step automations?
  • Is the tool easy to use, with options like drag-and-drop builders or visual mapping tools?
  • Can it scale with your needs, supporting more workflows, team members, or advanced options as you grow?
  • Check for helpful resources like tutorials, forums, or a responsive support team.

By comparing tools based on your needs and their features, you’ll be able to find the one that works best for your business.

Before diving into automation, though, it’s important to avoid the most common mistake I see people make—jumping in without a clear plan. In the next section, I’ll explain how to avoid this and set yourself up for success.

Avoid This Mistake!

It’s tempting to automate every task under the sun, especially once you catch a glimpse of the time and effort automation can save. But here’s the catch: not all tasks are created equal. In my early days of automation, I poured a whole week into automating a minor workflow that only saved me about 25 minutes per week. While it felt good to “check off” an automated process, the return on that investment was minimal because the task itself just wasn’t that impactful.

When Not to Automate

• Human Judgment & Creativity: Certain tasks rely on empathy, insight, or original thought—qualities that software can’t replicate. For example, building relationships with new clients or brainstorming product ideas benefits from the human touch.
• Relationship-Building: Automating personal interactions (e.g., personalized prospect outreach or sensitive customer support conversations) can dilute trust and alienate the people you’re trying to serve.

The Opportunity Cost

When you sink time and resources into automating trivial tasks, you risk missing out on far more significant gains. Automating a process that saves five minutes a day might feel efficient, but if that blocks you from automating a task that could save you five hours a week, you’ve missed a major opportunity. Think carefully about where your automation efforts will move the needle most.

Choose the Right Targets

• Focus on High-Impact Processes: Zero in on tasks that eat up substantial time, occur frequently, or are prone to human error. This could be anything from lead qualification to invoicing and data synchronisation.
• Align With Business Goals: Pick automations that support your growth objectives, whether that’s revenue generation, faster customer service, or boosting team productivity.
• Calculate ROI: Even a simple estimation of time saved versus the effort to build and maintain an automation can help you decide if it’s worth pursuing.

By prioritising tasks that offer meaningful returns, you’ll maximise the impact of your automation projects and avoid the frustration of negligible time savings. Automation should ultimately help you allocate your human expertise more strategically, not just check a box.

How To Automate

Before jumping into automation, it’s important to keep one principle in mind:

“A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.” - John Gall

This means that the best systems start simple and grow more complex over time. Automation works the same way. Begin with a small, straightforward workflow that’s proven to work, and then add layers of complexity as needed. This approach ensures your automation is reliable and effective from the start.

The Basic Steps

Now that you’ve identified a high-impact process to automate, it’s time to build your automation. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Map Out the Process: Create a visual chart or outline of the workflow from start to finish. This helps you understand each step and identify areas that can be automated.
2. Choose a No-Code Tool: Pick a platform that fits your needs and supports the apps or systems you’re using.
3. Set Up Triggers & Actions: Define what starts your workflow (the trigger) and the tasks you want the automation to complete (the actions).
4. Test & Refine: Use test data or run a trial to make sure the automation works as intended. Make small adjustments until it’s flawless. This is one of the most important steps!
5. Launch & Monitor: Turn on your automation and monitor its performance. Check for any errors or inefficiencies and fix them as needed.
   

That’s it! Once you’ve built and launched your first automation, you’ll start seeing the benefits. You can continue to refine it, build new automations, or add more complexity to your current setup over time.

Maintenance

Creating automations is just the beginning. Regular maintenance ensures they continue to work smoothly.

• Check Regularly: Periodically review your automation to make sure everything is running as it should.
• Fix Issues: Address any errors or problems quickly.
• Set Notifications: Use built-in alerts or notifications in your platform to stay informed if something goes wrong.

With consistent maintenance, your automations will remain effective and reliable, saving you time and effort in the long run.

Return on Investment

Before you start any automation project, it helps to think about its return on investment (ROI). Even though you can automate almost anything, you want to make sure it’s worth your time and resources. By spending a bit of time now, you can save a lot more time in the future. And while saving time is important, it’s not the only thing automation can do for you.

A Simple Formula

Here is a quick way to see if an automation project might be worth it. You can measure the money you save against the cost of setting it up:

Time Saved

• Figure out how many hours a week the task takes now.
• Subtract how many hours it will take once it’s automated.
• Multiply those saved hours by the hourly rate of whoever is doing the work.
  

Error Reduction

• Automation can greatly cut down on mistakes.
• Each mistake has a cost—like sending a replacement item or fixing a problem.
• Estimate how many fewer errors you’ll have, then multiply by the cost of each mistake.

Ongoing Costs

• Costs for maintenance, software subscriptions, or system updates.
• Time spent checking that everything is running smoothly and fixing any issues that come up.
• It’s a good idea to plan for a few hours of work each month since, in my experience, there’s always something that needs adjusting or troubleshooting.

Project Costs

• This includes the time you spend setting up the automation, any software fees, and ongoing upkeep.
• You pay this cost upfront, but the benefits can last a long time.

Other Benefits

The formula above focuses on money. But automation also has benefits that aren’t as easy to measure:

Increased Throughput

• By automating, you can get more work done in the same amount of time. This might lead to more sales or better customer service.
• It can be harder to put a dollar value on this, but you can track changes in how many clients you serve or how fast you respond to requests.

Scalability

• Automation helps you grow without hiring lots of new people.
• Think about the cost of extra employees compared to automating part of your process.

Intangible Benefits

• Customer Satisfaction: Faster service can make customers happier.
• Brand Reputation: Consistent, error-free work looks more professional.
• Employee Engagement: When workers don’t have to do boring, repeated tasks, they can focus on more interesting work, which can boost morale

When you look at both the numbers and these extra perks, you’ll get a better idea of how automation can help your business. You don’t need to do a full ROI calculation for every project, but keep these points in mind so you focus on automations that have the biggest impact.

Conclusion

By adopting automation, you’re not just simplifying repetitive tasks—you’re unlocking time and resources for high-value, strategic work. The benefits ripple across your organization, leading to cost savings, fewer errors, faster processes, and the ability to scale effectively.

The secret to successful automation is starting small. Focus on high-impact workflows that align with your business goals, test thoroughly, and expand gradually. With the right approach, automation can become a powerful tool to transform your operations and drive growth.

Let's Work Together!

Why spend hours trying to figure out automation on your own when you could focus on what you do best—running and growing your business?

I’ll handle the technical stuff so you don’t have to. I bring expertise, knowledge, and passion for automation. With a focus on saving you time and simplifying processes, I’ll help your business run more efficiently and effectively.

Click the link below to schedule your free meeting and get your own personalized automation plan. Let’s make it easier for you to succeed!