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.
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:
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.
Automation provides some significant benefits and can change the way that you work. Some of these benefits aren't immediately obvious.
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.
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:
Read more: Case Study
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:
Read more: Case Study
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:
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.
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:
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.
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 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.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:
If you want advanced capabilities and flexibility, this is my favorite platform—and the one I specialize in.
Website: Make
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:
Website: Zapier
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:
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
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:
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
Creating automations is just the beginning. Regular maintenance ensures they continue to work smoothly.
With consistent maintenance, your automations will remain effective and reliable, saving you time and effort in the long run.
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.
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
Error Reduction
Ongoing Costs
Project Costs
The formula above focuses on money. But automation also has benefits that aren’t as easy to measure:
Increased Throughput
Scalability
Intangible Benefits
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.
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.
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!