10 Automations Every Small Business Should Set Up

You're doing dozens of repetitive tasks every week. Sending the same emails. Copying data between apps. Creating follow-up reminders. None of it requires human judgment—it just requires human time.

That time adds up. According to Kissflow research, 94% of companies perform repetitive, time-consuming tasks that could be automated. Yet most small businesses haven't built a single automation.

This guide covers the 10 automations that deliver the highest ROI for small businesses. Each one saves real time, requires no coding, and can be built in an afternoon. If you're new to business automation, start there for fundamentals, then come back here for specific implementations.

Ready to stop doing repetitive work? Book a free automation consultation →

What it does: Alerts your team immediately when a new lead comes in.

Why it matters: Speed to lead is everything. According to Chili Piper research, responding within 5 minutes makes you 100x more likely to connect and convert compared to slower responses. Yet the average B2B team takes 42 hours to respond.

The problem isn't motivation—it's visibility. If leads sit in a form submission queue or CRM until someone checks, you've already lost the race.

How to build it:

Setup tips:

• Include all relevant lead details in the notification (name, email, company, source)
• Route to the right person based on territory, product interest, or round-robin
• Add a direct link to the CRM record for one-click access

Time saved: 5-10 minutes per lead (checking form submissions, CRM queues)

What it does: Automatically sends a series of emails to new subscribers or customers.

Why it matters: According to GetResponse benchmarks, automated emails achieve a 51% open rate compared to 40% for regular newsletters. That 11-point gap exists because automated emails arrive at the perfect moment—right when someone takes action.

Welcome sequences set expectations, deliver value, and build the relationship without requiring manual effort for each new contact.

How to build it:

Email 1 (Immediate): Thank them for signing up, confirm what they'll receive, deliver any promised content (lead magnet, discount code)

Email 2 (Day 2-3): Share your best content or most helpful resource

Email 3 (Day 5-7): Introduce your services or products with a soft CTA

Email 4 (Day 10-14): Customer success story or case study

Email 5 (Day 14-21): Direct offer or consultation invitation

Setup tips:

• Keep emails short (under 200 words for highest engagement)
• Personalize with first name and signup source
• Include clear unsubscribe option
• Stop the sequence if they convert or take the desired action

Time saved: 10-15 minutes per subscriber (writing and sending individual welcome emails)

What it does: Sends automated reminders before scheduled meetings.

Why it matters: No-shows waste time and cost money. According to MGMA research, 88% of healthcare organizations use automated reminders because they work. Industry studies show automated reminders can reduce no-shows by 20-50%.

This applies beyond healthcare. Any business with scheduled appointments benefits: consultants, agencies, service providers, sales teams.

How to build it:

Setup tips:

• Include everything they need: time, link, address, what to bring
• Provide easy reschedule/cancel option (better than a no-show)
• Send from a recognizable sender name
• Test on yourself first to check timing and content

Tool options:

• CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive have built-in reminders)
• Scheduling tools (Calendly, SavvyCal, Cal.com)
• Custom via Zapier/Make.com

Time saved: 5-10 minutes per appointment (manual reminder calls/emails) plus recovered time from prevented no-shows

What it does: Automatically scores leads based on criteria and assigns them to the right rep.

Why it matters: Not all leads are equal. A Fortune 500 company requesting a demo is worth more immediate attention than a student downloading an ebook. Lead scoring ensures your best leads get priority treatment.

Routing ensures leads go to the right person—by territory, product interest, company size, or round-robin for fair distribution.

How to build it:

Scoring criteria examples:

Routing logic examples:

• Score 50+: Assign to senior rep, notify immediately
• Score 25-49: Assign to standard queue, nurture sequence
• Score under 25: Marketing nurture only

Setup tips:

• Start simple—5-10 scoring criteria maximum
• Review and adjust scores monthly based on what actually converts
• Don't over-engineer; perfect is the enemy of good

Tool options:

• HubSpot (built-in lead scoring)
• Salesforce (Einstein Lead Scoring or custom)
• Zapier/Make.com for simpler CRMs

Time saved: 15-30 minutes daily (manually reviewing and prioritizing leads)

Want help designing your lead scoring model? Schedule a consultation →

What it does: Alerts relevant people when deals move through your pipeline.

Why it matters: Sales processes involve multiple stakeholders. When a deal moves to "proposal sent," maybe finance needs to prepare for potential invoicing. When it hits "verbal yes," maybe operations needs to prepare for onboarding.

Without automation, these handoffs happen through Slack messages, emails, or (worst case) not at all until someone asks "wait, did that deal close?"

How to build it:

Setup tips:

• Include deal value, company name, and owner in notifications
• Link directly to the CRM record
• Celebrate wins publicly (team Slack channel)
• Keep loss notifications private (direct message)

Tool options:

• CRM workflows (most CRMs support this natively)
• Zapier/Make.com for Slack/Teams integration

Time saved: 10-20 minutes daily (manual status updates and handoff communication)

What it does: Automatically creates tasks when follow-up is needed.

Why it matters: The biggest reason deals die isn't rejection—it's neglect. Reps get busy, forget to follow up, and warm leads go cold. According to sales research, 80% of successful sales require five or more follow-ups, but most reps stop after one or two.

Automated task creation ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

How to build it:

Setup tips:

• Keep task titles specific and actionable
• Include context (what happened, what's needed next)
• Set realistic due dates (not everything is urgent)
• Auto-assign to the deal owner

Tool options:

• CRM workflows (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive)
• Custom via Zapier/Make.com

Time saved: 15-30 minutes daily (manually creating tasks and setting reminders)

What it does: Keeps data consistent across your tools automatically.

Why it matters: Most businesses use multiple systems: CRM, email marketing, accounting, support desk. When data lives in silos, you get conflicting information, duplicate entry, and frustrated employees.

Contact updates in CRM should flow to your email tool. New customers should appear in your support system. Closed deals should trigger invoicing.

How to build it:

Setup tips:

• Pick a "source of truth" for each data type
• Sync in one direction when possible (reduces conflicts)
• Map fields carefully—mismatched fields cause problems
• Test with a few records before enabling full sync
• Monitor for errors weekly

Tool options:

• Native integrations (many tools connect directly)
• Zapier/Make.com for custom connections
• iPaaS platforms for complex enterprise needs

Time saved: 30-60 minutes daily (manual data entry across systems)

What it does: Automatically generates invoices and tracks payment status.

Why it matters: Manual invoicing delays cash flow. Forgetting to invoice delays it even more. Automation ensures every closed deal triggers an invoice immediately, with automatic reminders for overdue payments.

How to build it:

Setup tips:

• Map deal data to invoice fields (company, amount, line items)
• Include payment terms and methods clearly
• Automate reminders but personalize past-due communications
• Update CRM payment status for visibility

Tool options:

• QuickBooks/Xero + CRM integration
• Zapier/Make.com connecting systems
• Stripe/PayPal for online payment automation

Time saved: 20-40 minutes per invoice cycle (creation, sending, follow-up, reconciliation)

What it does: Automatically requests reviews and feedback at the right moment.

Why it matters: Happy customers forget to leave reviews. Unhappy customers don't. Without prompting, your review profile skews negative. Automated requests at the right moment—after a successful project, positive support interaction, or milestone—capture feedback while satisfaction is high.

How to build it:

Setup tips:

• Keep surveys short (1-3 questions maximum)
• Time requests after positive experiences
• For public reviews, only ask customers who've indicated satisfaction
• Make it easy—one click to leave a review
• Follow up on negative feedback personally

Tool options:

• Survey tools (Typeform, Google Forms)
• Review platforms (G2, Trustpilot, Google Business)
• CRM workflows + email

Time saved: 10-15 minutes per request (manually sending feedback requests)

Want help building a complete feedback system? Schedule a consultation →

What it does: Automatically creates and sends reports on a schedule.

Why it matters: Leaders need visibility. But pulling reports manually wastes time and often doesn't happen consistently. Automated reports ensure everyone stays informed without anyone spending time compiling data.

How to build it:

Setup tips:

• Send at consistent times (people build habits around it)
• Include only actionable metrics—not everything
• Link to live dashboards for deeper dives
• Highlight changes from previous period
• Include brief analysis, not just numbers

Tool options:

• CRM built-in reporting
• BI tools (Databox, Klipfolio, Google Data Studio)
• Zapier/Make.com + spreadsheets

Time saved: 30-60 minutes per report (manual compilation and distribution)

Don't build all 10 at once. Start with the highest-impact automation for your situation:

If you're losing leads:

Start with #1 (Instant Lead Notification) — You can't close leads you don't know about. Get visibility first.

If you're missing follow-ups:

Start with #6 (Follow-Up Task Creation) — Ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

If you're drowning in manual data entry:

Start with #7 (Data Sync) — Eliminate double-entry between your most-used systems.

If you have no-show problems:

Start with #3 (Appointment Reminders) — Reduce wasted time immediately.

If you're onboarding lots of new contacts:

Start with #2 (Welcome Sequence) — Scale your first impression.

Week 1 plan:

1. Pick one automation from above
2. Document your current manual process
3. Build a simple version (don't over-engineer)
4. Test thoroughly
5. Deploy and monitor

Week 2-4:

Add one more automation each week. By the end of the month, you'll have four automations running and be comfortable building more.

• Lead notification (#1) is the highest-impact automation for most businesses—responding in 5 minutes vs. 42 hours changes everything
• Automated emails (#2) achieve 51% open rates vs. 40% for manual sends—timing matters
• Appointment reminders (#3) reduce no-shows by 20-50%—that's revenue recovered
• Start with one automation, perfect it, then add more
• All 10 can be built without coding using your CRM or tools like Zapier/Make.com

Pick the automation that addresses your biggest pain point. Build a simple version this week. Don't wait for perfect—start with functional and improve over time.

If you're not sure where to start, or you want help building these automations correctly, we can help. We've built hundreds of automations across CRMs and tools like Zapier and Make.com, and can identify your highest-ROI opportunities in a single consultation.

Book Your Free Automation Assessment →