How to automate your service business
This is the process I use. Five steps from "I'm drowning in admin work" to "I saved 10-15 hours this week." No coding required. No expensive tools. Just practical stuff that works.
Time to read: 8 minutes
This is the whole process. Everything else is just variations.
Track where your time goes
Spend a week logging everything you do. Every task, email, meeting, admin work—everything. You need real data. Use a simple spreadsheet or time-tracking app. At the end of the week, you'll see patterns. Most people are shocked.
- Log tasks with time spent
- Group by category (client work, admin, emails, etc)
- Calculate hours per week per task
- Look for the 80/20—what 20% of tasks take 80% of time?
Pick ONE task to automate first
Don't try to automate everything. Pick the biggest time-waster that's also repetitive. Something that happens at least 2-3 times per week. That's your automation target.
- Choose repetitive tasks (happens regularly)
- Focus on high-volume (daily/weekly)
- Avoid one-off projects
- Prioritize tasks that are boring but important
Choose your automation stack
You don't need to code. There are no-code tools for almost everything: Zapier, Make, Airtable, Google Forms, Webhooks. Pick tools that are cheap, simple, and don't require technical skills. If you can drag-and-drop, you can automate.
- Zapier (connect apps, simple workflows)
- Make (more powerful, visual workflows)
- Google Forms + Sheets (data collection)
- Airtable (databases with automation)
- Custom scripts (if you know how to code)
Build your first automation
Start small. Don't build the perfect system. Build the working system. It doesn't need to be elegant. It needs to work. Test it, refine it, scale it. Most automations are 80% effective out of the box. The last 20% takes 80% of the effort.
- Build the MVP (minimum viable automation)
- Test with real data
- Fix errors as you find them
- Don't over-engineer
- Document how it works
Measure and iterate
After 2 weeks, check the results. Is it actually saving time? Is it reliable? Did you miss anything? Adjust accordingly. Then automate the next task. Each automation gets easier because you learn the process.
- Track actual time saved vs estimated
- Note any failures or manual workarounds
- Identify edge cases
- Make small improvements
- Move to the next task
Real talk: What works and what doesn't
What works
- ✓Repetitive tasks (weekly/daily)
- ✓Data entry and form submissions
- ✓Email notifications and routing
- ✓File processing and organization
- ✓Report generation
What doesn't
- ✗One-time projects
- ✗Client-facing creative work
- ✗Complex decision-making
- ✗Relationship building
- ✗Anything that needs human judgment
Tools that actually work
Zapier
Connect apps. If two apps don't talk, Zapier connects them.
Cost: $20-100/month
Make (formerly Integromat)
More powerful than Zapier. Better for complex workflows.
Cost: $0-99/month
Airtable + Automations
Database + built-in automation. Great for data-heavy work.
Cost: $0-50/month
Google Forms + Sheets
Free data collection and storage. Limited but effective.
Cost: Free
Custom Scripts (Python, JavaScript)
For complex workflows that no-code tools can't handle.
Cost: Your time or $50-200 contractor
Ready to start?
Use the tools above to track your time and calculate ROI. Then pick your first automation target and get started this week.