Getting Started with Business Automation: A Practical Guide
Learn how to automate your business workflows and save hours each week. A step-by-step guide from the team at &7.
Business automation doesn't have to be complicated. At &7, we've helped dozens of Singapore businesses save time and reduce errors by automating repetitive tasks.
Why Automate?
Manual processes are costing you more than you think. Business automation can dramatically reduce these costs:
- Time waste: Copying data between systems takes 10-20 hours per week
- Human error: Manual entry leads to mistakes in critical business data
- Missed opportunities: Delayed follow-ups mean lost leads and revenue
Start Small
You don't need to automate everything at once. Pick one repetitive task that:
- Happens frequently (daily or weekly)
- Follows the same steps every time
- Doesn't require complex decision-making
Common Automation Wins
Lead Capture
When someone fills out your contact form:
- Automatically add them to your CRM
- Send a personalized welcome email
- Notify your sales team
- Schedule a follow-up reminder
Time saved: 30 minutes per lead × 20 leads/week = 10 hours/week
Invoice Processing
When an invoice is approved:
- Process the payment automatically
- Update your accounting system
- Send a receipt to the customer
- Generate reports for management
Time saved: 15 minutes per invoice × 40 invoices/week = 10 hours/week
Customer Onboarding
When a new customer signs up:
- Create their account
- Send welcome materials
- Add them to your email list
- Trigger onboarding checklist
Time saved: 45 minutes per customer × 10 customers/week = 7.5 hours/week
Tools We Recommend
For most businesses, no-code tools like Zapier, Make, or n8n are perfect for getting started. They connect your existing tools without requiring custom development.
For more complex workflows, custom automation with APIs gives you complete control and can integrate deeply with your existing systems.
Next Steps
- Identify one repetitive process
- Document the current manual steps
- Map the data flow between systems
- Test with a small pilot group
- Expand once proven successful
Need help getting started? Contact us for a free automation assessment.
About &7: We build custom web applications and provide workflow automation services for growing companies in Singapore. From simple lead capture to complex system integrations, we turn manual processes into automated workflows.