There’s no doubt about it – business automation is a key component to success in today’s economy. But what if you could take your business automation to the next level to increase your profits? Zapier is a tool that allows you to connect different applications and automate tasks, saving you time and money in the process.
Our chief automator and founder, Kelly Goss recently spoke to Sally Farrant, aka The Pricing Queen, on her podcast where they discussed how you can use Zapier to improve your pricing strategy and earn more money. In this article we dig into how businesses and solopreneurs can adopt no-code tools to increase their profits and work smarter, not harder!
Why you should start by improving your processes
Before you even consider using automation you should take a look at your processes. By documenting your processes, you will notice where improvements can be made. There may be unnecessary steps that you can remove, and other efficiencies you can introduce.
You should look at the apps you’re using in the business to ensure they are fit for purpose and really understand how they work – whether there are features you could use to improve how they process your data.
We have an article on how to document your processes and procedures which digs deeper into this important stage before you consider automation.
Once you have documented your processes, we recommend starting with your biggest pain points first. Where could you save the most time or get the biggest wins? Those are the areas to start thinking about automating using Zapier.
Where does Zapier fit in?
Getting started with automation is really simple as Zapier is one of the easiest no-code tools to learn. Zapier integrates with over 6,000 apps, which includes many of those used by small and medium sized businesses.
You can explore the applications with pre-built Zapier integrations to search for the software which you use currently. For each of these apps Zapier lists examples of common integrations which have been set up by other users, which are great for sparking ideas for how you could use them in your business.
How can automation help you make more money?
We are always talking about how automation saves time in your day. Once you’ve automated a few processes you will have saved minutes and hours which means you become more efficient.
If you charge a fixed price for a package of work and have automated some of the tasks involved then you will be earning the same amount of money but for less effort.
As you increase your efficiencies, you’ll be able to support more customers in the same time, therefore earning more money.
Automation means less outsourcing
One option for reducing the manual tasks you perform yourself is to outsource them. You can potentially pay a Virtual Assistant (VA) or freelancer to do some of the boring duties in your role. However, getting a robot to do them will save paying someone else to do them and there are many added benefits too. Robots don’t take holidays or go off sick, and robots don’t forget steps in the process. Automating tasks eliminates human error so when data is transferred there are no typos from doing it manually.
You should save any outsourcing for tasks which only a human can do, and automate the rest using a no-code tool like Zapier.
How employees are empowered by automation
By empowering employees to automate their manual tasks you will free them up for the work which makes a real difference to the business. For example, the one-on-one sales interactions with clients, which only a real person can do, or dealing with queries, problems or complaints.
In fact, you can even use automation to add a personal touch to processes. Something like sending a personalised thank you to customers for paying their invoice is incredibly easy using automation. If you use a finance app such as Xero then you can send a Gmail email when you reconcile an invoice. This automation is so easy and popular we’ve recorded a YouTube video which explains exactly how to do it.
Find out more
If you’re looking for ways to improve your pricing and earn more money, business automation using Zapier is the answer. To find out more about how business automation can benefit you, check out our free resources. We’ll show you everything from how to get started with Zapier to creating automations that will save you time and increase profits.
Free e-books
Our free Introduction To Zapier e-book explains the benefits of business process automation, how Zapier fits in and examples of automations for each department within your business.
We have a free cheat sheet with a checklist of Zapier’s inbuilt function which can supercharge your automations.
Kelly’s book, Automate It with Zapier
Kelly’s book, Automate It with Zapier, is available on Amazon. It includes some ready-made templates for various examples so you can get started really quickly.
The book is perfect for new Zapier users as well as seasoned pros. Here are links to Amazon (.co.uk) and Amazon (.com) to get yours now.
Solvaa: Strategy, Solutions, Support, Education
UK-based Solvaa® is a systems, process and automation consultancy specialising in improving business workflows. Solvaa® works with SMEs worldwide to implement digital tools, better processes, use business process automation and generative AI to boost productivity, enhance lead management, and remove unnecessary time, costs and hassles from stretched business owners’ days.
We help you simplify and streamline existing processes, integrate your business tools to make data transfer more efficient, and automate manual tasks. Our business process automation specialists have extensive experience using multiple cloud-based business tools, including Zapier, Pipedrive CRM, SmartSuite, Xero, Google Suite, ClickUp, Asana, Airtable, Hubspot, Active Campaign, Salesforce, Mailchimp, Quickbooks and many more. We are Zapier Certified Experts, SmartSuite Certified Partners, Pipedrive Certified Partners and Xero Certified Advisors. We also educate teams about using AI in their daily roles, mindset, governance and strategy in our Solvaa AI Academy.
Solvaa® was founded in 2016 by Kelly Goss, a no-code solutions architect, business process automation specialist and author of Automate It with Zapier (first edition) and Automate It with Zapier and Generative AI (second edition).
A thought leader on business process automation and digital adoption, Kelly attended an invite-only Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the UK government at No.10 Downing Street, providing insights and recommendations on how SMEs can benefit from productivity gains by using digital technologies, automation and AI. She has also been invited to speak at the House of Lords and at many other events.
Contact us today to find out how Solvaa can help your business make big savings on operational costs and time, and significantly increase productivity.
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