If you’re wondering how Zapier can benefit your business then think about what your ‘pain points’ are, because the chances are it can address many of them. Most people do not sail through the day, working in the most streamlined, optimised manner possible. I would bet that you could be much more productive, that there are processes you could fine-tune and workflows that can be automated.
Zapier is your automation friend, the magic wand which connects your everyday applications to remove some of the inefficiencies in your business life.
Think about these questions, and if you can answer any of them with a ‘yes’ then Zapier can probably help!
- Are you short on time in your business?
- Do clients forget to dial into calls with you?
- Do you worry about how you can scale your business?
- Do you forget to ask clients for testimonials?
- Is your client onboarding cumbersome and time-consuming?
- Do your processes feel clunky?
- Do you spend a lot of time on manual admin?
- Do you forget to chase leads?
- Are you worried about burnout?
Did you answer ‘yes’ to any of them? If you did then here are some of the benefits of using Zapier to automate your business tasks.
Zapier can save you time
Most businesses operate using a range of manual tasks, with staff rekeying data from one app into another which is extremely inefficient. Using Zapier means you can connect the apps, pass the data automatically, and not only save time but remove human error too. You can trigger workflow automations to run in Zapier from all sorts of events, from receiving an email, adding a row to a spreadsheet, updating a record in a CRM, or creating a financial transaction in an accounting app.
Solvaa saved a massive 45 hours per week for IQ Glass, the equivalent of a full-time member of staff, using Zapier to automate their business. You can read about it here, including further benefits they experienced such as increased visibility of all systems and processes, as well as more accurate data and fewer missed deadlines.
Zapier means no more missed calls
Have you ever dialled into a Zoom call to find out that you’re the only one there because the other person forgot? Or have you ever forgotten to dial in yourself? Zapier is ideal for sending handy reminders for calls, meetings, and any other appointments which you don’t want to forget. Zapier can connect with your calendar app and send notifications by email, Slack, and SMS, it’s like having a personal assistant!
This approach was used by Danielle Curtis at DonorsChoose.org, to notify her team about meetings, ensure that a note-taker has been allocated and the agenda is prepared in advance. Before Zapier had automated this workflow many tasks fell through the cracks, either forgotten or not assigned to a specific person.
Zapier will help scale your business
Growing a business can be challenging, especially if team members are spending more time on admin than the stuff you would rather they were doing. By reviewing your processes, streamlining them, and then using Zapier to automate them, you will free up time for staff to concentrate on the core business. They can get back to being creative, or looking at the big picture, rather than drowning in a mountain of paperwork. The great thing is that as you grow you can already support the increased business as it will be handled by automations rather than needing to hire more people.
One Year No Beer needed a scalable solution as they were anticipating a five to tenfold increase in business and their existing processes were a chaotic mess. Solvaa configured several automations to save them £2800 per month and massively improve productivity. You can read the case study here, just one of our client stories, one of the businesses we have helped benefit from what implementing app integrations and automations can offer.
Zapier will help get more testimonials
Testimonials are key for winning new business and satisfied customers are usually more than happy to provide one, but many businesses don’t ask for them. Or they may ask but then not follow up if nothing is received in return. Using an automated workflow at the end of a project or after selling a product makes it really easy to get valuable testimonials. You can send a sequence of emails using Zapier to make the request, follow up if needed to remind your customer, and the content can include links to your Google business page, an industry review site such as Trustpilot or Checkatrade, your Facebook page or LinkedIn profile.
Zapier will streamline your customer onboarding
Making a sale is great but it usually triggers a series of tasks to get the new customer set up on various systems and send them information about how you’ll work with them. You may need them to sign a contract and set up some initial workshops. All of this can be automated using Zapier, from calendar management, creating Zoom meetings, sending emails, and updating your CRM. You’ll never forget a step in the process, will save a load of time, and have peace of mind that the data is accurate.
Shweta Dawar is one of Zapier’s success stories, using its automations to win new clients and streamline the onboarding. Shweta says “Implementing these automations in my business really helped me automate repetitive tasks. It ultimately helped me avoid burnout, and I was able to spend more time on income-generating activities for my business.”
Business process automation using Zapier
It’s important to remember that you should only automate efficient processes. Before you start using Zapier you should review your workflows and ensure they have not evolved into cumbersome, clunky monoliths over time. Cut out the fat and then see which automations you can introduce to make life easier by reducing manual tasks and save time.
Insurance broker SelectQuote Insurance Services created a seamless customer experience using Zapier. From capturing data to responding to notifications, their systems were connected using automations and the beauty of the solution is that it didn’t require a developer. VP of Technology, Dan Sevino, estimates a saving of $15,000 of developer costs at least thanks to Zapier’s no-code configurations.
Manual admin can be replaced with Zapier
It’s sometimes easy to perpetuate bad admin processes without even thinking, as you do them automatically. Being mindful is key, and documenting what you do really helps understand where you are spending your time inefficiently. Are you transferring data from one spreadsheet to another, or manually creating a project task each time you receive an email from a particular client asking you to do something? Do you rekey data from a contact form into your CRM, or manually create an invoice when you receive a Paypal payment?
Tracking all your admin tasks will highlight areas that Zapier can help with, and is time well spent, investing in your business to make it more efficient.
The Black Ties magician group were running their business inefficiently, with one of their members working full time on manual tasks rather than performing magic. The apps they used were all supported by Zapier so were all able to be connected using pre-built integrations. Having previously struggled to process 200 leads per year, they can now accommodate 1000 enquiries without breaking a sweat using automations.
Do you forget to chase leads?
It’s great to get new leads but it’s easy to lose track of them which means you could lose out on valuable business. Having a structured sales cadence is vital, and automating it means you never have to worry about forgetting any of the associated activities.
We have a short video tutorial that explains how to create a seven-day sales cadence of activities in Pipedrive, but it can be applied to other CRMs such as Salesforce.
Are you worried about burnout?
If you are a solopreneur or small business owner then you will likely wear a variety of hats, doing many tasks yourself. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed but Zapier can help you work smarter not harder.
If you’d like inspiration for some of the ways you can use Zapier to save time then read some of the customer stories on the Zapier website. There are plenty of real-life examples of how specific Zapier integrations are helping businesses address their pain points. There are people in a wide range of industries, who use a variety of applications in their day-to-day life.
The benefits of using Zapier are huge, and we can help you get started. We would recommend checking out our library of video tutorials where we show how Zapier can be used to do really cool things, saving you time and making you more productive.
More Zapier tips
If this has piqued your interest then we have more Zapier articles you can use to get started with automation and connect your business apps.
Our other resources
We also have plenty of free resources:
- Our free e-book is the perfect introduction to business automation.
- Our Zapier functions cheat sheet delves into the powerful inbuilt helper apps which can supercharge your automations.
- A free checklist to help you justify an automation budget.
And finally, our founder / chief problem solver / chief automator Kelly Goss’ new book, Automate It with Zapier, is out now and is the most comprehensive Zapier guide on the market. It will get you up and running and to the stage where you can build and debug advanced automations. Buy your own copy today directly from publisher Packt using this link. Or here are links to Amazon (.co.uk) and Amazon (.com) if you prefer.
Check out our automation training programme
And finally, if you’re really keen to transform your business using automation, then visit the Solvaa Automation Academy. Our signature training programme, ‘Simple Automation Blueprint: Zero to Hero’ is aimed at anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of business process automation from the experts – a sure-fire way to recession-proof your business.
It’s an 8-week blended learning course with on-demand videos, templates, resources and weekly group coaching sessions. And it’s more than just a Zapier course (although we do show you how to use Zapier like a pro) as you’ll learn about Process Mapping, Business Process Improvement and Business Process Management too – principles that can be applied to other areas of business too!
Whether you are a complete novice or have been using Zapier for a while, our programme is for you. It’s perfect for individuals and teams in micro, small and medium-sized businesses, including solopreneurs, consultants and freelancers. You’ll have access to our experts and can participate in live calls where you can ask all your burning questions, as well as hands-on workshops to keep you on track with implementing your new skills. We run regular cohorts so there will be an opportunity for everyone to participate.
Our head trainer, Kelly Goss, is a specialist in business systems, process improvement and automation, and one of less than 100 Zapier Certified Experts in the world. Kelly has many years’ experience in optimising systems and processes, and implementing automations for clients and is now passing on her knowledge to students through our trademarked ‘4-Step Solvaa Automation Methodology®‘.
Find out more via our dedicated Solvaa Automation Academy website.
Read more about how our certified experts use Zapier workflow automations to simplify processes and increase efficiency.
Solvaa is a process and automation consultancy specialising in improving sales, operations and financial administration workflows. We help you to simplify and streamline existing processes, integrate your business tools to make data transfer more efficient and automate manual tasks to increase productivity. We are Zapier Certified Experts, Pipedrive Certified Experts and Xero Certified Advisors.
Contact us today to discuss how Solvaa can help you simplify, improve and automate all aspects of your business with Zapier to save you time, reduce costs and keep you agile as you grow.
Related Posts
