The Automated Agency

Table of Contents

1. Automation Basics
   • Definitions
2. How to Automate
   • Identifying Processes to Automate
   • Planning
   • Building
   • Testing
   • Maintenance
3. Identifying Who Will Automate
   • Using Existing Staff
   • Hiring an In-House Automator
   • Hiring an Agency
4. AI-Enabled Automation
5. What to Automate
   • Automation Ideas by Business Function

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Imagine freeing up hours of your day, all while keeping your business humming along like a well-oiled machine. That’s the magic of automation. For client-focused businesses, automation isn’t just a tech buzzword—it’s a game-changer.

From streamlining client onboarding to organizing endless documents, the right automation systems can handle repetitive tasks, so you and your team can focus on what matters most: delivering great service. Whether you’re new to the concept or just looking for fresh ideas, this guide will walk you through the essentials of automation, how to get started, and practical ways to apply it to your business.

By the end, you’ll have the know-how to simplify your processes, save time, and boost productivity—all without losing that personal touch your clients love.

Let’s dive in!

Automation Basics: Key Terms You Need to Know

Before diving into the “how” and “what” of automation, it’s important to get comfortable with a few basic terms that will make everything click.

1. Process

A business process is simply a series of tasks or steps that are completed to achieve a specific goal. Think of your client onboarding process, invoicing cycle, or even the way you handle incoming leads. These are all business processes that can be automated to save time and reduce manual effort.

2. Trigger

In automation, a trigger is the event that kicks off your workflow. For example, a new client filling out an online form could trigger your onboarding sequence. The trigger is the spark that gets everything started.

3. Action

Once a trigger happens, an action follows. An action is the task your automation tool performs automatically in response to the trigger. So, after a client fills out a form (the trigger), the action might be sending them a welcome email or creating a new project folder in your document management system.

4. Zap

If you’ve heard of Zapier, you’ve probably come across the term “Zap.” A Zap is simply an automated workflow that connects two or more apps to work together. For instance, a Zap could connect your CRM to your email platform, automatically sending follow-up emails when a new lead is added. It’s like creating a mini automation chain that runs without you lifting a finger.

5. Task

A task is any individual action performed within an automation. For example, if your automation sends an email and creates a calendar event, each of these would count as a task. Understanding this is important when using tools like Zapier, which often count tasks to determine pricing plans.

How to Automate

Now that you understand the basic terminology, let’s walk through the actual process of automating your business. Don’t worry—this doesn’t require a degree in computer science, just a bit of strategic thinking and some handy tools.

1. Identify Areas to Automate

First things first: Identify the areas of your business that could benefit the most from automation. Look for repetitive, time-consuming tasks that don’t require deep thought or creativity—things like data entry, sending follow-up emails, or organizing documents. We have a big list a little later in this post to get the ideas flowing for you.

2. Describe the Process or Create the SOP

Once you know what you want to automate, map out the process. This doesn’t need to be fancy or perfect—just outline the steps. Think of this as your Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). For example, if you’re automating client onboarding, your steps might be:

• Receive a new client inquiry.
• Send a welcome email.
• Schedule a kick-off call.
• Create a project folder.

Our TADA Framework

You can use our TADA Framework to uncover details about a process before automating it:

• Trigger: What starts the process? (e.g., a new client inquiry)
• Actions: What tasks need to be completed? (e.g., sending a welcome email, setting up a project)
• Data: What data is being used or transferred? (e.g., client information, project details)
• Apps: What apps are involved in the process? (e.g., Gmail, Trello, Google Drive)

Using this framework, you can map out your process and see where automation can fit in. Ta-da! 🎉

And here’s the thing: You don’t need to have every single process written out perfectly before automating. As long as you know the end goal and the general steps to get there, you’re ready to start building your automation. It’s also not necessary to do something manually before automating it—a common myth in the automation world. Many professionals insist you need to have a manual process down cold before automating, but that’s not always realistic or true. If you can define the steps, you can automate them—manual practice optional!

3. Identify the Pieces That Can Be Automated

Here’s where the fun begins—breaking down your process to see which parts can be automated. Automation can handle a surprising number of tasks:

• Adding Data to an App: If you collect information through a form, automation can send that data to your CRM or spreadsheet automatically.
• Sending Data from One App to Another: Automation tools like Zapier or Make can connect different apps, so data moves seamlessly between them without manual effort.
• Notification Messages and Communication: Automate internal notifications or client communication through email, Slack, or text messages, triggered by specific actions.
• Creating Template-able Documents: Auto-generate contracts, proposals, or onboarding materials using pre-built templates.

4. Build

Now it’s time to build your automation. Start with built-in automation tools within the apps you already use—many apps like Gmail, Trello, or HubSpot have automation features baked in. If your needs are more complex, turn to tools like Zapier or Make to link your apps together. And for the most advanced needs, custom API calls can unlock even more automation potential.

5. Test

Once built, test your automation thoroughly. Zapier allows you to test each step. When you first turn an automation on, run a “live test” as soon as it’s published to make sure it behaves as expected. Watch as real-world triggers start firing and keep an eye out for any hiccups. This stage is critical to ensure everything works smoothly and doesn’t accidentally send out a dozen emails to your client by mistake.

6. Refine and Improve Over Time

Automation isn’t “set it and forget it.” Your business will evolve, and so should your automations. Periodically review them to make sure they’re still aligned with your goals and adjust as needed.

Automation might feel like a big leap, but once you break it down, it’s really just about streamlining the steps you already know. By identifying key areas to automate, building your workflows, and refining them over time, you can reclaim hours of your day and focus on what truly matters: growing your business and delivering top-notch service to your clients. With the right mindset and tools like our TADA Framework, automation is well within reach—no perfection required.

Deciding Who Will Automate: In-House or Outsource?

One of the most important decisions when automating your business is figuring out who will actually build and maintain these automations. The right choice depends on your team’s expertise, capacity, and your own long-term goals.

Using In-House Technical Talent

If you already have someone on your team who is tech-savvy and interested in automation, this could be your first option. Maybe it’s someone in IT, operations, or even a detail-oriented admin who’s comfortable with tools like Zapier and Make. Leveraging in-house expertise can be cost-effective, and it allows your automations to evolve in real-time, closely aligned with your business needs.

That said, it’s crucial to make sure whoever takes this on has the bandwidth to handle it. Automation often requires ongoing attention—building the workflows, troubleshooting issues, and refining processes over time. If you’ve got someone who’s ready to take this on, fantastic! You’re well-positioned to build powerful automations in-house.

Hiring In-House

If your business is growing and you see automation as a cornerstone of your operations, it might be worth hiring someone whose sole focus is automating and maintaining your internal tools. This person would have the time and focus to explore deeper opportunities for automation, optimize your current processes, and stay on top of new tools and trends.

Alternatively, you could hire someone where automation is just one part of their responsibilities. This might be more practical for smaller businesses. For example, a project manager or operations specialist who automates a few key processes while also handling other tasks.

Hiring an Agency

Many business owners and higher-ups simply don’t have the time to build automations themselves or manage an in-house automation expert. That’s where hiring an automation agency like ours comes in. Partnering with an automation agency means you can delegate the entire process to experienced professionals. We’ll handle everything from identifying areas to automate, building the workflows, troubleshooting, and optimizing them over time—so you can focus on scaling your business without worrying about the nitty-gritty technical details.

Agencies also bring a broader perspective from working with multiple businesses, meaning they can offer creative automation solutions you might not have considered.

AI-Enabled Automation

AI-enabled automation is defined as using AI to enhance your operations and automations without using it in a mission-critical way. It’s a great way to start using AI in your business automation without taking on a ton of risk.

Tools like ChatGPT can be incredibly powerful for more than just drafting marketing materials and internal communications. For instance, ChatGPT can assist in qualifying leads by analyzing form data and drafting tailored responses to initial inquiries, right inside of Zapier! Beyond this, it can help automate client interactions by generating personalized responses, handling common queries, and even providing insightful analytics on client conversations. This level of AI support ensures that your team spends less time on routine tasks and more time on strategic activities, ultimately driving better client relationships and more efficient workflows.

What to Automate

When it comes to automation, the possibilities are nearly endless. Here’s a breakdown of automation ideas across different areas of your business, designed to save you time, reduce manual effort, and keep things running smoothly.

Client Management

Automating client management processes can drastically cut down on repetitive tasks while ensuring a consistent experience for every client:

• New Client Onboarding: Automatically send contracts, gather payment information, and schedule a kick-off call.
• Client Updates: Keep clients in the loop with automatic progress updates.
• Client Reminders: Set up automated reminders for upcoming meetings, deadlines, or necessary documents.
• Client Offboarding: Automate the process of wrapping up a project, sending final invoices, and archiving client files.
• Support Requests: Route support requests to the right team members and automate follow-up emails.
• Document Creation: Use templates to auto-generate contracts, proposals, and other client documents.
• Check-ins: Schedule automated check-ins to maintain client relationships post-project.

Project and Task Management

Stay on top of projects and tasks with these automation ideas:

• Project Initiation: Automatically create new projects and assign team members when certain triggers are met.
• Status Updates: Automate internal updates to keep everyone informed of project progress.
• Scheduled Reporting: Automatically generate and send reports to stakeholders on a regular basis.
• Document Creation and Organization: Use automation to generate and organize project-related documents in your cloud storage.
• Cloud Storage Organization: Automate the creation and organization of folders, so files are always stored in the right place.

People Management

From onboarding new hires to tracking performance, automation can streamline many people-related processes:

• Application Management: Automatically collect and organize applications, respond to candidates, and schedule interviews.
• New Employee/Team Member Onboarding: Automate training assignments, paperwork distribution, and introduction emails.
• Employee Training: Use automation to send out training materials and track completion.
• Performance Tracking: Automatically gather and report on employee performance data.
• Company Wiki: Keep your internal knowledge base updated by automating document creation and access management.
• Vacation Request Tracking: Streamline vacation requests and approvals using automated forms and notifications.

Decision Making

Make data-driven decisions easier with automation:

• Reporting: Set up automated data collection and report generation for better decision-making.
• Monitoring: Use automation to monitor key metrics or project milestones and trigger alerts when thresholds are met.
• AI Analysis: Leverage AI tools to analyze trends and provide insights automatically.

Business Administration

Automating administrative tasks can help keep the back-end of your business running like clockwork:

• Financial Reporting: Automatically pull data from your financial tools and generate reports.
• Invoice Creation: Set up automations to create and send invoices when certain milestones are reached.

Marketing

Spend less time on marketing logistics and more on strategy with these automation ideas:

• Content Planning: Automate content calendars and workflows to keep your marketing on track.
• Content Creation: Use templates and workflows to streamline content creation, from blog posts to social media updates.
• Content Distribution: Schedule and distribute content across channels automatically.
• Lead Nurturing: Set up drip email campaigns to nurture leads and move them through your sales funnel.
• Community Management: Automate responses to common community questions, flag important messages, and manage engagement.

Sales

Speed up your sales process with these automation ideas:

• Lead Qualification: Automatically qualify leads based on predefined criteria.
• New Lead Distribution: Route leads to the right team members based on availability or territory.
• Recording Storage and Sharing: Automatically save and share call recordings with your team or clients.
• Pricing Templates and Tools: Automate pricing estimates based on client data.
• Proposal and Contract Generation: Use automation to generate proposals and contracts, complete with client information and terms.

Just for Fun

Automation doesn’t have to be all business! Add a little fun to your workplace with some lighthearted automations:

• “Win” Messages: Set up automatic celebration messages whenever a new deal is closed or a big milestone is hit.

The beauty of automation is that it can touch nearly every part of your business, from client management to marketing and beyond. The challenge? Figuring out where to start. Hopefully this list helps you uncover the hidden opportunities for automation that can save you time, reduce manual work, and make your operations smoother. Whether you’re looking to streamline client onboarding or just add a little fun to your daily workflow, there’s an automation solution for you.

Automation isn’t just a trend—it’s a strategic tool that can transform how you run your business, making your processes more efficient and your team more productive. By understanding the basics, identifying which areas to automate, and choosing the right person or team to build and manage these systems, you can unlock a new level of efficiency that will follow you and your team for years into the future.

Automation can significantly streamline your operations and improve efficiency, but getting started doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Begin by identifying the repetitive tasks in your workflow that can be automated, from client onboarding to project management. Use tools like Zapier and Make to connect your existing apps, and leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to enhance client interactions and lead qualification. Whether you’re implementing automation in-house or with an external agency, focus on practical, actionable steps to integrate these solutions into your daily operations. By taking these steps, you’ll free up valuable time, reduce manual errors, and make your business run more smoothly.