You do not need to automate everything. Pick the repetitive, rule based tasks that eat the most hours and are the least risky to get slightly wrong.
Good candidates
These five tasks suit automation in most small businesses.
- Handling new enquiries and bookings
- Following up on quotes
- Raising and chasing invoices
- Reordering low stock
- Weekly reports for the owner
How to choose
Time the task for a week. Choose the one that takes the most hours, follows clear rules and where a mistake is easy to catch.
Start small
Automate one step, run it beside the manual process for two weeks, compare the results and only then switch over. Keep a way to take over by hand.