--- name: automation-workflows version: 1.1.0 category: Operations & Systems domain: automation author: Matt Warren (original), improved by Nexaflow AI license: MIT status: production updated: 2026-11-14 activation_triggers: - "automate" - "automation" - "Zapier" - "Make" - "n8n" - "workflow automation" - "save time" - "repetitive task" - "integrate" - "follow up" - "missed calls" - "chase invoices" - "lead follow-up" tools: [] --- # Automation Workflows Identify automation opportunities and design workflows for Zapier, Make, n8n, or custom scripts — with worked examples, an ROI check, and a safe rollout plan. > Based on Matt Warren's `automation-workflows` skill (MIT, github.com/mfwarren/entrepreneur-claude-skills). Improved by Nexaflow AI: added worked examples, ROI calculation, a fix-first checklist, testing and rollout steps, and a plain-English install guide. Original copyright and MIT licence kept — see LICENSE. ## Purpose Find the highest-ROI automation opportunities in your business and design the workflows. Focus on eliminating categories of manual work, not just individual tasks. A good automation saves hours every week and never forgets — a bad one automates a broken process and fails quietly. ## Workflow ### Step 1: Audit Current Processes Ask the owner: - What tasks do you or your team repeat weekly? - What involves copying data between tools? - Where do things fall through the cracks? (Missed calls, unanswered enquiries, late invoices.) - What tools/apps does your business use? - Which manual task, if it stopped happening, would cost you money first? Write down every candidate, even the small ones. The best automations are usually the boring ones nobody wants to do. ### Step 2: Fix First Checklist Before automating anything, check the process itself. Do NOT automate a broken process. - Is the process written down anywhere, or is it all in someone's head? - Does the same task get done differently depending on who does it? - Are there steps nobody can explain the reason for? - Would a new starter know what "done" looks like? If the answer to any of these is bad, fix the process first: write the steps down, agree one way of doing it, then automate that version. ### Step 3: Prioritize by Impact Score each candidate: - Time saved per week (hours) - Error reduction potential - Revenue impact (direct or indirect) - Implementation complexity (easy/medium/hard) Prioritize: High impact + Easy implementation first. ### Step 4: ROI Check Put a number on it before building: - Hours saved per week × owner's hourly rate (or staff cost) = money saved per week - Money saved per month − platform cost per month = net saving - If the net saving is under 2× the platform cost, pick a bigger task first. Example: 5 hours/week saved × £40/hour = £200/week ≈ £800/month. A £20/month Make plan pays for itself 40 times over. ### Step 5: Design the Workflow For each automation: - Trigger: What starts the workflow - Steps: What happens in sequence - Conditions: If/then logic - Output: What's the end result - Error handling: What happens when it fails — who gets told, and how fast ### Step 6: Tool Recommendation Based on complexity: - **Zapier:** Simple, low-code, wide integrations - **Make (Integromat):** More complex logic, better pricing - **n8n:** Self-hosted, developer-friendly, cheapest at scale - **Custom script / AI agent:** When no-code won't cut it, or the workflow needs judgement (reading emails, deciding priority, drafting replies) ### Step 7: Test, Then Roll Out 1. **Test with fake data first.** Run the workflow 5–10 times on test records before it touches real customers. 2. **Run it alongside the manual process for a week.** Compare results. If they match, switch over. 3. **Set up failure alerts on day one.** Every workflow must notify someone (email, Slack, SMS) when it fails — silent failures lose customers. 4. **Review after 30 days.** Check time saved, errors caught, and whether anything needs adjusting. ## Worked Examples ### Example 1: Missed-Enquiry Follow-Up (the most common money-leak) **Problem:** A trades/service business misses calls while on jobs. Enquirers don't leave voicemail — they call the next company. - **Trigger:** Missed call, or a new form submission / inbox enquiry - **Steps:** (1) Log the enquiry in a sheet/CRM with name, number, time. (2) Send an instant SMS: "Sorry we missed you — we'll call back within the hour." (3) If no reply in 2 hours, send a follow-up SMS. (4) If still no reply next morning, add to a call-back list for the owner. - **Tool:** Make or Zapier + an SMS provider. **Time saved:** ~3–5 hours/week of chasing. **Revenue impact:** recovers enquiries that used to go to competitors. ### Example 2: Invoice Chasing **Problem:** Invoices go out, reminders don't. Cash flow suffers because nobody likes chasing. - **Trigger:** Invoice 7 days overdue in the accounting tool (Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent) - **Steps:** (1) Check the invoice is genuinely unpaid. (2) Send a polite reminder email with the payment link. (3) At 14 days overdue, send a firmer reminder. (4) At 30 days, flag to the owner with a summary of all overdue invoices. - **Tool:** Make or Zapier + accounting tool. **Time saved:** ~2 hours/week. **Revenue impact:** faster payment, fewer write-offs. ### Example 3: Lead Capture → CRM **Problem:** Leads come in from the website, Facebook and email, and half of them never make it into the CRM. - **Trigger:** New website form submission, new Facebook lead, or a new email matching "enquiry" - **Steps:** (1) Pull name, email, phone, source and message. (2) Create the contact in the CRM with the source tagged. (3) Send the owner a notification with the details. (4) Add the lead to a follow-up sequence if no one replies within 4 working hours. - **Tool:** Make or n8n + CRM. **Time saved:** ~2–4 hours/week of manual copying. **Revenue impact:** no lead ever gets lost. ## Output Format ```markdown ## Automation Audit: [Business/Process] ### Opportunities Identified | # | Task | Time/Week | Impact | Complexity | Priority | Est. Monthly Saving | |---|------|-----------|--------|------------|----------|---------------------| | 1 | ... | Xh | High | Easy | Do first | £X | ### Workflow: [Name] **Trigger:** [What starts it] **Steps:** 1. [Step] 2. [Step] **Tool:** [Recommended platform] **Failure plan:** [Who gets alerted, and how] ### Implementation Guide [Step-by-step setup] ### Rollout - Test with fake data: [date] - Run alongside manual process: [1 week] - Go live: [date] - 30-day review: [date] ``` ## Constraints - Don't automate broken processes — fix the process first (see Step 2) - Always include error handling and failure notifications - Note ongoing costs for automation platforms - Recommend starting simple and iterating — one workflow at a time, prove it works, then add the next - Never automate a customer-facing message without the owner reading it first - If a workflow handles money, payments or personal data, say so clearly and recommend a manual check step until it's proven