Scale & Business Systems · Automate with AI
Business Process Automation
Identify and automate the five processes every SMB should automate - intake, quoting, scheduling, reporting, and follow-up.
10 lessons · 475 minutes
Before starting: Completed CRM & Client Management Setup
Start courseWhat you walk away with
- Ship five production automations: lead catcher, meeting logger, follow-up reminders, contract and invoice chaser, deal alerts
- Choose between Zapier, Make, n8n, and Trigger.dev based on each automation's complexity
- Keep the whole automation stack under $100 per month
- Debug broken automations with a step-by-step isolation method
- Wire reply detection into your CRM so responses create tasks automatically
- An automation map for one repeated handoff, with exceptions, an owner, and a review step. Every artifact saves to your workspace, so you keep it after the course ends.
- A knowledge-check quiz and a visual walkthrough inside every one of the 10 lessons, about 8 hours of guided work.
- Most lessons close with a checklist, template, or do-it-this-week task, so progress shows up in your work, not just in the app.
Automation Tools: Zapier vs Make vs n8n vs Trigger.dev
Choose the right automation platform to save hours on repetitive tasks and plug revenue leaks -- a practical comparison for small business owners.
Automation 1: Lead Catcher (Form → CRM → Notify)
Capture every new lead instantly -- from contact forms, booking tools, or email replies -- create a CRM contact, tag the source, and get notified via Slack within seconds so you can respond while the lead is still warm.
Automation 2: Meeting Logger (Call → CRM → Follow-Up)
Automatically log every sales meeting in your CRM, update your pipeline, and create follow-up tasks so no client conversation ever gets forgotten -- saving you hours of manual admin each month.
Automation 3: Follow-Up Reminder (Day 3/7/14 Chain)
Automate your sales follow-ups to ensure no lead is forgotten -- this system creates tasks to contact prospects on Day 3, 7, and 14, but only if they haven't replied or moved forward.
Automation 4: Contract & Invoice Chaser
Automate follow-ups on unsigned contracts and unpaid invoices using a Day 3/7/14 pattern - eliminate awkward chasing and improve cash flow with systematic reminders.
Automation 5: Deal Notifications (Slack/Email Alerts)
Learn to set up smart alerts for your most important business moments -- like new high-value leads or closed deals -- so you never miss a critical opportunity while running your business.
Wiring Reply Detection → CRM → Tasks
Automatically detect when a potential client replies to your outreach, instantly update your CRM, pause follow-up sequences, and create a high-priority task so you never miss a hot lead.
Budget Optimization: Staying Under $100/Month
Learn how to audit and optimize your automation costs to stay under $100/month while maintaining 10x+ ROI on your time savings -- essential for small business profitability.
Debugging Broken Automations
When your key business automations fail silently, you lose leads and revenue. This lesson gives you a systematic 5-step protocol to diagnose and fix broken automations in under 10 minutes, plus monitoring setups that catch failures before they cost you clients.
Your Automation Stack Blueprint
Transform your individual automations into a connected, reliable system that frees up your time -- learn to audit, map, and maintain your complete automation stack.