~/automation · small-business systems

Repeat work, handled.

We build automations, dashboards and custom systems that take the copy-paste, chasing and admin out of your week. They run on the software you already pay for, and they're yours to keep.

scroll to watch four real problems get fixed

~/your-week.csvexample figures

Tick the jobs you do by hand. Set how long each takes a week (tap a time to type it).

an hour of your time costs
time back each week8h 12m worth, per year$19,680

That's about 1.1 working days a week, taken off the end of your week.

Small jobs add up. Pick yours and what an hour of your (or your team's) time costs to see what handing them over is worth. Based on a 7.6-hour day and 48 working weeks a year.

every automation follows one pattern

when this happens──▶then do these steps──▶result it's done, and recorded

problem 01/04 · outreach

Outreach was eating his week. Every email was written, sent and tracked by hand, so most people never heard back.

--the-fix

An outreach system that works through the list for him.

Part of a custom sales tool that also drafts replies, tracks opens, and handles quotes, invoices and follow-ups.

AaName@Email◉Contacted?
Mia Thorntonmia.t@example.comNot contactedContactedOpened
Jake Elleryjake@example.comNot contactedContactedReplied
Priya Shahpriya.s@example.comNot contactedContacted
OutlookSearch

Sent Items

Priya Shah9:06 AM

Your leadership offsite in May

Hi Priya, I saw Shah Design is growing the team…

Jake Ellery9:04 AM

A keynote idea for your sales kickoff

Hi Jake, congrats on the new office…

Mia Thornton9:02 AM

Speaking at your March conference?

Hi Mia, I loved last year's lineup…

AccountsMon

Re: Quote Q-0031

Thanks, approved…

It starts with a simple list: who to contact, their email, and whether they've heard from him yet. Mia's personalised email goes out from his own inbox, and her row flips to Contacted. Then the next person on the list, with an email written for them. And the next. Nobody had to copy, paste or remember anything. Opens and replies are tracked on the same list. Anyone who doesn't answer gets a follow-up.

example data

problem 02/04 · invoices

Chasing unpaid invoices meant checking Xero by hand, working out who was late, and writing every reminder from scratch.

--the-fix

A daily check that finds overdue invoices and sends the reminder for you.

It reads Xero every morning, picks out what's late, and emails each customer from an approved template.

XeroMarlow Interiors

Invoices

AllDraftAwaiting payment (3)Paid
NumberToDueAmountStatus
INV-0412Harbour Cafe8 Oct$1,850.00AwaitingOverdue 26 days✓ Reminder sent
INV-0418Lumen Studio21 Oct$640.00AwaitingOverdue 13 days✓ Reminder sent
INV-0425Cole & Co18 Nov$2,300.00AwaitingDue in 15 daysNot due, skipped

Checked automatically every day at 8:00 AM

New message

template: overdue-reminderauto

To{email}

SubjectFriendly reminder: {invoice_no}

Hi {first_name},

Just a friendly reminder that invoice {invoice_no} for {amount} was due on {due_date}. You can pay online using the link below.

Thanks so much,
Dana, Marlow Interiors

✓ Sent 8:01 AM

Every morning the automation opens the invoices that are still waiting to be paid. It checks each due date against today and flags anything overdue. Each reminder comes from one approved template, with blanks for the details. The blanks fill in for Harbour Cafe, and the reminder goes out. Lumen Studio gets theirs too. Cole & Co isn't due yet, so they're left alone.

example data

problem 03/04 · communication

Every job ran through one WhatsApp group and scraps of paper. Decisions got buried, and details lived in people's heads.

--the-fix

Slack, with one channel for every project.

Each job's updates, decisions and files in one place everyone can find, with urgent things kept apart from chatter.

Marlow Build

Channels

# baker-st-reno

# harbour-cafe 3

# ops-urgent 1

# leads

# general

Direct messages

Priya K

Tom R

# baker-st-reno6 members

Pinned: scope, schedule and client contact

PK

Priya K 9:14 AM

Client approved the tile change. Updated spec attached.

PDFTile-spec-v2.pdf240 KB · Baker St
TR

Tom R 9:20 AM

Ordered. Delivery Thursday 7am, I'll be on site.

DM

Dan M 9:31 AM

Thanks both. Marked as done on the schedule.

✓ 3👀 1

Message #baker-st-reno

Before: one endless group chat for every job, plus notes on paper that only one person saw. Look closely and almost every message belongs to a specific project. So each project gets its own channel, and urgent requests get one too. Inside a channel it's only that job: who decided what, and when. Files stay with the conversation, and unread badges show exactly where you're needed.

example data

problem 04/04 · instagram

Instagram was where the sales came from, but the DMs piled up faster than anyone could answer them.

--the-fix

Instant replies in the DMs, and every lead lands in monday.com.

ManyChat answers within seconds, walks new leads through a few taps, and sends their details straight to the sales board.

SRsam.reid_Message request

Requests 47

SRsam.reid_How much is the 8-week program?
EMella.movesdo you ship to perth??
JTjosh.trainsprice pls
KLkira_lis the beginner course still on
BNben.nguyenhey!! quick q
AOamara.oreplied to your story

Hey! How much is the 8-week program?

auto-reply · ManyChat · 2sHey Sam! Thanks for reaching out. What are you after?

See pricingBook a free callSomething else

auto-reply · ManyChatGreat! What's the best email for the booking link?

sam.r@example.com

auto-reply · ManyChatDone. Check your inbox, Sam. Talk soon!

Message…
Leads
Main tableKanbanCalls

New leads

LeadSourceInterested inStatus
Sam ReidInstagram8-week programCall booked
Ella MooreInstagramShippingNew lead
Josh TanInstagramPricingInfo sent
Kira LoweWebsiteBeginner courseCall booked

3 new today4 new today · 0 typed by hand

Before: dozens of unanswered message requests, and every one a possible sale. Now a new message gets a friendly reply within seconds, with tap-to-answer options. The lead picks what they want and leaves their email, without ever leaving Instagram. Their details land straight in the leads board, already sorted. No lead gets left on read.

example data

~/the-pattern

Four problems, one idea.

Every fix above is the same three parts underneath. Once you see it, you'll start spotting jobs in your own business that could run this way.

~/the-pattern.csv
fixwhen…then…result
01 outreachA new person is added to the listWrite a personal email, send it, mark them contacted, follow up if there's no replyEveryone hears from you, on time
02 invoicesIt's 8:00 AMFind overdue invoices, fill in the reminder template, send itYou get paid without awkward chasing
03 communicationSomeone posts an updateIt lands in that project's channel, with its files and decisionsEveryone knows where to look
04 instagramA new DM arrivesReply in seconds, ask what they need, capture their email, add them to the boardNo lead gets left on read

The tools change from business to business. The pattern doesn't.

~/tools

You already have the tools. We make them work together.

An automation is a set of rules your apps follow on their own: when something happens, they do the next steps and record the result. We build them on the software you already pay for, so the copying, chasing and remembering stops being your job.

~/what-we-build

Three sizes of job.

From one task that eats an afternoon a week to the system your whole business runs on.

--quick-win

Quick wins

One repetitive job, handled for good.

  • Invoices created and sent when a job is marked done
  • Form answers dropped straight into your CRM or spreadsheet
  • Reminder emails for overdue payments or upcoming bookings

typical build: Days

--workflow

Workflows

A process that moves across several tools without you pushing it.

  • New-client onboarding (contract, folder, welcome email, kickoff call)
  • Weekly reports and dashboards that build themselves
  • Approvals routed to the right person, with a nudge if they stall

typical build: 1–3 weeks

--system

Systems

A custom setup your business runs on, built around how you work.

  • Sales pipelines with sequenced, personalised email follow-ups
  • Linked databases that track budgets, people and deliverables
  • Operations hubs that tie forms, chat, finance and reporting together

typical build: 3–8 weeks

~/recent-builds

Recent builds.

Hover over a build to open it up and see what we did. All work →

  1. 01systemAn outreach system that works through the listOutreach was eating his week. Every email was written, sent and tracked by hand, so most people never heard back.NotionOutlook

    problem

    Outreach was eating his week. Every email was written, sent and tracked by hand, so most people never heard back.

    ──▶ the fix

    The list sends itself

    Each person on a simple Notion list gets a personalised email from his own Outlook, and their row flips to Contacted.

    + 3 more fixes in the full build

    how it runs

    1. 09:02Mia Thornton → personalised email sent
    2. 09:04Jake Ellery → personalised email sent
    3. 11:40Mia opened the email
    4. +3dno reply from Priya → follow-up sent
    5. +4dJake replied → reply drafted for review

    example data

    built with

    • Notion
    • Outlook

    status

    live

    Read the full build →
  2. 02quick winInvoice follow-ups that send themselvesThere were lots of invoices, and checking which ones hadn't been paid meant going through them by hand.Xero

    problem

    There were lots of invoices, and checking which ones hadn't been paid meant going through them by hand.

    ──▶ the fix

    A daily check, done for you

    Every morning the automation reviews Xero and picks out anything overdue.

    + 1 more fix in the full build

    how it runs

    1. 08:00daily check: 3 invoices awaiting payment
    2. 08:00INV-0412 overdue 26 days · INV-0418 overdue 13 days
    3. 08:01reminder sent to Harbour Cafe
    4. 08:01reminder sent to Lumen Studio
    5. 08:01INV-0425 not due yet → skipped

    example data

    built with

    • Xero

    status

    live

    Read the full build →
  3. 03workflowOne channel for every projectEveryone used one WhatsApp group or paper notes, so there was no clear record of anything.Slack

    problem

    Everyone used one WhatsApp group or paper notes, so there was no clear record of anything.

    ──▶ the fix

    A Slack channel per project

    Each project has its own channel, with its updates set out clearly in one place.

    + 1 more fix in the full build

    how it runs

    1. 09:14#baker-st-reno · tile change approved, spec attached
    2. 09:20#baker-st-reno · delivery booked for Thursday
    3. 09:31#baker-st-reno · marked done on the schedule
    4. 10:05#ops-urgent · supplier PO needed today

    example data

    built with

    • Slack

    status

    live

    Read the full build →
  4. 04workflowInstagram DMs that answer and qualify leadsInstagram was the main place sales came from, but the DMs piled up faster than anyone could answer them.InstagramManyChatmonday.com

    problem

    Instagram was the main place sales came from, but the DMs piled up faster than anyone could answer them.

    ──▶ the fix

    An instant reply to every DM

    ManyChat answers new messages within seconds, with tap-to-answer options.

    + 1 more fix in the full build

    how it runs

    1. 19:42new DM: 'how much is the 8-week program?'
    2. 19:42auto-reply sent with options
    3. 19:43lead chose 'Book a free call', shared email
    4. 19:43added to monday.com → Call booked

    example data

    built with

    • Instagram
    • ManyChat
    • monday.com

    status

    live

    Read the full build →

~/process

How a project runs.

From the first call to handover, and support after that if you want it.

  1. 01

    Intro call

    20 mins · free

    Tell us what eats your week. We'll tell you honestly whether it can be automated.

  2. 02

    Discovery call

    maps out everything

    We map your tools, your processes and what to fix first. A written proposal with a fixed price follows.

  3. 03

    Build

    fixed price

    Built in your accounts, on your tools, and tested by you with real work.

  4. 04

    Handover

    videos + guides

    Short videos and a one-page guide for each automation, so your team can run it.

  5. 05

    Support

    monthly or annual retainer

    Ongoing fixes, tweaks and new automations as you grow. Optional, and everything is yours either way.

$ next --step

Got a task you do every single week?

Tell us about it on a free 20-minute call. If it can be automated, you'll leave knowing how and what it would cost. If it can't, we'll tell you.

Prefer email?

$ book --intro-call · 20 min · free

Open in Cal.com ↗

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