What You Actually Need to Automate

If you’ve been hanging around the online business world for more than five minutes, you’ll know “automation” is one of those buzzwords that gets thrown around like confetti.

People make it sound like automation is some magical fairy godmother that will sweep into your business, wave her wand, and poof! — all your problems are solved, your bank balance doubles overnight, and you never have to touch your laptop again.

Spoiler: that’s not how it works.

Automation is brilliant but only if you’re automating the right things. Get it wrong, and all you’ve done is build yourself a very expensive robot that creates chaos faster than you can say “Zapier.”

So let’s cut through the fluff. Here’s what you actually need to automate (and what you really don’t).

1. Lead Collection + Nurturing (because your list is the heart of your business)

Collecting leads is only half the job. If they land on your list and then hear nothing from you for months, you’ve wasted the opportunity.

What you need is a simple flow that:

Collects email addresses via a landing page.
Delivers your freebie automatically (no manual sending!).
Tags or organises people based on what they signed up for.
Kicks off a short welcome sequence to introduce you, your vibe, and your offers.

That way every new subscriber gets looked after and starts building a connection with you from day one.

Tools I recommend:

Mailerlite (my fave for beginners — simple, powerful, and affordable).
Kartra (a brilliant all-in-one if you’re ready for more advanced funnels, sales pages, and automations).

? Bonus tip: Add a tripwire offer (a small paid product shown straight after sign-up). It runs automatically and turns your freebie into an instant income stream.

2. Sales Processes (because chasing payments isn’t a hobby)

Your checkout should not require you to send a PayPal link at midnight. Automation here means:

A checkout page that takes payment without back-and-forth.
Instant product/course delivery.
Automated receipts and invoices.

Tools I recommend:

Stripe (easy to integrate with almost anything).
Thrivecart (one off payment to sigm up).
QuickBooks (brilliant for automated invoices, expense tracking, and keeping your accounts in order so tax season doesn’t feel like a horror movie)

3. Scheduling & Reminders (because your brain doesn’t need more tabs open)

Whether it’s social media posts, client calls, or appointment reminders — automate the admin. Tools like Calendly or Acuity sync with your diary, send reminders, and reduce no-shows. Social scheduling tools let your content work even when you’re not glued to your phone.

Tools I recommend:

Tidycal (for calls, with time zone conversion built in and only a one off payment of £29).
Meta Business Suite (for free social scheduling).
Adobe Express (great for scheduling to Pinterest and Tiktok)

4. Repetitive Client Touchpoints (because consistency matters)

Things like:

Onboarding emails.
Pre-call questionnaires.
Post-session feedback forms.
Offboarding steps.
Automated invoicing and contracts.

Tools I recommend:

Mailerlite (set up onboarding and feedback email automations quickly).
Kartra (automates entire client journeys — contracts, forms, follow-ups, and offboarding).
QuickBooks (handles automated invoicing, reminders, and client payment tracking so you don’t have to chase).

5. Audience Engagement (the right way)

This is where people get burned, because “automated engagement” often turns into spammy bots. But when done right, it saves hours and keeps conversations flowing.

Tools I recommend:

ManyChat (brilliant for Instagram + Facebook comment automation — think: someone comments “MAGIC” on your post and instantly gets your freebie link).
Zapier (connects apps together so you’re not copying data manually).

Pro tip: Use automation to start the conversation, not replace it.

What NOT to Automate (at least, not fully)

Your personality: People don’t want a robot — they want you.
Engagement: Automated DMs might save time, but they kill connection if they’re not done carefully.
Decision-making: Automation is not a substitute for strategy. It’s there to support your decisions, not make them.

Automation is supposed to make your business simpler, not scarier. It’s about removing the boring, repeatable tasks so you can focus on the work that actually lights you up.

Start small. Automate one thing that eats up your time every single week. Then build from there.

And remember: automation is a tool — not a replacement for strategy, connection, or your brilliance as a business owner.

*Some of the links in this blog are affiliate links. That means if you choose to sign up through my link, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I actually use and love, so you’re in safe hands.