The hack to Scaling your business fast (without hiring a team).

What is Business Automation? - A beginner’s guide.

“There has never been a time in history when running a business was both easier and more complex all at the same time.” -- Joya Monteiro

The internet gives you access to millions of potential customers, something traditional brick-and-mortar businesses could only dream of. 

But with that incredible opportunity comes a flood of responsibilities. You're juggling multiple social media pages, creating content consistently, learning new tools every week, handling emails, setting up funnels, replying to DMs, tracking sales... and the list just keeps growing.

There’s a new way all those small, repetitive tasks you do every day – sending emails, scheduling posts, following up with leads, managing bookings, organizing files,  can be programmed to happen automatically. Without you lifting a finger to do it manually every single time.

That's business automation, and it's what this entire article is going to teach you about.

What is business automation? 

 Simply put, Business automation is using software to do simple everyday tasks so you can focus on what really matters, which is growing your business and serving your clients.

Although this seems like a new concept, automation has actually been around since the 1950s when IBM started automating payroll processing and inventory tracking.

AI has now made it possible for even the most non-techy entrepreneurs to create time saving automations even with a small budget.

How to start business automation.

Setting up an automation is not as complex as you think, this is an easy 6 step process to setup your very first automation

1. Pick a Task To automate:- Identify which area of your business you would like to automate. Choose something that is time consuming, repetitive and does not require human touch. 

2.  Find the Right Tool for the Job:- Once you know what you want to automate, find a tool that can handle it. There are free and paid options for almost everything. Look for something beginner-friendly that fits your budget.

3. Plan out the steps:- Before jumping into setup, sketch out how the task currently works step-by-step. What triggers the process? What happens next? What’s the end result? This helps you avoid confusion and ensures your automation runs smoothly from start to finish.

4. Test it to make sure it works:- Set up your automation and run a few test scenarios. Watch how it behaves. Testing helps you spot any errors and gives you a chance to tweak the setup before going live.

5. Track results:- Once your automation is up and running, monitor how well it's performing. Is it saving you time? Are leads moving through your funnel faster?  Use the data to make improvements.

6. Document your automation:- Always write down what you’ve set up; the tools you're using, what it's automating, and how it works. This is especially helpful when you need to update it later, troubleshoot issues, or delegate tasks to someone else in the future.

Essential areas you should start automating as a newbie

Now that you know how to set up your automation, here are 3 core areas of your business that you can start automating now as a total beginner. 

1. Lead Generation:- Use AI tools to speed up your lead generation process. From web crawling tools to CRM systems tools you can automate lead discovery and track progress. 

2. Email Marketing Automation:- Set up automatic welcome emails, nurture sequences, post-purchase follow-ups, and promotional campaigns. Keep your leads warm and engaged without being glued to your inbox.

3. Invoice and Payment Reminders:- Automate your invoicing and let tools like Wave or Zoho send out payment reminders, so you spend less time chasing payments and more time building your business.

The bottom line

Business automation isn't just a nice-to-have anymore it's your ticket to freedom. It saves you time, minimizes errors, increases efficiently and allows you focus on strategy, innovation, and building stronger client relationships.

However before you jump into automating your entire business, remember that AI is here to help you do your work more efficiently and not to do your work for you, some areas of your business like decision making and sales require human touch to work and should not be automated.

If you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or professional looking to grow, increase revenue, build systems that work, and get proven strategies that drive results, make sure you’re subscribed.

Every edition will provide actionable insights drawn from 25+ years of hands-on experience building, scaling, and optimizing businesses across multiple industries to help you grow professionally, generate real revenue and scale sustainably.

A new edition drops on Tuesday 9am PDT

Let’s build a business that supports your growth, Joya Monteiro

Founder & Digital Strategist

Need personalized guidance on how to get started with automating your business?

Book a 1-on-1 Strategy Session Here

(I'll help you identify your biggest time drains and create a step-by-step automation plan that fits your specific business and budget). 

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