13. Automation on a Budget Low-Tech Ways to Save Time

A series about business efficiency, finding profit and how to get there

Introduction
For many SME owners, automation sounds like something for bigger businesses - the kind with IT departments, massive budgets and custom software.

But here’s the truth you’re probably already halfway there.
If you’re using email, online calendars, shared folders, or accounting software, you’re sitting on automation tools - they’re just underused.

Automation doesn’t have to be sophisticated or expensive. It just needs to replace repetitive, manual tasks with something that happens without you.

Because every hour your team spends on low-value admin is profit left on the table and in this economy, we can’t afford to keep wasting time doing what a system could do for us - quietly, consistently and for far less money than a new hire.

Actions to Be Taken
Here are some smart, simple ways to build automation into your business — on a shoestring budget.

Automate Recurring Communication

• Use email marketing platforms like Mailchimp or Sender to automate customer follow-ups, reminders and newsletters.

• Set up email templates in Gmail or Outlook for frequently asked questions, proposals, or onboarding steps.

Use Calendar Links Instead of Email Ping-Pong
Tools like Calendly or Microsoft Bookings let clients and colleagues book time with you automatically - no back-and-forth.

Set your availability and let it run.

Simplify Admin with Forms and Checklists
Use Google Forms, Jotform, or Typeform to collect internal requests (leave applications, client info, job sheets).

Paired with automation tools (like Zapier or Make), form submissions can -

• Trigger confirmation emails

• Auto-fill spreadsheets

• Create calendar events

Automate Recurring Tasks and Reminders
Use Trello, Asana, or ClickUp to automate weekly checklists, recurring to-dos, or client task sequences.

Set up

• Auto-reminders

• Task templates

• Status updates

 Link Your Systems Together (Without Coding)
Zapier or Make (formerly Integromat) can connect hundreds of -no developer needed.

Examples -

• When a form is submitted, a task is created

• When a client signs a contract, they get a welcome email

• When an invoice is created, a message is sent to Slack

Psychological Perspective
One of the biggest barriers to automation isn’t technical - it’s emotional.

Many owners resist automating because -

• “It’s quicker if I just do it.”

• “I’m not techy.”

• “We’ve always done it this way.”

 But automation is not about replacing people. It’s about freeing people to do work that actually matters —-creative work, relationship-building, strategic decisions.

The shift is about moving from being busy to being valuable and that starts with a willingness to let go of control - to let systems carry the load they were designed to.

HR Best Practice
HR can be both a user and a champion of automation - particularly in onboarding, admin and compliance-heavy tasks.

Here’s how -

• Automate HR admin (leave requests, policy acknowledgments, induction checklists)

• Use templated performance review tools to save manager time

• Create automated onboarding flows - welcome emails, intro videos, forms and scheduling

 HR should also help manage the human impact of automation. When people fear being “automated out,” transparency is key -

• Focus on re-deploying, not replacing

• Offer training in the new systems

• Celebrate time saved and tasks removed

Red Flags to Watch For and Mitigate Against
Automation opportunities often hide in plain sight. Watch for -

• Tasks repeated weekly or daily without variation

• Double-handling of data (e.g. typing the same info into two systems)

• Manual scheduling or calendar management

• Internal “chasing” (for approvals, files, or updates)

• Staff burned out doing work that could be templated

 If the same task is being done more than three times a week - ask why not automate it?

Narrative Story

Meet Leonie from Whakatāne
Leonie runs a successful building consultancy in Whakatāne. Her small team was overwhelmed with client onboarding, manual quoting follow-ups and status updates.

She always thought automation was “too hard” - until one staff member showed her how to use a simple Google Form and Zapier.

They built an automated client intake form. Now -

• Clients fill out their details online

• An email sequence starts automatically

• A checklist is created in ClickUp

• The team is notified in Slack

It took two days to set up. Within two weeks, Leonie saved 6–8 hours of admin per week.

Her take? “I didn’t realise how much mental load we were carrying until the system just... took it. Game changer.”

Golden Nugget Automation isn’t about replacing people - it’s about removing repetition so your people can do what only they can do.

If you’d like a confidential, free of charge, free of obligation conversation about your business, here’s how to get me.

 📞 Phone +64 275 665 682
✉️ Email john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz
🌐 Contact Form www.regenerationhq.co.nz/contact

If you’d like to read more RegenerationHQ thinking on SME business and other things, go here – www.regenerationhq.co.nz/articlesoverview

🔹 RegenerationHQ Ltd - Business Problems Solved Sensibly.
Supporting NZ SME Owners to Exit Well, Lead Better and Build Business Value.