Look, I’m going to be straight with you. Most small business owners I talk to in Brisbane are flat out. They’re working 12-hour days, but half that time isn't spent on the tools or closing deals. It’s spent on the 'boring stuff'.
Sending the same follow-up email for the tenth time today. Copying lead details from a Facebook ad into a spreadsheet. Texting a tech to tell them where the next job is.
It’s rubbish. It’s a waste of your life. And frankly, it’s costing you a fortune in missed opportunities.
If you want to scale without losing your mind, you need to stop being the 'glue' that holds your software together. You need tools like Zapier or Make to do it for you. This isn't about being 'techy'—it’s about making sure when a customer wants to give you money, nothing gets in the way.
Why Your Current Setup is Leaking Cash
Most businesses have what I call 'Software Spaghetti'. You’ve got a website, maybe some Google Ads, a CRM (or a messy spreadsheet), and an accounting package like Xero.
But they don't talk to each other.
When a lead comes in through your website at 8:00 PM on a Friday, what happens? Usually, it sits in your inbox until Monday morning. By then, that customer has already called three other blokes and booked the one who answered first.
You’re losing jobs because you’re too slow.
Using automation to get customers isn't just a fancy trick; it’s how you beat the competition who are still doing things the old way. If your systems talk to each other, that Friday night lead gets an instant text message, their details go straight into your CRM, and you get a notification on your phone to call them.
That’s the difference between a 'maybe' and a deposit in the bank.
Zapier vs. Make: Which One Should You Use?
I get asked this all the time at the pub. "Should I use Zapier or that other one, Make?"
Here’s my honest take.
Zapier: The Easy Route
Zapier is like an automatic transmission car. You get in, you hit the gas, and it goes. It connects to almost everything. If you use popular stuff like Gmail, Mailchimp, or Facebook, Zapier probably already has a 'recipe' ready for you.The Good: It’s dead simple. You can set up a basic workflow in ten minutes. The Bad: It gets expensive fast. If you’re running a lot of tasks, they’ll sting you on the monthly bill.
Make (formerly Integromat): The Powerhouse
Make is more like a manual 4WD with a winch and a snorkel. It can go anywhere and do anything, but you might stall it a few times before you get the hang of it.The Good: It’s much cheaper than Zapier for high volumes. It also lets you build really complex stuff—like 'if this happens, but only on a Tuesday, then do that, otherwise do this'. The Bad: The learning curve is steep. If you aren't tech-inclined, you’ll probably want to pay someone to set this up for you.
My recommendation? Start with Zapier. If you find yourself spending more than $100 a month on it, or you need it to do something really 'smart', then look at moving to Make.
Real-World Workflows That Actually Make Money
Let's skip the theory. Here is how our clients actually use these tools to put more money in their pockets.
1. The "Instant Response" Lead Engine
When someone fills out a form on your site, they are at their most interested. If you wait two hours to reply, they’ve cooled off. If you wait two days, they’ve forgotten who you are.We set up workflows where: 1. A lead hits the website. 2. Zapier sends them a text: "G'day, it's [Your Name] from [Business]. Got your enquiry. I'm on a job right now but I'll give you a buzz in 20 mins." 3. Zapier adds them to your CRM and tags them as 'Hot Lead'. 4. You get a notification on your watch.
This turns cold web forms into customers much faster because you're striking while the iron is hot.
2. The Review Generator
Everyone knows Google reviews are gold in Brisbane. But asking for them is awkward and we always forget.Instead, connect your accounting software (like Xero or QuickBooks) to Zapier. - Trigger: You mark an invoice as 'Paid'. - Action: Zapier waits 24 hours (so it doesn't look like a bot), then sends a nice email or text asking for a review with a direct link to your Google profile.
This runs in the background while you sleep. You’ll wake up to 5-star reviews without ever having to ask for one face-to-face.
3. The "No-More-Data-Entry" Admin Saver
If I see one more business owner manually typing customer names from an email into a spreadsheet, I’ll lose it.You can set up a workflow that watches your inbox for specific emails (like 'New Lead' notifications) and automatically strips out the name, phone number, and job type, then drops it into a Google Sheet or your project management tool.
This saves you probably 5 hours a week. What’s your hourly rate? $80? $150? That’s hundreds of dollars saved every single week.
How to Get Started Without Breaking Things
Don't try to automate your whole business in one weekend. You'll move too fast, break a link, and end up sending 500 test emails to your best customer. Not good.
1. Pick the biggest pain point. What’s the one task you hate doing every day? Start there. 2. Map it out on paper. Draw boxes and arrows. "If this happens, then that happens." 3. Use a template. Both Zapier and Make have pre-built setups for things like 'Facebook Ads to Google Sheets'. Use them. 4. Test it twice. Use your own email address and phone number first. Make sure the texts actually arrive.
The Honest Truth About Costs
Automation isn't free, but it's cheaper than a junior admin staffer.
- Zapier: You can start for free, but for anything useful, you're looking at about $30–$70 AUD a month. - Make: Has a great free tier, and their paid plans start around $15 AUD a month. - The Catch: It takes time to learn. If you value your time at $100/hr and it takes you 10 hours to figure out a complex Make workflow, that 'cheap' tool just cost you a grand.
Sometimes it’s smarter to pay an expert a one-off fee to build the 'engine' so you can just sit in the driver's seat and steer.
Is it Worth It?
Look, the world is moving fast. AI and automation are changing how local Brisbane businesses compete. If your competitor is using AI for marketing automation, they are going to be cheaper, faster, and more responsive than you.
You don't need to be a computer whiz. You just need to decide that your time is too valuable to spend on data entry.
If you want a hand figuring out which bits of your business are ripe for automation, or you just want someone to build it for you so it actually works, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group. We do this stuff every day for businesses just like yours.
Stop being the secretary and start being the boss again.
Talk to us here and let’s get your weekends back.