Why You’re Working Too Hard (And What to Do About It)
I was sitting down with a landscaping business owner in Chermside last month. Let’s call him Dave. Dave is bloody good at what he does. His gardens look like something out of a magazine, and his customers love him.
But Dave was miserable.
He was spending his days on the tools and his nights—from 7:00 PM until 10:30 PM—hunched over a laptop. He was manually typing out quotes, chasing up unpaid invoices, and trying to remember which Facebook message he hadn't replied to yet.
He told me, "I’m working 70 hours a week, but I feel like I’m barely keeping my head above water. If I don't send the quote tonight, I lose the job. But if I send the quote, I don't see my kids before they go to bed."
Dave didn't have a "marketing" problem. He had a "manual work" problem.
This is where workflow automation comes in. Now, don't let the name bore you. In plain English, it just means setting up your computer to do the boring, repetitive stuff so you don't have to. It’s about making sure that when a lead comes in, they get a reply instantly—without you touching your phone.
Most business owners think they need to hire more staff to grow. But before you go out and put another person on the payroll, you should look at using smart tech to handle the grunt work. It’s cheaper, it doesn’t take sick leave, and it never forgets to follow up.
The Real Cost of "Doing it Yourself"
Most tradies and shop owners in Brisbane are proud of their DIY attitude. You built the business from the ground up, so you feel like you should be the one doing everything.
But let’s look at the math.
If you value your time at $100 an hour (and let’s be honest, as a business owner, it should be more), and you spend 5 hours a week on basic admin—data entry, sending "just checking in" emails, or moving info from your website to your diary—that’s $500 a week.
That’s $26,000 a year you are throwing away on tasks a $30-a-month software could do for you.
Even worse? The cost of lost opportunities.
If a customer in Indooroopilly searches for a plumber at 8:00 PM on a Tuesday, they are going to message three different people. If you’re at dinner and don't reply until tomorrow morning, you’ve already lost. The guy who has an automated system that replies instantly and offers a booking slot wins the job 9 times out of 10.
Step 1: Find the "Leaky Buckets" in Your Business
Before you go buying every shiny new app you see on Facebook, you need to figure out where you’re actually losing time and money. I call these "Leaky Buckets."
Grab a piece of paper and track your next three days. Every time you do something that isn't "the work" (the plumbing, the legal advice, the selling), write it down.
Common leaks I see in Brisbane businesses: Copying customer details from an email into a spreadsheet or CRM. Sending the same "Thanks for your enquiry" email over and over. Chasing people to pay their bills. Trying to find a time for a meeting by going back and forth: "Are you free Tuesday? No? How about Wednesday at 2?" Uploading photos from a job site to a folder.
If you find yourself doing the same task more than three times a week, it can—and should—be automated.
Step 2: The "Instant Reply" System (How to Win More Jobs)
This is the single most profitable automation you can set up.
When someone fills out the contact form on your website, what happens? For most small businesses, an email sits in an inbox until the owner has a spare minute.
Instead, you can set up a simple "Zap" (using a tool called Zapier) that does this: 1. The Trigger: Someone fills out your website form. 2. The Action: They get an immediate text message saying: "Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out to [Your Business]! We’ve got your details and Dave will give you a call within the hour. In the meantime, you can check out our recent work here: [Link]." 3. The Action: A task is automatically created in your to-do list so you don't forget to call them.
This makes you look incredibly professional. It also stops them from clicking on your competitor’s website because they feel like they’ve already started the process with you. Understanding how tech gets leads is the difference between a business that struggles and one that scales.
Step 3: Stop Playing "Calendar Tag"
How much time do you waste trying to book a quote or a consultation?
"Are you free Monday?" "No, I've got the kids. How's Thursday?" "Thursday is no good, I'm in Logan all day."
Stop it. It’s a waste of your life.
Use a tool like Calendly or Acuity. You link it to your Google or Outlook calendar, set the times you’re willing to work, and send the customer a link. They pick a time that works for them, and boom*—it’s in both your diaries. It even sends them a reminder text 24 hours before so they don't forget you're coming.
I’ve seen this save local professional services—like accountants and lawyers—up to 10 hours a month in back-and-forth emails alone.
Step 4: Automate Your Invoicing and Follow-ups
If you’re still manually checking your bank account to see who has paid, you’re living in the dark ages.
Tools like Xero or QuickBooks are great, but you can take them further. You can set up "Automatic Reminders." If an invoice is 2 days overdue, the system sends a polite nudge. 7 days overdue? It sends a firmer one.
This isn't just about saving time; it’s about cash flow. Small businesses in Queensland go bust because of poor cash flow, not a lack of work. Getting paid 5 days faster because a computer did the nagging for you can literally save your business.
Step 5: Put Your Marketing on Autopilot
Once you've fixed your internal admin, you can start using automation to bring in more money.
Most business owners know they should be "doing social media" or "sending newsletters," but who has the time? This is where AI marketing tools can help.
Instead of staring at a blank screen trying to write a Facebook post, you can use AI to draft five posts based on photos of jobs you did this week. You review them, click "schedule," and you're done for the month.
What tools should you actually use?
You don't need a degree in IT to use these. Most have a "free trial" and are designed for normal people, not tech geniuses.
1. Zapier: Think of this as the "glue" that connects your apps. It tells your website to talk to your email, and your email to talk to your phone. 2. Calendly: For booking appointments without the emails. 3. Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign: For sending emails to your customers automatically (e.g., a "Happy Birthday" discount or a "It's been 6 months since your last service" reminder). 4. OpenAI (ChatGPT): For writing emails, quotes, or social media posts in seconds.
How Long Until You See Results?
This isn't a six-month project. You can set up an automated reply to your website forms in about 30 minutes. You can set up a booking link in 15 minutes.
You will see the results immediately.
The first time you’re sitting on the couch on a Sunday and you get a notification saying "New Lead Booked for Tuesday - 10:00 AM," and you didn't have to lift a finger? That’s when you’ll realise why this matters.
Is it Expensive?
Most of these tools cost between $15 and $50 a month.
Compare that to the cost of a junior admin staff member ($25+ per hour plus super and tax). It’s a no-brainer. If you spend $100 a month on software and it saves you 10 hours of work, you’ve just bought your time back for $10 an hour.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't try to automate everything at once. You'll get overwhelmed and give up.
Pick one thing that annoys you the most. Is it booking meetings? Start there. Is it losing leads? Start there.
Also, don't sound like a robot. When you automate an email or a text, write it exactly how you would speak. If you normally say "G'day," don't have your automated email say "Dear Valued Customer." Keep it human.
Summary: Your Step-by-Step Plan
1. Audit: Write down the 3 most boring things you do every week. 2. Pick a Tool: Choose one (like Calendly for meetings or Zapier for lead replies). 3. Set it up: Spend one Saturday morning (or hire someone) to get it running. 4. Test it: Make sure it works by acting like a customer and filling out your own form. 5. Enjoy: Use those saved hours to either grow the business or go to the beach.
Need help getting started?
Look, I know you’re busy. While these tools are "simple," setting them up correctly so they don't break can be a bit of a headache if you’ve never done it before.
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane business owners stop being slaves to their admin. We build the systems that handle your leads, book your appointments, and follow up with your customers so you can focus on the work that actually makes you money.
If you want to see how automation can work for your specific business, let’s have a chat. No jargon, just results.
Contact us today at https://lmgroup.au/contact