Why Your Business Feels Like a Mess (And How to Fix It)
If you’re running a business in Brisbane—whether you’re a sparky in Chermside or running a boutique law firm in the CBD—you probably use a handful of different apps. You’ve got a system for your emails, something for your quotes, maybe a spreadsheet for your leads, and definitely something for your invoicing.
The problem? None of these bloody things talk to each other.
You spend half your day copying a name from an email into a quote, or manually typing a customer’s phone number into your contact list. It’s boring, it’s slow, and it’s costing you money because while you’re doing data entry, you aren't on the tools or closing new deals.
This is where "automation" comes in. Don't let the word scare you off. All it means is making your software talk to each other so you don't have to be the middleman.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how tools like Zapier and Make act like a digital glue for your business. They take the manual work off your plate so you can focus on actually making a profit.
What are Zapier and Make? (The Plain English Version)
Think of Zapier or Make as a universal translator.
Imagine you have a Japanese air conditioner and a German remote control. They won’t work together. But if you have a smart hub in the middle that understands both, suddenly you can turn the air con on with the press of a button.
Zapier and Make are that hub. They connect over 5,000 different apps.
Zapier is the "easy" one. It’s built for business owners who want to set something up in ten minutes without needing a degree in computer science. It’s a bit more expensive, but it just works. Make (formerly called Integromat) is the "powerful" one. It’s cheaper and can do more complex tasks, but it’s a bit more fiddly to set up.
For most Brisbane small businesses, I usually recommend starting with Zapier. It’s less headache, and your time is worth more than the few extra dollars a month it costs.
How This Actually Puts Money in Your Pocket
I’ve worked with dozens of local businesses who were drowning in admin. One plumber in Morningside was losing about five hours a week just following up on website enquiries and putting them into his calendar.
Here is how we fixed it using automation, and how you can do the same:
1. Instant Lead Response
When someone fills out a form on your website at 8:00 PM on a Tuesday, they want to know you’ve received it. If you wait until the next morning to reply, they’ve already called the next guy on Google.With automation, the second they hit "Submit": They get an automated text saying "Thanks, we’ll call you in the morning." Their details are automatically sent to your phone as a notification. Their name and number are added to your job system so you don't forget to quote them.
This makes you look like the most professional operator in town without you having to lift a finger.
2. No More Double Entry
If you use Xero for invoicing and a different app for managing your projects, you shouldn't be typing the same customer details twice. You can set it up so that when a quote is "Accepted" in your project tool, the invoice is automatically created in Xero as a draft. This prevents mistakes and ensures you actually get paid for the work you do.3. Keeping Your Database Clean
Most businesses have customer data scattered everywhere. It’s a mess. By linking your tools, you create a "single source of truth." When a customer changes their phone number in one app, it updates everywhere else. This stops data fragmentation from making your life difficult and ensures your marketing actually reaches the right people.What Should You Automate First?
Don't try to automate your whole business in one weekend. You’ll go mad. Instead, look for the "low-hanging fruit"—the tasks you do every single day that annoy you.
The "Rules of Thumb" for Automation: 1. If you do it more than 5 times a week, automate it. 2. If it involves copying and pasting, automate it. 3. If it’s a "reminder" you have to send manually, automate it.
Start with your Lead Flow. If you can get your website leads to automatically land in your CRM or your phone’s contact list, you’ve already won back an hour a week.
Before you go out and buy every piece of software under the sun, make sure you aren't just adding more clutter. You need to be smart about cutting SaaS waste and only paying for things that actually talk to each other. There's no point in having a fancy tool if it doesn't play nice with the rest of your business.
How Much Does This Cost?
Let’s talk brass tacks.
Zapier: They have a free version, but for anything useful, you’ll likely pay around $30–$45 AUD per month. Make: Much cheaper. You can get a lot done for about $15 AUD per month, but expect to spend more time (or pay a pro) to set it up.
Is it worth it? If you value your time at $80 an hour (which is low for a business owner), and Zapier saves you just one hour a week, it has already paid for itself twice over. Most of our clients find it saves them 3–5 hours a week. That’s an extra $1,000+ of your time recovered every month for the cost of a couple of cartons of beer.
Common Mistakes (And What to Avoid)
I’ve seen plenty of people try to get clever with this and end up making a bigger mess. Here is what to watch out for:
Automating a Broken Process: If your current way of handling leads is a disaster, automating it will just make the disaster happen faster. Fix the process on paper first, then use the tools. Over-complicating: You don't need a 20-step automation that sends a bouquet of flowers and a personalised haiku to every customer. Keep it simple: Lead comes in -> Notification goes out -> Customer gets a reply. Ignoring the "Errors": Sometimes an automation breaks (maybe you changed your password or an app updated). Check your email once a week for "Zapier Error" notifications. If you ignore them, you might miss three weeks of leads.
How Long Until You See Results?
You can set up a basic Zapier connection in 30 minutes.
The results are instant. The very next time a customer fills out your form or pays an invoice, the automation kicks in. You’ll feel that immediate "weight off your shoulders" when you realise you didn't have to do the manual work.
What Should You Do Next?
If you’re tired of being a slave to your laptop every evening, here is your action plan:
1. List your apps: Write down the 3-4 tools you use most (Email, Xero, Calendar, Website). 2. Pick one pain point: What’s the one thing you hate typing out manually? 3. Sign up for a free Zapier account: See if your apps are on there. 4. Try to build one "Zap": Link your website form to your email or phone.
Look, I’ll be honest—most of what you read online about "AI and Automation" is over-hyped rubbish designed to sell expensive software. But linking your basic business tools is the real deal. It’s the difference between a business that runs you, and a business that you run.
If you’re too busy to muck around with software and just want someone to make your systems talk to each other so the phone rings more often, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in making tech work for Brisbane businesses without the jargon.
Ready to stop the manual data entry? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get your business running like a well-oiled machine.