SMB Automation Playbook
19 articles tagged with “SMB Automation Playbook”
10 Industry-Specific Workflows Worth Automating Today
Real automation workflows for recruiting, legal, accounting, marketing agencies, property management, healthcare admin. Mapped out and ready.
Training Your Team on Automation
You've seen the automation light. Now bring your team along. How to find internal champions and avoid becoming the unpaid IT department.
Who to Actually Listen to in the Automation and AI Space
The automation and AI space is drowning in noise. People, newsletters, podcasts, and communities that deliver signal — and a few to ignore.
Are All Apps Becoming the Same? The SaaS Convergence Question
Every CRM has project management. Every PM tool has a CRM. Every app has AI. Are we headed for one mega-app or just the latest cycle?
Will AI Come for My Role? An Honest Assessment
Which roles are most exposed to AI, which become more valuable, and how automation literacy changes the equation. An honest take.
Does AI Replace Zapier? A Sober Take on the Hype
Every week someone declares iPaaS tools dead. Here's why that take is wrong, what AI actually changes, and what stays the same.
Should You Let AI Connect to Your Tools?
AI can read your email, update your CRM, and send Slack messages. Should you let it? An honest look at benefits, risks, and guardrails.
How AI Actually Talks to Your Apps
ChatGPT has plugins. Claude has MCP. Gemini has extensions. A plain-English explainer on how AI connects to the tools you already use.
Claude Code for Business Automation: Tips from the Trenches
Claude Code isn't just for developers. How we use it to build internal tools, automate processes, and prototype workflows. Practical tips included.
Getting Predictable Results from AI in Your Automations
AI is powerful but unpredictable. Structured outputs, validation steps, fallback logic, and human-in-the-loop patterns that actually work.
From Prompts to Production Workflows
You started with ChatGPT. Then saved prompts. Then built a Zap. Here's the maturity curve for AI-assisted automation and when to level up.
Better Prompting for Better Automations
AI steps in your automations are only as good as the prompts. How to write prompts that produce consistent, usable output — not surprises.
Vibe Code It or Buy It Off the Shelf?
AI can help you build a tool in an afternoon. But should it? When to vibe-code, when to buy software, and when to just use a spreadsheet.
Automation or Purpose-Built Software? How to Decide
Sometimes a Zap is duct tape. Sometimes buying software is overkill. Here's how to tell when you need automation vs. a real tool.
Built-In Automation vs. Dedicated Platforms
HubSpot has workflows. Salesforce has Flow. So why pay for Zapier? Here's when native automation is enough and when it's not.
One Workflow, Ten Platforms Compared
We built the same real-world automation on ten different platforms. Zapier, Make, n8n, Power Automate, and six others. Here's what happened.
The Automation Platform Decision Matrix
Zapier, Make, n8n, Power Automate, and a dozen others. How do you actually choose? A decision framework based on five things that matter.
Mapping Your First Automation Workflow
A napkin, a whiteboard, or Microsoft Paint will do. Here's how to take a messy process and turn it into a clean, running workflow.
Your First 30/60/90 Days of Automation
If I joined your company tomorrow, here's exactly how I'd approach automation in the first three months. Observe, quick wins, then systems.