What should a small business automate first?

You cannot automate everything at once, and you should not try. Start with the tasks that give you the most time back for the least effort.

Look for repetition

If someone does the same task every day or week, it is a candidate. Order confirmations, invoice reminders and lead replies are common ones.

Look for clear rules

Tasks that follow if-this-then-that rules automate well. Tasks that need judgement are better left to a person, with the bot preparing the work.

Count the time

Estimate how many hours a week the task takes. Automate the one that costs the most.

Start small and measure

Build one automation, test it on real data and measure the time it saves before adding the next.