Who this checklist is for
This checklist is for business owners and the people who run the business with them: operations heads, office managers and accounts people. Use it on the day you plan the week, or before you hire someone to do repetitive work. Every task on it happens in a shop, a clinic, an agency, a factory and a distributor alike, and every one is done by hand in most small businesses.
Go down the list and mark each task: done by hand, done late, or not done at all. The ones marked "late" or "not done" are your best place to start. The order below runs from the quickest wins to the one we would automate first, which is the last item.
The 10 tasks, and why each one matters
Lead replies: answered in seconds
The first business to reply usually wins the customer. Check how long your last 10 enquiries waited for a real answer. See our WhatsApp auto reply guide.
Invoices: made the moment a job ends
Every day between finishing a job and sending the invoice is a day added to when you get paid. Check how many jobs from last week still have no invoice.
Daily sales report: on your phone at 9
You should not need to ask anyone for yesterday's sales, collections and orders. If someone builds this report by hand, it is often late or skipped.
Appointment reminders: fewer no-shows
A reminder the day before, with a way to confirm or move the slot, gives you time to fill the gap. Count last month's no-shows to see what it costs.
Review requests: after every job
Happy customers rarely review unless asked at the right moment. Compare your jobs last month with your new Google reviews. See Google review request automation.
Bill entry: AI reads the photo
Typing supplier bills and receipts into Excel, Tally or QuickBooks takes hours and invites mistakes. An AI model can read amount, date, vendor and tax from a photo for a person to check.
Quote follow-ups: day 2 and day 5
Many quotes are lost to silence, not to price. Check how many quotes sent last month got no follow up at all. See quote follow up automation.
Stock alerts: before a shelf runs out
A message when an item reaches its reorder level beats finding out from a customer. Check whether every item has a reorder level written down.
Staff attendance: no more registers
Check-ins on WhatsApp or a simple app, logged into one sheet, make payroll and leave counts quick to check. Ask how long attendance takes at month-end today.
Payment reminders: cash in sooner
The one to automate first, because it is the only task here that brings money in directly. Polite reminders with a payment link, before and after the due date, mean nobody has to remember to chase. See payment reminder automation.
Questions about what to automate
What should a small business automate first?
What should never be automated?
Which tools are used to automate these tasks?
Not sure which of these to start with?
Book a digital audit. We will look at how these jobs run in your business today and show you which ones to automate first.
Part of our Business Process Automation hub. Start with our business automation services.