{"id":6829,"date":"2025-05-26T12:00:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T02:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yellow.com.au\/?post_type=hub&p=6829"},"modified":"2025-05-26T12:50:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T02:50:48","slug":"the-benefits-of-automation-for-small-business","status":"publish","type":"hub","link":"https:\/\/www.yellow.com.au\/business-hub\/small-business\/crm\/the-benefits-of-automation-for-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"The benefits of automation for small business."},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine all the time you could save if quoting and invoicing managed themselves, payments and reminder notices went out automatically, social media content self\u2013posted and eDMs went out like clockwork. That\u2019s the promise of an automated business management platform, otherwise known as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

From a technological advancement perspective, the next five years could bring significant disruption. In 2019<\/b>, McKinsey estimated<\/span><\/a> that 44% of work activities in Australia<\/b> were already capable of being automated, with projections suggesting up to 81% of tasks could be automated by 2030<\/b>, depending on the speed of adoption. More recent analysis<\/span><\/a> now suggests this figure has climbed to<\/b> 98%<\/b>, underscoring the accelerating impact of automation on the workforce.<\/p>\n

While bigger businesses have been leveraging automation for years, small to medium businesses have been slower to get on the technology train. Smaller businesses may be put off by the cost, the belief that they don\u2019t need a new solution, or the perception that automation removes that \u2018personal touch\u2019 small businesses are known for.<\/p>\n

In fact, SMBs can reap major benefits from automation. Because they have fewer admin staff and smaller budgets, SMBs spend a higher proportion of time on repetitive manual tasks. A recent survey found that small Australian businesses spend, on average, $79,000 a year on admin tasks<\/a>. The more of these tasks you can eliminate, minimise, or streamline through automation<\/a><\/span>, the better the outcome for your bottom line.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how automation could change the way you work:<\/p>\n

Cut quoting and invoicing costs. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Think about all the steps involved in sending an invoice. Generating the document, printing or emailing, reminding and following up if a customer doesn\u2019t respond \u2014 it all adds up. That\u2019s why, according to the Australian Tax Office (ATO), it costs over $30 to process a single paper invoice<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> And a surprising number of Australian businesses still rely on paper invoicing or other manual systems. Even PDF invoices, which seem more efficient, cost an estimated $28 each. In contrast, the ATO estimates, e-Invoices cost just $10 each<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> Even if you only send ten or twenty invoices a week, that quickly adds up.<\/p>\n

Quoting can also be expensive. Estimating and generating quotes, sending them to customers, and \u2014 again \u2014 following up takes time and often ends without a sale. It\u2019s another crucial admin task that takes longer than it should.<\/p>\n

Automation benefits. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

With an integrated CRM or other business management system, all your business data, including quoting and invoicing details, is accessible through a single platform. Instead of transferring numbers from one system to another \u2014 for example, from your sales software to your invoicing app \u2014 you get an auto\u2013generated invoice or quote with all the relevant customer and sale details included. Rather than sending an email or PDF to your client, invoices are shared directly from your software.<\/p>\n

Similarly, automated quoting saves significant time and energy for your team. Instead of preparing and sending each quote to prospects, you can quickly generate quotes using customer data and information about past projects. Send them through your business management platform, customers accept with a click, and you\u2019re off.<\/p>\n

Of course, automation isn\u2019t just about saving time and money \u2014 it also means fewer errors and quicker responses from your clients. If you can reduce the number of steps between the client and payment, they\u2019re more likely to pay promptly.<\/p>\n

Simplify payments and reminders. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Business owners would love it if a prompt, straightforward payment followed all invoices, but that\u2019s not always the case. In fact, the average time for an invoice to be paid in Australia is around 22.1 days<\/a><\/span>, however this can fluctuate depending on industry and company size. A late payment means more work for you, with reminder notices, email follow-ups and finally, the debt collection process.<\/p>\n

Not only do late payments cost you in time, but they also affect your cash flow. Every day a payment isn\u2019t in your bank account, you\u2019re losing out on interest and access to ready cash.<\/p>\n

RELATED: CRM-based quoting and invoicing: The key to streamlining your sales process.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Automation benefits. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Again, automation can be a lifesaver. Invoicing becomes more straightforward, which in turn, makes payments simpler and quicker. Many business management platforms include an instant online payment option with invoicing \u2014 customers can click to pay (by card or online banking). Removing the barriers to payment is likely going to improve payment times.<\/p>\n

Finally, automation can also help with chasing up overdue payments. Set up automated reminder emails at one, three and six weeks, for example, instead of manually combing through unpaid invoices and writing manual reminders. Your platform should also be able to automatically flag any that are very overdue, so you can follow up in person or push them through to debt collection.<\/p>\n

Make digital marketing run smoothly. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

You know you need to post on social media, send regular newsletters or eDMs and follow up with customers promptly \u2014 but it can be challenging to keep up when you\u2019re running a small business with a small team. And if you\u2019re managing all your marketing manually, it\u2019s easy to see how email follow-ups get forgotten, newsletters rarely go out and social media posting becomes patchy.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where marketing automation comes in – if you\u2019re not keeping up with these customer touch-points, you can end up missing out on sales while giving customers an inconsistent or disappointing experience with your brand.<\/p>\n

Read our recently published article on how to streamline and automate your marketing efforts<\/a> for more tips on how to effectively simplify your small business marketing in 2025 and beyond.<\/p>\n

Automation benefits. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Marketing automation can help you create a consistently positive customer experience without hours of manual work. This can look like setting up a social media schedule to keep social posts flowing even when you\u2019re busy. Or you can use a specific action to generate an email<\/a><\/span>. For example, set an email \u2014 asking for a review or nudging your customer about items left in their online cart \u2014 to auto send a week after a purchase.<\/p>\n

Some businesses create a \u2018nurture journey\u2019 \u2014 a series of emails triggered by a customer action, such as email signup or content download. These journeys are designed to deliver a cascade of information about your business and your product or services, eventually guiding the customer to a conversion.<\/p>\n

Automation is the only way to efficiently manage that complex email journey and ensure every customer has the same experience with your brand. That\u2019s probably why 63% of marketers use automation to manage their email marketing<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

AI tools like ChatGPt have also helped streamline marketing and internal business processes even further, but you need to know how to effectively use them and more importantly, which prompts to use.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b><\/strong><\/a>Improve your small business marketing with these ChatGPT prompts.<\/b><\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Does automation equal de-personalisation? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many small business owners pride themselves on their personal service and relationships with customers. After all, that\u2019s what sets you apart from larger corporations. For some SMB owners, automation doesn\u2019t seem to fit with the idea of this personal touch. If you\u2019ve always made a point of making personal connections, it can seem counterintuitive to hand over control to an automated system.<\/p>\n

The good news? Automation doesn\u2019t mean ceding control \u2014 and it doesn\u2019t mean your customers will have a dry, corporate experience. Because automation platforms are so flexible, you can choose the elements you want to automate and those you want to manage on your own. For example, you might choose to automate invoicing, quoting, review requests and email follow\u2013ups, but continue to contact new leads personally.<\/p>\n

You can also use your automation platform to create those personalised moments for your customers. Using customer data, you can personalise email contact with customer names and other details \u2014 for example, recommending complementary products with a purchase. It\u2019s about weaving personal touches in with time-saving automation.<\/p>\n

Automation: key benefits for SMBs. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

In a world where 68% of employees suffer from work overload<\/span><\/a>, the majority of business owners want to take at least some of that pressure off. The smaller your team, the more important it is to eliminate and streamline the manual tasks that can eat into productivity and lead to burnout.<\/p>\n

This is where automation can deliver tangible benefits:<\/strong><\/h3>\n