The ultimate guide to automation for non-technical business owners

As the director of one myself, I know that running a small or medium business can often mean wearing many hats and juggling countless different tasks. If you own a business, you might feel a similar way - that there's never enough time in the day with everything that needs to be done, whether that's emails to send, invoices to chase, data to enter, or orders to fulfil. But what if you could delegate a chunk of those boring repetitive tasks to an unseen assistant that works 24/7, never gets tired, and doesn't make mistakes? This isn't a fantasy; it's exactly what automation can do for you.

In this article, I'll break down what automation is for non-technical business owners and where to start with it. By the end, you'll see how automation is like having an extra pair of hands (or a trusty machine) handling your routine work, the benefits of implementing it for your business, and how exactly you can do this.

What is automation in a business context?

Business automation means using technology to carry out tasks automatically, with minimal human intervention. Think about everyday life: you likely use a washing machine to do laundry instead of scrubbing clothes by hand (unless for some crazy reason you actually enjoy doing such a task by hand). You might have a coffee maker that brews your morning cup on a timer. In my home, I use smart plugs and lights so they come on with timers, and as an incredibly busy mum who runs her own business, it's just one less thing I have to think about. These are simple forms of automation in daily life, where machines handle routine chores so you can focus on other things (or frankly put your feet up). Now, apply that concept to your business. Instead of manually sending out the same email to every new customer or copying data from one spreadsheet to another, you can set up tools (your "business machines" or digital assistants) to do it for you.

Automation is essentially like hiring a reliable assistant or installing a high-tech business appliance that takes care of the repetitive tasks according to the rules you set. Once it's set up, it works in the background: emails get sent, appointments get scheduled, data gets updated or whatever you need it to do, all without you lifting a finger. And the great news is that modern automation doesn't require heavy technical skills. Many automation tools are designed for non-technical users, offering intuitive interfaces or templates.

In other words, you don't need to be a software engineer to automate parts of your business. If you can use a web browser or fill out a form, you can likely use basic automation tools. If that doesn't excite you, I don't know what will – but that's coming from a life-long tech lover who still gets excited using my mobile phone to unlock an Amazon locker with Bluetooth.

Why does automation matter for your business?

You might be thinking, "Sure, that sounds nice, but is it really worth the effort?" Yeah, it absolutely is. Automation offers a tonne of benefits for small and mid-sized businesses. Here are some key benefits:

• Saves you time (and money): Repetitive tasks take up hours of your day. Automation gives you those hours back. By letting a process run on autopilot, you and your team free up time to focus on more valuable work – like strategy, sales, or customer relationships. And since time is money in business, those saved hours directly translate to cost savings and higher productivity. (Imagine cutting those tedious admin chores in half and think about what could you do with that extra time?)
• Reduces human errors: Everyone makes mistakes, especially when doing dull, repetitive work. Typing the same data over and over is a recipe for the occasional error and sometimes disaster, as a past colleague of mine would tell you about the time she accidentally added an extra '0' to an order of 10 boxes of paperclips and then had to listen to "hey do you need a paper clip?" all day every day for the next year. Automation, on the other hand, will perform the task the exact same way every time with precision. Fewer mistakes mean less time fixing problems and a more reliable operation overall.
• Improves consistency and customer experience: Have you ever had a customer slip through the cracks because someone forgot to send a follow-up email? Automation ensures consistency. For example, an automated system can send an immediate confirmation email every time someone makes a purchase on your website, or remind your clients of their appointments. This kind of quick, consistent communication keeps customers happy and makes your business look polished and professional.
• Boosts team morale and efficiency: When your staff are freed from the drudgery of copy-pasting info or filling out the same forms repeatedly, they can focus on work that actually makes use of their talents. Employees can spend more time solving problems, being creative, and engaging with customers – the things humans do best – while the "digital assistant" handles the busywork. This leads to a more engaged team and better use of your payroll.
• Enables you to compete with larger companies: Big companies have been using automation for years to work faster and smarter. Today, automation tools are affordable and accessible to businesses of all sizes. In fact, 88% of small business owners say automation allows their company to compete with larger enterprises by helping them move faster and reduce errors. In short, automation can be a great equaliser, giving your SME some of the efficiencies that only big firms used to enjoy.
• Scales as you grow: Manual processes might be fine when you have 10 customers, but what about 100 or 1,000? Automation prepares you for growth. It's much easier to handle an increased workload when a lot of the process is automatic. You won't need to immediately hire lots of new staff just to keep up with orders or paperwork – your automated systems can take on much of the extra load. This scalability means you can grow confidently without the growing pains.

So to sum up here, automation matters because it lets you do more with less effort, maintain quality and consistency, and stay competitive in a fast-paced market. What's not to love? It's like having a tireless machine in your back office that keeps things running smoothly while you focus on steering the ship (or having a cup of coffee on the quarterdeck).

What can you automate? Common use cases for SMEs

So now you might be exclaiming, "Alright, what exactly can I automate in my business?" The answer is quite a lot. In fact, it's almost easier to ask what you can't automate (you'll still have to get your own coffee yourself, for now, but the way robotics is going, probably not for much longer). Most repetitive, rules-based tasks that don't require complex human judgment are good candidates for automation. Here are some common areas across various business sectors where automation is making a big impact:

• Administrative tasks: These are the day-to-day office chores. For example, data entry can be automated by integrating your systems so data flows from one to another without manual retyping. Document generation is another quick win – imagine invoices, contracts, or reports being generated from templates with a click. Even something as simple as sorting and forwarding emails can be automated with email rules or services that categorise messages for you.
• Marketing and sales: Automation is a marketer's best friend. You can schedule social media posts ahead of time, so your company stays active online without someone manually posting every day. Email marketing can be automated to send personalised messages to customers – like a welcome email series for new sign-ups, or a re-engagement offer for inactive customers. On the sales side, you can automatically send follow-up emails to leads, generate quotes or proposals using software, and track interactions with potential clients. This not only saves time but ensures no prospect falls through the cracks because you forgot to follow up.
• Customer service: Providing timely customer support is crucial, but that doesn't mean you need to personally answer the same FAQ for the hundredth time. Common customer service inquiries can be handled by chatbots on your website or Facebook page – they can answer questions like "Where's my order?" or "How do I reset my password?" instantly. You can also set up an automated system to send appointment reminders by text or email, or follow-up surveys to customers after a service. These touches improve customer satisfaction without adding workload to your team.
• Finance and bookkeeping: Think about all the small but important finance tasks: sending invoices, recording expenses, processing payroll, following up on late payments. Many of these can be automated. For instance, you can use accounting software that automatically sends invoice reminders to clients who haven't paid by the due date. Expense tracking can be streamlined by using apps that automatically import transactions from your bank. Payroll can be run on a schedule where hours from a time-tracking system flow into a payroll system with minimal human involvement. The numbers get crunched for you, on time, every time.
• Inventory and operations: If you deal with physical products or inventory, automation can be a lifesaver. You can automate stock level monitoring so you get alerts when products are low, or even trigger automatic re-ordering from suppliers when stock hits a certain threshold. In e-commerce, there are tools to automatically update your online store's product listings, sync inventory across multiple sales channels, and even print shipping labels and send customers their tracking numbers without manual input. For example, updating a product price or description in one central system could automatically update your website, your Amazon store, and your point-of-sale system in the shop – no need to do it three times.
• Human resources: HR might not be the first thing you think of, but small businesses can save time here too. You can automate job posting and candidate screening with recruiting software, or onboarding new employees by having an automatic sequence of emails/documents that go out when someone joins. Simple HR workflows like leave requests or expense approvals can be set up in an app, so an email goes to the manager for approval with one click, rather than passing paper around or writing emails back and forth. It keeps everyone in the loop and records the outcomes automatically.

Those are just a few areas – the truth is, if a task is repetitive and follows a set procedure, there's a high chance it can be automated or at least streamlined. Regardless if you run a retail shop, a consultancy, a restaurant, or a logistics company or anything in between, there will be processes you can automate. For example, restaurants automate reservation bookings and order tracking; consultants automate appointment scheduling and invoice sending; logistics firms automate shipment tracking and notifications. There are possibilities in every industry to make life easier. The key is to identify the pain points in your own business where work is slow, tedious, or error-prone. Start by automating those, and you'll see immediate benefits.

Automation in action: real examples from small businesses

Hearing theory is great, but nothing drives the point home better than real-world stories. Let's look at how some businesses, just like yours, have implemented automation to great effect:

• Retail E-commerce Example – Saving time on online store management: One of our clients at Red Eagle Tech, a sports retailer, used to spend around 20 hours a week manually updating their Shopify online store with new products, descriptions, and price changes. It took up so much time for them. We helped implement an automation solution that integrated their supplier's database with their Shopify store, and the result was them spending just 30 minutes a week on what used to take nearly half their work week. All their product listings update automatically, and they've reclaimed roughly 19 hours each week to focus on other things (they decided to focus on marketing and customer engagement to bring in more business). So for a small business, that kind of time savings can have a hugely positive impact.
• Professional Services Example – Smoother scheduling and follow-ups: Consider a local law firm (not particularly techy folks) that struggled with managing client appointments and follow-up calls. They adopted a simple scheduling automation – clients can book appointments through an online calendar which sends automatic confirmation and reminder emails. After meetings, the system sends a thank-you note and a link to a feedback form without any manual effort. That has meant no more phone tag to set appointments, fewer no-shows thanks to reminders, and the lawyers spend more time lawyering instead of playing secretary. It's like a diligent secretary working 24/7, but it's all done through affordable software instead of staff costs.
• Logistics/Operations Example – Streamlining operations: Automation isn't just for digital tasks; it can connect the physical side of your business too. For example, a small logistics company we know leveraged automation to streamline their delivery tracking. They installed a system that automatically updates a central dashboard and sends customers a notification whenever a package's status changes (picked up, in transit, delivered, etc.). Previously, staff had to manually input updates and field calls from customers asking for status. Now customers are proactively kept in the loop, staff don't manually send updates, and everything is logged consistently. The director of that company described the change "like going from the 1980s to Star Trek" – suddenly their operations were light-years more advanced and efficient.

These examples show that automation isn't theoretical; it's happening now in businesses of all types and sizes. The companies above didn't have in-house tech whizzes or massive IT budgets. What they did have was a willingness to improve and the right partner to guide them (that's us – we're the tech whizzes. We love it, and we're here to help you every step of the way). Each of our clients started with a specific problem (too much time on web updates, chaos in appointment scheduling, slow manual tracking) and we worked with them to find an automation solution to fix it. The same approach can work for you: start with a pain point, apply some automation, and enjoy the results.

How to start automating when you're not technical

Getting started with automation is absolutely doable for non-technical business owners. It doesn't require writing code or overhauling everything at once. Here's a simple step-by-step approach to begin your automation journey:

1. Identify your repetitive tasks: Begin by making a short list of tasks that eat up a lot of your time or your employees' time. Good candidates are tasks that are done on a regular basis (daily, weekly, monthly) and follow a routine process. For example, generating a weekly report, responding to similar customer inquiries, or copying data from one system to another. If you're not sure where to start, ask your team – "What manual process takes up too much time or drives you nuts?" Their answers will highlight your biggest automation opportunities.
2. Pick a simple task and find a tool: Choose one task from your list that you think would be easiest to automate. It's important to start small. Once you have that task in mind, look for a tool or software that can handle it. The good news is there are many user-friendly automation tools out there. However, often off-the-shelf tools just don't really hit the mark for many businesses, so custom solutions can be better (we can help with that). Learn more about custom vs off-the-shelf solutions here. Tools like Zapier or Microsoft Power Automate let you do that through a simple interface with no coding required but they're really simple. For advanced or professional automation, you can partner with a company like Red Eagle Tech.
3. Use built-in automation features: Before you invest in new software, check the tools you already use. A lot of business software includes automation features that you might not be making the most of. Do you use Outlook or Gmail for email? Try setting up rules or filters to automatically sort incoming mail or send canned responses. Using a customer relationship management (CRM) system like HubSpot or Salesforce? They often have automation workflows included (like sending a welcome email to new contacts or creating a task when a deal is marked closed). Even spreadsheet programs like Excel or Google Sheets have features (macros, formulas, scripts) that can automate calculations or data cleanup. Make sure you're taking advantage of these "hidden" automation gems in your existing toolbox.
4. Start small and test it out: When you've chosen a tool and a task, implement the automation and give it a trial run. Monitor the results closely the first few times it runs. For example, if you set up an email automation, watch to ensure the right emails are going out at the right time and the content looks correct. If you automated a report, double-check the numbers the first couple of runs. Starting small allows you to catch any hiccups and build confidence. It's like testing a new machine on a small batch before you ramp up production, you'll want to make sure it works properly.
5. Train and involve your team: If the automation affects how your team works, bring them into the loop early. Show them what's being automated and how it works. There can be a natural fear of the unknown ("Is a robot going to take my job?" "Do we all need to be super polite to ChatGPT?!"), so explain that the goal is to remove boring tasks, not replace people. In fact, automation often makes employees' jobs more enjoyable since it cuts out boring stuff that automation can take care of. Provide basic training if needed, although many user-friendly tools won't require much. When everyone understands the new process and its benefits, you'll have a smoother adoption and possibly even ideas for more things to automate (people often get excited and start saying, "Can we automate this too?!" once they see it in action).
6. Expand gradually: After you've successfully automated one task, try another. Use the momentum of that quick win to tackle the next item on your list. Maybe your first project was automating social media posts, and next you move on to automating invoice reminders via your accounting software. Gradually, you'll build a suite of small automations that together save significant time. Keep the pace comfortable – there's no need to automate everything at once. Over a few months, you might automate dozens of hours' worth of work per week, which is a huge boost for an SME.
7. Know when to seek expert help: Some automation can get a bit technical, and that's perfectly fine. As a business owner, your job isn't to become an IT guru overnight. If you hit a wall, for example, you have a unique process that off-the-shelf tools really can't handle, or you just don't have the time to figure out the best solution, do consider bringing in an expert. Our awesome, friendly team at Red Eagle Tech specialises in helping non-technical businesses implement automation. What's more we don't over complicate stuff, make your head spin with tech jargon, and we never pressure you into a commitment. Our consultations are always free, and come with no obligation to proceed.

By following these steps, you'll dip your toes into automation without feeling overwhelmed. The key is to take it one step at a time. Each small success builds your confidence and delivers real improvements to your business operations. Remember, even the biggest, most tech-savvy companies started small with automation at one point. You're doing the right thing by exploring it now, and you'll thank yourself later as you reap the benefits.

Embracing automation with the right partner

As I touched on, when you start exploring automation, you don't have to go it alone. In fact, having the right partner can make the journey a lot easier and more effective. Think of it this way: you understand your business inside-out: your challenges, your customers, your workflows. An automation expert understands the technology inside-out. When you collaborate, you get the best of both worlds. You provide the insight on what needs improving, and the partner provides the know-how to implement the perfect automation solution.

Ready to start your automation journey?

If you're excited (or even just curious) about what automation could do for your business, I encourage you to take that first small step. Maybe set aside an hour this week to identify one task to automate, or try out a free automation tool. You don't need to transform everything overnight; even a 10% improvement is time and money in your pocket.

And remember, you're not alone in this. Something we can help with? Let's talk. At Red Eagle Tech, we're passionate about making enterprise-grade technology accessible to businesses like yours. Whether you have a clear idea of what you want to automate or just a feeling that "there must be a better way" but you're not sure where to start, we're here to help.