Starting and growing a business involves constant adaptation, especially in terms of the tools and strategies you use to power your operations.
In the initial phase, you'll probably find yourself doing every manually - after all, processes are still being developer. However, as the business stabilizes and you start to scale, a common challenge emerges: how to avoid time spent on administrative tasks.
As a rule of thumb, if such tasks start taking up more than 20% of your team's time, it's a clear indicator that you might need to consider automating with a tool like Zapier. And if you want to avoid the learning curve attached a to a DIY approach, you'll probably want to find an expert
Why hire a Zapier expert?
Simply put, Zapier experts - whether agencies or freelancers - are specialists in using Zapier. The app connects 3,000+ apps and it's a complex beast. Learning to use it yourself is definitely possible, but expect to spend 50+ hours doing so
A better use of your time is running and expanding your business while an expert takes care of automating the nitty gritty
How to pick the right expert
- Are you looking for a specialist of a generalist: Determine whether your business needs a generalist, who looks at the entire business for automation opportunities, or a specialist, who focuses on specific areas like social media, HR or sales.
- Do they need some specific tool or industry knowledge: Are certain apps core to operating your business. Or do you operate in an industry like law, real estate or accounting where regulation drives your approach. If so consider if you need someone with specific industry knowledge or expertise in certain tools alongside their Zapier skills.
- Will they deep dive or stay more hands-off: Decide whether you need an embedded expert who works closely with your team on an ongoing basis or someone who's going to parachute in to achieve specific objectives.
- Decide how long you want someone involved: Think about whether you're looking for someone to come in and make quick fixes or you want someone who's going to deep dive into your business over time and make big changes.
Preparing to work with an expert
- Map your business: Understand your business processes in detail and identify what you want to automate. A good way to do this is to keep a journal of every manual process you do on a daily and weekly basis - this will give your expert somewhere to start.
- Give them access Ensure the expert has the necessary access and that a team member with decision-making authority manages the process. You want the expert to be able to make meaningful changes and not waste time navigating company politics.
- Give someone ownership: Decide who will be responsible for running the new automated processes after the expert's job is done. While an expert can remain on hand to optimize what they've built, someone in the company needs to make it part of people's day-to-day.
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To find a Zapier expert to start working with, check our directory, or request to be matched with one today.
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How much does it cost to work with an expert?
Most Zapier experts charge anywhere from $100-$250/hour or even on a fixed, per-project basis. When it comes to deciding how much you want to pay, you should keep in mind what automation will save you in terms of money and resources in the future.
Almost every business has the potential to save on person-hours when processes are properly automated, and when you do, those hours can be saved in the form of reduced staffing, or redeployed to do more impactful work.
As a rule of thumb, you probably want to see an ROI on your spending within 6-12 months of work being carried out.
How to ensure success
- Do work in phases: Break the project into phases to avoid overwhelming your team. This can be done by solving operational bottlenecks one by one and giving changes time to settle, or focusing on specific areas of the business at one time, starting with the one where changes will be most impactful.
- Plan for the long term: Understand that automation is an ongoing process, and you may need to revisit and update automated workflows as your business evolves. This can be done by working with the expert on an ongoing basis, or by training someone on your team to take charge.
- Consider an inhouse team: As your business grows, consider the possibility of bringing automation expertise in-house, potentially with roles like a 'Chief Automation Officer'. An expert can help you get this started.
To sum up, working with a Zapier expert can be pivotal in automating and streamlining your business processes, leading to significant time and cost savings.