Automation playbooks
33 workflows we've already designed
Every playbook follows the same shape: a trigger, what the automation does, and exactly where a person stays in the loop. Pick the one that costs you the most hours; that's your proof of concept.
Invoice & receipt capture
~3–5 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A vendor invoice or receipt arrives by email, text, or a photo from your phone.
- What it does
- Reads vendor, line items, tax, total, and due date, even from a crumpled photo
- Matches it to a job, PO, or property so the cost lands in the right place
- Posts the bill to QuickBooks or Xero with the right category and schedules payment
- Files the original in a dated folder you can hand to your accountant
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Anything over $500, a vendor you've never paid, or no matching job.
- Connects to
- Gmail / OutlookQuickBooksXeroGoogle Drive
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Lead response & qualification
~2–4 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A web form, text, Facebook message, or voicemail transcript comes in.
- What it does
- Replies within two minutes, in your voice, with the questions you'd ask
- Scores the lead: location, job type, urgency, budget signals
- Offers real open slots from your calendar and books the visit
- Creates the contact and a summary in your CRM or spreadsheet
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Emergencies, commercial jobs, and anything the caller escalates.
- Connects to
- Website formsSMS (Twilio)Google CalendarHubSpot / Jobber / sheet
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Estimate & quote drafting
~3–6 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A qualified lead sends photos and a description of the job.
- What it does
- Drafts an itemized estimate from your own price book and past quotes
- Flags what it couldn't see (access, permits, existing damage)
- Produces a branded PDF and an e-sign link
- Follows up twice if the quote sits unopened
- Where a person stays in the loop
- You approve every estimate before it's sent.
- Connects to
- Price book (sheet)PDFDocuSign / Dropbox SignEmail / SMS
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Ask about this → Reminders, reschedules & no-show recovery
~2–3 hrs/wk- Trigger
- An appointment is booked, changed, or missed — or a layaway or installment plan has a payment due.
- What it does
- Sends confirmations and reminders on your schedule, by text or email
- Handles 'can we move it to Thursday?' replies and rebooks from open slots
- Fills a cancelled slot from your waitlist automatically
- Sends the after-visit note and review request
- Runs layaway and installment plans on held items: deposit, schedule, pay-link reminders, and the written terms at intake
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Cancellations inside 24 hours and anything involving a fee.
- Connects to
- Google / Outlook CalendarSquare AppointmentsSMSEmail
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Review requests & reputation
~1–2 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A job closes, or a new review appears on Google, Yelp, or Facebook.
- What it does
- Asks happy customers for a review at the right moment, with a direct link
- Reads every new review and drafts a reply in your tone
- Routes unhappy reviews to you before anything is posted
- Logs recurring complaints so you can see patterns by crew or month
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Any reply to a review under four stars.
- Connects to
- Google Business ProfileYelpFacebookSMS
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Voice memo to job notes
~2–4 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A tech records a 60-second voice memo in the truck after the job.
- What it does
- Transcribes and structures it: work done, parts used, time on site, follow-ups
- Updates the work order and drafts the customer's completion note
- Adds parts to the invoice draft and flags anything not in inventory
- Creates the callback task if the tech mentioned one
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Warranty claims and anything the tech flags as 'ask the boss'.
- Connects to
- Phone voice memoJobber / ServiceTitan / sheetQuickBooks
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Reorder alerts & purchase orders
~2–3 hrs/wk- Trigger
- Nightly, from your POS sales and on-hand counts.
- What it does
- Projects when each item runs out based on the last eight weeks
- Drafts a purchase order per supplier at their minimums and lead times
- Emails the PO for approval, then sends it to the supplier
- Notices price changes on supplier confirmations and updates your cost
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Every PO is approved by you before it goes out.
- Connects to
- Square / Clover / ShopifySupplier email or portalSheet
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Receiving & three-way match
~2–4 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A delivery arrives and the packing slip is photographed.
- What it does
- Matches packing slip lines to the PO and later to the invoice
- Flags shorts, overages, substitutions, and price differences
- Updates on-hand counts and closes the PO when complete
- Drafts the dispute email to the supplier with the evidence attached
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Any mismatch over your tolerance goes to you before the bill is paid.
- Connects to
- Phone cameraQuickBooksSheet / inventory app
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Timesheet & payroll prep
~2–3 hrs/wk- Trigger
- Crews text their hours, or drop a photo of the paper timesheet, on Friday.
- What it does
- Reads hours per person per day and per job, however they were written
- Checks against the schedule and flags overtime, missing days, and duplicates
- Produces the payroll import file for Gusto, ADP, or your bookkeeper
- Splits labor cost to jobs so your job costing is real
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Overtime and any week that doesn't reconcile with the schedule.
- Connects to
- SMS / photosGusto / ADP / QuickBooks PayrollSheet
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Contract & application intake
~2–4 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A lease, engagement letter, application, or signed contract arrives.
- What it does
- Extracts parties, dates, amounts, renewal terms, and obligations
- Checks for missing signatures, initials, and required attachments
- Puts key dates on your calendar with reminders ahead of each
- Files it and updates the client or tenant record
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Anything with non-standard terms or a missing signature.
- Connects to
- Email / Drive / DropboxCalendarSheet / CRM
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Ask about this → Tenant maintenance triage
~3–5 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A tenant texts, emails, or submits a maintenance request with photos.
- What it does
- Classifies urgency (water, heat, safety vs. cosmetic) and acknowledges the tenant
- Picks the right vendor from your list and sends the work order with photos
- Tracks the vendor's response and keeps the tenant updated
- Logs cost against the unit and flags repeat issues
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Emergencies and anything over your per-job approval limit.
- Connects to
- SMS / email / portalVendor list (sheet)Buildium / AppFolio / sheet
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Try it live → Monthly owner statements & payouts
~8–20 hrs/wk- Trigger
- Month end closes for a resort or condo-hotel where the units are individually owned and rented through your program.
- What it does
- Pulls each unit's nights, rental revenue, and channel fees from your PMS, Airbnb, and VRBO exports
- Applies the owner's split, cleaning and linen charges, work orders, and HOA dues or assessments per the management agreement
- Drafts every owner's statement in plain English, reconciles the total to the trust-account bank feed, and posts to QuickBooks
- Queues ACH payouts and answers the owner's 'why is this month lower?' question with the numbers behind it
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Any statement that does not reconcile to the penny, any owner dispute, and every payout batch before it is released.
- Connects to
- PMS / Airbnb / VRBO exportsBank feed (trust account)QuickBooksOwner portal or email
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Owner, guest & HOA request triage
~5–10 hrs/wk- Trigger
- An owner texts about their unit, a guest reports a problem in a rented unit, or a common-area issue comes in through the front desk.
- What it does
- Works out who it belongs to — the owner, the rental program, or the association — from the governing docs and the management agreement
- Classifies urgency (water intrusion, HVAC in July, safety vs. cosmetic) and acknowledges the person the way they wrote in
- Sends the work order to the right vendor with photos and unit access notes, and books around guest check-ins
- Charges the cost to the right party, updates the owner, and flags the unit when the same issue repeats
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Water, fire, and safety calls; anything over the per-job approval limit; any dispute over who pays.
- Connects to
- SMS / email / front-desk formVendor listPMS calendarBuildium / AppFolio / sheet
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Try it live → HOA dues, assessments & board packet
~4–8 hrs/wk- Trigger
- Quarterly or monthly dues come due, a special assessment is approved, or a board meeting is two weeks out.
- What it does
- Invoices dues and assessments, reconciles payments, and runs the aging with owner-friendly reminders that carry a pay link
- Walks delinquent accounts through the association's own collection steps and state notice timelines, drafting each notice for sign-off
- Deducts unpaid dues from rental payouts where the management agreement allows it
- Assembles the board packet: financials, delinquency list, open work orders, reserve status, and ARC requests, with a one-page summary
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Every collection notice before it is sent, lien or attorney referral decisions, and the packet before it goes to the board.
- Connects to
- QuickBooks / association softwareBank feedEmail / owner portalGoverning docs (PDF)
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Event intake & vendor paperwork
~4–8 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A client, couple, or committee sends details, or a vendor quote, contract, or donated-item description arrives by email, text, or a photo of a form.
- What it does
- Reads each quote or contract for the deliverable, price, deposit, balance date, cancellation terms, insurance, and load-in requirements
- Creates or updates the event, vendor, sponsor, or auction-item record and drafts the confirmation in the sender's own terms
- Builds the auction catalog or vendor list with values and descriptions ready for review
- Flags any term outside your standard set and anything that changes the client's or committee's total
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Contract terms outside your standard set, anything that changes the agreed total, and every client-facing message on event day.
- Connects to
- Email / SMS / photo of a formHoneyBook / Aisle Planner / Dubsado / sheetChapter or donor systemGoogle Drive
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Budget, payments & timeline
~3–6 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A deposit or balance comes due, a vendor changes a number, or the event is fourteen days out.
- What it does
- Keeps the master budget and payment calendar current from every quote, contract, and sponsor commitment
- Shows what is due to whom in the next fourteen days and drafts the vendor and sponsor confirmations the week before
- Answers the client's or chair's 'where are we?' with a one-page status against the agreed number or the goal
- After the event, issues acknowledgments and receipts with the right disclosure language, and the rentals and deposit-return checklist
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Any payment release, any message that changes the total, and every acknowledgment that states a dollar figure.
- Connects to
- QuickBooks / bank feedPlanning tool or sheetEmail / SMSCalendar
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Habitat & easement monitoring reports
~3–6 (season) hrs/wk- Trigger
- A volunteer or steward walks a property and sends photos and a voice memo from their phone.
- What it does
- Transcribes the notes and drafts the annual monitoring report in the format your accreditation or grant requires
- Matches this year's photo points to last year's and flags cleared areas, new structures, or possible encroachment
- Tracks which easements and habitat projects have not been visited yet this season and nudges the steward
- Files the report, photos, and GPS data in the property's archive so it stands up to accreditation review
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Every report before it is signed, and any suspected violation before a landowner is contacted.
- Connects to
- Phone photos + voice memoGoogle Drive / SharePointProperty list (sheet or GIS export)Email
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → New client & patient intake
~4–8 hrs/wk- Trigger
- Someone new calls, fills in the web form, or is referred — a patient, a prospective client, or a new tax client.
- What it does
- Captures the who, what, and when from the call, form, or referral fax and creates the record in your practice system
- Runs the first checks: conflict search against existing matters, insurance eligibility, or prior-year return status
- Sends the right packet — engagement letter, HIPAA and consent forms, or the document checklist — and books the first appointment
- Chases unsigned forms and keeps the front desk's list of who is ready to be seen and who is not
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Every conflict hit, every fee quote, and anything that reads as urgent or clinical.
- Connects to
- Phone / web form / referral faxClio / Drake / athenahealth / your PMSE-sign (DocuSign, Adobe)Calendar
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Document chase & records requests
~6–15 (season) hrs/wk- Trigger
- Tax season opens, a records request arrives, or a matter needs documents from the client.
- What it does
- Keeps a per-client checklist (W-2s, 1099s, K-1s; discovery items; prior records) and ticks items off as they arrive by portal, email, or photo
- Reads what came in, files it to the right client and year, and flags what is still missing or unreadable
- Sends the nudge in the client's channel with a secure upload link — three, then a call scheduled for a person
- Handles inbound records and referral requests: logs, checks the authorization, and routes to the right person
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Any release of records, anything privileged, and every client who is 30 days late.
- Connects to
- Client portal (SmartVault, Clio, patient portal)Email / SMS / faxPractice systemGoogle Drive / SharePoint
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Voicemail triage & deadline calendar
~3–6 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A voicemail lands, a court or IRS notice arrives, or a matter gets a new date.
- What it does
- Transcribes every voicemail, sorts it (new client, existing matter, billing, scheduling, urgent) and drafts the callback note
- Reads notices and orders for the dates that matter and puts them on the calendar with the tickler your office uses
- Gives whoever answers the phone a morning list of who needs a call back and what it's about
- Flags anything that mentions a deadline, a hearing, an audit, or a symptom for a person to see first
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Every date that goes on the calendar, and every call flagged urgent or clinical.
- Connects to
- Phone system (RingCentral, Ooma, Google Voice)Email / scanned mailCalendar / docketingPractice system
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Ask about this → Consignment intake, settlement & payouts
~5–10 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A consignor brings in items, a booth renter sends photos of what they're putting out, or the settlement period closes.
- What it does
- Reads the intake — photos, a text, or the paper sheet — and creates the consignor and item records with the split, the markdown schedule, and the tags to print
- Credits every POS sale to the right consignor at the right split, applies markdowns on schedule, and lists what is past its return-or-donate date
- Drafts each consignor's statement and payout, reconciles to the POS and the bank, and queues payouts by ACH, store credit, or check
- Answers 'did my jacket sell?' texts and generates the consignment agreement at intake; booth-rental malls get rent and commission deducted the same way
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Every payout batch, every dispute, and every item disposal or return.
- Connects to
- Ricochet / SimpleConsign / ConsignPro / Square exportsSMS / email / photosBank feedQuickBooks
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Try it live → Vendor, sub & product compliance
~2–6 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A new sub or vendor is about to be paid, a new SKU arrives from a distributor, or a state list or filing date changes.
- What it does
- Collects W-9s and certificates of insurance before a sub is paid, watches COI expirations, and prepares 1099s in January
- For regulated products (vape, tobacco, hemp, alcohol): checks each SKU on a distributor invoice against the state directory and flavor or nicotine rules, and flags what has to come off the floor
- Files manufacturer certifications and certificates of analysis against each SKU and chases the distributor when one is missing
- Prepares excise and PACT Act filings from POS sales where they apply, and keeps the age-verification and inspection log in the state's format
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Every filing before it is submitted, every decision to pull a product, and every payment released to an uncleared sub.
- Connects to
- Distributor invoices / emailPOS exportsState directory (web)QuickBooks / bill payDrive
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Hiring & new-hire onboarding
~3–8 hrs/wk- Trigger
- An application arrives from Indeed, Facebook, your website, or a walk-in — or you make an offer.
- What it does
- Screens applications against your must-haves, drafts the interview invitation, and books the slot from your calendar
- Keeps a one-page pipeline: who applied, who's scheduled, who's waiting on you
- After the offer: collects the I-9, W-4, direct deposit, and handbook acknowledgment by e-sign, and chases what's missing
- Prepares the E-Verify case and the state new-hire report, and sets the person up in payroll
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Every hiring decision, every rejection before it goes out, and the I-9 document check in person.
- Connects to
- Indeed / Facebook / web formE-signGusto / ADP / QuickBooks PayrollCalendar
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Ask about this → Monthly close & sales tax
~4–10 hrs/wk- Trigger
- The bank feed updates, receipts arrive, or the sales tax return is ten days out.
- What it does
- Categorizes the bank feed and matches receipts and invoices to transactions
- Sends the owner one weekly text with the handful of items it couldn't place, instead of twenty questions
- Prepares the sales tax return from POS sales by jurisdiction, including local option taxes
- Hands the bookkeeper a reconciled month with a short list of what to look at
- Where a person stays in the loop
- The bookkeeper or owner reviews and files; nothing is submitted by the automation.
- Connects to
- Bank feedQuickBooks / XeroPOS exports (Square, Clover, Shopify)SMS / email
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Government bids & solicitations
~4–12 hrs/wk- Trigger
- SCBO, NC eVP, a county portal, or a federal feed posts a solicitation in your NAICS codes or keywords.
- What it does
- Reads each solicitation for scope, set-aside, due date, bonding, site visits, and mandatory forms
- Drafts a one-page go/no-go summary with the reasons you'd win or lose
- On 'go': assembles the response package from your standard content, past bids, and required forms, with the blanks marked
- Tracks questions deadlines, addenda, and the submission window
- Where a person stays in the loop
- The go/no-go decision, pricing, and the signature.
- Connects to
- SCBO / NC eVP / SAM.gov feedsYour past bids (Drive)Word / PDFCalendar
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Job photos to marketing posts
~2–4 hrs/wk- Trigger
- The crew sends before-and-after photos and a two-line voice note from the job.
- What it does
- Drafts the week's Google Business Profile, Facebook, and Instagram posts in your voice from the photos and the note
- Tracks the customer's permission to post and blurs faces, plates, and addresses when it's missing
- Schedules the posts and pairs each with a review request to the customer
- Gives you a monthly note on which posts brought calls
- Where a person stays in the loop
- You approve the week's posts in one pass; nothing publishes without it.
- Connects to
- SMS / photosGoogle Business ProfileMeta (Facebook, Instagram)Buffer / Later
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Ask about this → Brand deals, contracts & deliverables
~3–6 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A sponsor or agency sends a brief and a contract, or a deliverable is due.
- What it does
- Reads the brief and contract for rate, deliverables, due dates, exclusivity, usage rights and term, approvals, and payment terms
- Puts every deliverable on a calendar beside your rate card so you can see if the offer is under your floor
- Drafts the counter or acceptance in your voice, invoices when each deliverable posts, and chases net-45 payments
- Checks every sponsored post for the FTC disclosure before it's scheduled
- Where a person stays in the loop
- You sign every contract and approve every counter.
- Connects to
- EmailRate card (sheet)CalendarQuickBooks / Wave / Stripe
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Creator revenue reconciliation & quarterly taxes
~3–6 hrs/wk- Trigger
- AdSense, sponsors, affiliates, Patreon, TikTok, merch, and licensing each pay on their own schedule.
- What it does
- Pulls each platform's statement and reconciles it to the bank
- Produces a monthly income statement by stream and flags the sponsor that hasn't paid and the affiliate payout that's short
- Sets aside the estimated quarterly tax and reminds you on the four due dates
- Invoices licensing requests for your footage or photos instead of letting them go for free
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Your accountant reviews the quarter; you approve every set-aside transfer.
- Connects to
- YouTube / TikTok / Patreon / affiliate exportsBank feedQuickBooks / WaveEmail / DMs
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Overdue invoice follow-up
~1–3 hrs/wk- Trigger
- An invoice passes its due date.
- What it does
- Sends a friendly reminder with a payment link, then escalates tone on your schedule
- Reads replies: promises to pay, disputes, 'never got it' — and responds appropriately
- Pauses the sequence the moment payment lands
- Gives you a weekly aging list with the story behind each one
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Disputes, payment plans, and any account you've flagged as sensitive.
- Connects to
- QuickBooks / Xero / StripeEmail / SMS
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Try it live → Inbox triage & drafted replies
~3–6 hrs/wk- Trigger
- Email arrives, all day.
- What it does
- Sorts into needs-you / needs-someone / FYI / noise
- Drafts replies for the routine ones in your voice, ready to send
- Pulls the ask out of long threads into one line
- Ends the day with a five-line summary of what's still open
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Nothing is sent without you. Drafts wait in your outbox.
- Connects to
- Gmail / Microsoft 365
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Ask about this → Monday owner's brief
~1–2 hrs/wk- Trigger
- Every Monday at 6 a.m.
- What it does
- Pulls sales, cash, overdue invoices, open jobs, and upcoming deadlines
- Writes a one-page brief in plain English with the three things that need a decision
- Compares to last week and the same week last year
- Answers follow-up questions by text: 'why is cash down?'
- Where a person stays in the loop
- It's a report; you decide.
- Connects to
- QuickBooksPOS / CRMCalendarEmail / SMS
Usually Growth Build · $7,500+Ask about this → Donor acknowledgment & records
~2–4 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A gift arrives by check, online form, or event registration.
- What it does
- Creates or updates the donor record and gift history
- Sends the IRS-compliant acknowledgment letter within 24 hours, personalized
- Flags lapsed donors and major-gift signals for the director
- Prepares the board's monthly giving summary
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Major gifts and any donor flagged for personal outreach.
- Connects to
- Donor CRM (Bloomerang / Little Green Light / sheet)EmailDocs
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Ask about this → License, permit & certification renewals
~1–2 hrs/wk- Trigger
- A renewal date approaches for a license, insurance certificate, or staff certification.
- What it does
- Tracks every expiration in one place and reminds the right person early
- Drafts the renewal packet from last year's plus what's changed
- Requests updated certificates from subcontractors and chases them
- Warns you before you schedule a job with an expired credential on it
- Where a person stays in the loop
- Signing and paying.
- Connects to
- Sheet / calendarEmailState portals (manual)
Usually Starter Automation · $2,500–$6,000Ask about this → 