Small Business Automation with Make.com: The Complete Guide

I spent four hours last week helping a client untangle a mess of manual processes. Every time a lead came in through their website, someone had to copy it into a spreadsheet, then manually add it to their CRM, then send a welcome email, then create a task for follow-up. Four separate steps, every single time, multiple times a day.

We replaced all of that with a single Make.com scenario that runs automatically. Lead comes in, data flows to the CRM, email goes out, task gets created. No human touches it. Total build time: about 45 minutes.

That's the promise of automation for small businesses—not some futuristic AI takeover, but practical time savings on the stuff you're already doing manually. And Make.com is one of the best tools I've found for making it happen without needing a developer on staff.

Let's go ahead and jump into it.

What is Make.com?

Make.com (formerly Integromat) is a visual automation platform. You connect your apps—Gmail, Google Sheets, HubSpot, Slack, Shopify, whatever you use—and build workflows that trigger automatically based on events.

They call these workflows "scenarios." A scenario might be: "When a new row is added to this Google Sheet, create a contact in HubSpot and send them a welcome email." Or: "When a payment comes through Stripe, create an invoice in QuickBooks and notify the team in Slack."

The visual interface is what sets Make apart. You literally see your data flowing from one app to another, with each step represented as a module on a canvas. It's like drawing a flowchart, except the flowchart actually runs.

Make.com vs. Zapier vs. n8n

The automation space has several players. Here's how they compare:

My take: Make.com hits the sweet spot for most small businesses. It's more powerful than Zapier for complex workflows, more approachable than n8n for non-developers, and the pricing scales better once you're past the free tier.

Make.com Pricing: What It Actually Costs

Let's talk money, because this is where people get confused.

Make.com charges based on "credits." A credit is basically one action—reading a row, sending an email, creating a record. A simple 3-step scenario uses 3 credits each time it runs.

Current pricing tiers:

Important details:

• Unused credits now roll over for one month (this is new as of 2025)
• You can buy additional credits if you run out
• The Pro plan adds custom variables, priority execution, and full-text search
• Teams adds role-based permissions and shared folders

Real-world example: A client running 15 scenarios that process about 500 total credits per day would use roughly 15,000 credits per month. That fits comfortably in the Core plan at $9/month, with some buffer.

Avoiding the Credits Trap

Here's something that catches people: every module in your scenario counts as a credit, even if it doesn't "do" anything externally.

For example, if you have a scenario that:

1. Triggers on new form submission (1 credit)
2. Filters to check if email contains "@gmail.com" (1 credit)
3. Creates a CRM contact (1 credit)
4. Sends a welcome email (1 credit)

That's 4 credits per run, even though the filter is just internal logic.

Tips to minimize credits:

• Combine steps where possible (some modules let you batch actions)
• Use filters early to stop unnecessary processing
• Schedule scenarios to run at intervals instead of instantly (if timing isn't critical)
• Use the "Ignore" function to skip records you've already processed

10 Make.com Workflows Every Small Business Should Consider

Let me walk through specific scenarios that deliver real ROI. These are patterns I've built repeatedly for clients.

1. Lead Capture to CRM

Trigger: New form submission (Typeform, Google Forms, website form)

Actions:

• Create/update contact in CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.)
• Add to email marketing list
• Notify sales team via Slack or email
• Create follow-up task

Why it matters: No more leads sitting in a form response spreadsheet for days. Every lead gets into your system immediately and triggers appropriate follow-up.

Credits per run: 4-6

2. Invoice Automation

Trigger: Project marked complete in project management tool (Asana, Monday, ClickUp)

Actions:

• Pull client details from CRM
• Generate invoice in accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks)
• Send invoice email to client
• Create reminder task for follow-up if unpaid after X days

Why it matters: Invoicing is one of those tasks that always gets delayed. Automating it means faster payment cycles and less mental overhead.

Credits per run: 4-5

3. Social Media Content Distribution

Trigger: New blog post published (WordPress, Webflow, Ghost)

Actions:

• Create social posts for each platform (customize per platform)
• Schedule posts in Buffer or Hootsuite
• Add to content tracking spreadsheet
• Notify team that content is live

Why it matters: Every piece of content you create should get distributed everywhere. This ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Credits per run: 5-8

4. Customer Onboarding Sequence

Trigger: New customer in Stripe or payment received

Actions:

• Create customer record in CRM
• Send welcome email sequence (via email platform)
• Create onboarding tasks for your team
• Add to appropriate customer segment
• Schedule check-in reminder for 7 days later

Why it matters: First impressions matter. Automated onboarding ensures every customer gets the same great experience, regardless of how busy you are.

Credits per run: 5-7

5. Review Request Automation

Trigger: Order delivered (from Shopify, WooCommerce) or project completed

Actions:

• Wait 7 days (built-in delay)
• Check if customer has already left a review
• If not, send review request email with direct link
• Log request in tracking sheet

Why it matters: Reviews are critical for local SEO and social proof. Automating the ask dramatically increases your review volume.

Credits per run: 3-4

6. Expense Receipt Processing

Trigger: Email received with attachment (filtered by sender or subject)

Actions:

• Extract attachment
• Upload to Google Drive or Dropbox in organized folder
• Create entry in expense tracking spreadsheet
• Optionally: Use AI to extract amount and vendor from receipt image

Why it matters: No more shoebox of receipts at tax time. Everything organized automatically as it comes in.

Credits per run: 3-5

7. Appointment Reminders

Trigger: Appointment scheduled in Calendly, Acuity, or Google Calendar

Actions:

• Send confirmation email immediately
• Schedule reminder email for 24 hours before
• Schedule SMS reminder for 2 hours before (via Twilio)
• Create prep task for your team

Why it matters: No-shows cost money. Multi-channel reminders dramatically reduce them.

Credits per run: 4-6

8. Inventory Alerts

Trigger: Scheduled check (daily or weekly) of inventory levels

Actions:

• Query inventory system or spreadsheet
• Filter for items below threshold
• Send alert email or Slack message with low-stock items
• Optionally: Create purchase order draft

Why it matters: Running out of stock means lost sales. Proactive alerts keep you ahead of demand.

Credits per run: 3-4

9. Customer Support Ticket Routing

Trigger: New support email or form submission

Actions:

• Analyze content to categorize (billing, technical, general)
• Create ticket in help desk (Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout)
• Route to appropriate team member based on category
• Send auto-response acknowledging receipt
• Set SLA timer for response

Why it matters: Fast, appropriate responses improve customer satisfaction. Routing ensures the right person sees each issue.

Credits per run: 4-6

10. Weekly Business Summary

Trigger: Scheduled (every Monday morning)

Actions:

• Pull sales data from Stripe/payment processor
• Pull lead data from CRM
• Pull task completion data from project tool
• Compile into formatted email or Slack message
• Send to leadership team

Why it matters: Regular visibility into key metrics keeps everyone aligned without manual report building.

Credits per run: 5-8

Building Your First Scenario: Step by Step

Let me walk through building a lead capture automation from scratch. This same process applies to any scenario.

Step 1: Map Your Current Process

Before touching Make.com, write out what happens now:

1. Lead fills out contact form on website
2. Form response goes to... where? Email? Spreadsheet?
3. Someone manually adds to CRM
4. Someone sends welcome email
5. Someone creates follow-up task

Identify every step and who/what is involved.

Step 2: Create Your Make.com Account

Head to make.com and sign up. The free tier gives you 1,000 credits to test with.

Step 3: Create a New Scenario

Click "Create a new scenario." You'll see a blank canvas with a single empty module.

Step 4: Add Your Trigger

Click the empty module and search for your form tool (let's say Google Forms).

Select "Watch Responses" as the trigger. This means the scenario will run every time a new form response comes in.

Connect your Google account and select the specific form.

Step 5: Add Your Actions

Click the "+" icon to add the next module. Let's add HubSpot.

Select "Create or Update a Contact."

Map the fields from your form to HubSpot fields:

• Email → Email (from Google Forms)
• First Name → First Name (from Google Forms)
• etc.

Step 6: Add More Actions

Continue adding modules:

• Another "+" for Gmail → Send an Email (your welcome message)
• Another "+" for Asana → Create a Task (follow-up reminder)

Step 7: Test Your Scenario

Click "Run once" and submit a test form response.

Watch the data flow through each module. Green checkmarks mean success. If something fails, click into the module to see the error.

Step 8: Activate and Schedule

Once testing passes, turn on the scenario using the toggle in the bottom left.

Set your schedule—how often Make should check for new triggers. Options range from "immediately" to intervals like every 15 minutes.

Step 9: Monitor

Check back after a few days to see execution history. Look for any failed runs and troubleshoot as needed.

Advanced Make.com Features Worth Knowing

Once you're comfortable with basics, these features unlock more power:

Routers and Filters

Routers let you split a scenario into multiple paths. For example: if lead source is "Google," go path A; if lead source is "Referral," go path B.

Filters let you conditionally stop a path. For example: only continue if email doesn't contain "@test.com."

Iterators and Aggregators

When dealing with arrays (like multiple line items in an order), iterators let you process each item individually. Aggregators let you combine multiple items back into one.

Error Handling

You can add error handlers to catch failures gracefully. Instead of the whole scenario failing, you can route errors to a notification or retry logic.

Webhooks

Instead of polling for new data on a schedule, webhooks let external apps push data to Make instantly. This is faster and uses fewer credits.

Data Stores

Make has built-in simple databases called Data Stores. Useful for tracking state—like which records you've already processed—without needing an external database.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1: Building Too Complex Too Fast

Start with simple, linear scenarios. Get those working reliably before adding branching logic, error handling, and multiple paths.

Mistake 2: Not Testing Thoroughly

Run your scenario with edge cases. What happens if a required field is empty? What if there's a duplicate? Test before activating.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Error Notifications

Make sends emails when scenarios fail. Don't ignore them. Set up proper error handling so failures don't go unnoticed.

Mistake 4: No Documentation

A month from now, you won't remember why you built something a certain way. Use the Notes feature in Make to document your logic.

Mistake 5: Not Using Filters Early

If you're processing data that often doesn't meet your criteria, add filters early in the scenario. This saves credits and keeps things clean.

Real Results: What Automation Actually Saves

Let me share some concrete numbers from client implementations:

E-commerce business (Shopify + various tools):

• Before: 2 hours/day on order processing and customer communication
• After: 15 minutes/day reviewing automated outputs
• Savings: ~8 hours/week = ~$12,000/year at $30/hour equivalent

Service business (CRM + project management + invoicing):

• Before: Leads sat in inbox for 24-48 hours before CRM entry
• After: Leads in CRM within 5 minutes with follow-up tasks created
• Result: 23% increase in lead-to-customer conversion (faster follow-up)

Marketing agency (content distribution + reporting):

• Before: 3 hours/week building and sending client reports
• After: Reports auto-generated and sent every Monday
• Savings: 150+ hours/year redirected to billable work

The ROI on automation almost always pencils out, even accounting for the time to build and maintain the scenarios.

FAQ

Q: How long does it take to learn Make.com?

Basic scenarios: a few hours. You can build simple automations on day one. More complex logic with routers, iterators, and error handling takes a few weeks of practice.

Q: What if an app I use isn't supported?

Make has 1,500+ integrations, but if yours isn't there, you can often use HTTP/Webhook modules to connect via API. Or check if Zapier has the integration (you can connect Make to Zapier as a bridge).

Q: Can Make.com handle sensitive data?

Make is SOC 2 compliant and offers data encryption. For highly sensitive data (healthcare, financial), review their security documentation and consider whether self-hosted alternatives like n8n might be more appropriate.

Q: What happens if a scenario fails?

Make retries automatically for certain error types. You can also set up error handlers to notify you, log the failure, or take alternative action. Failed executions are logged so you can troubleshoot.

Q: Is Make.com worth it vs. just hiring someone?

For repetitive, rules-based tasks: automation wins every time. It's faster, doesn't take breaks, and doesn't make mistakes. For tasks requiring judgment: you still need humans. The best approach is usually automation handling the routine stuff so your team can focus on higher-value work.

Q: How do I know what to automate first?

Track your time for a week. Note every repetitive task. Prioritize by: (1) frequency—how often you do it, (2) time cost—how long it takes, (3) error potential—how often mistakes happen manually. Start with high-frequency, high-time-cost tasks.

Getting Started: Your First Week with Make.com

Here's a practical roadmap:

Day 1: Sign up, explore the interface, watch a few Make Academy tutorials.

Day 2: Build your first simple scenario (form to spreadsheet or email notification).

Day 3: Add complexity—connect a second app, add a filter.

Day 4: Build a scenario that solves a real pain point in your business.

Day 5: Test thoroughly, activate, and monitor.

Week 2+: Identify next automation opportunities, build incrementally.

Ready to Automate Your Business?

The tools are accessible, the pricing is reasonable, and the ROI is real. The only question is whether you want to keep doing things manually or reclaim those hours for higher-value work.

Start small. Pick one repetitive task that annoys you. Build the automation. Watch it run. Then ask yourself: what else could this do?

If you want help identifying automation opportunities or building more complex workflows, check out our services. We've built hundreds of Make.com scenarios across different industries and can help you get up and running fast.

That's all I got for now. Until next time.