The Automation Roadmap
A 10-step guide for freelancers and small businesses to save time and scale effectively using Google Apps Script.
Phase 1: Building the Foundation
1. Plan Social Media
Stop posting manually. Use a Google Sheet as a content calendar. An Apps Script can email you daily reminders with the post content, ensuring you never miss a beat. This creates consistency with minimal daily effort.
2. Centralise Your Leads
Every form submission from your website is automatically captured in your Master CRM Sheet. This ensures 100% of leads are captured without any falling through the cracks of your email inbox. For my own, I have it create a dedicated Folder in my Drive for each client, keeping all crucial documentation in one place. I also have it set a calander reminder for the following morning -after my coffee! I never miss a thing!
3. Automate Scheduling
Eliminate back-and-forth emails. An Apps Script-powered web page can read your Google Calendar’s availability and let clients book a meeting directly. It finds a time that works for both of you, automatically.
Phase 2: Streamlining Operations
4. Generate Documents
Create proposals and contracts in seconds. With a template in Google Docs and a custom menu in your CRM sheet, a script can auto-fill client data, create a new document, and save it as a PDF in their dedicated Drive folder.
5. Advanced Email Filtering
Go beyond standard filters. An hourly Apps Script can search for emails by keyword (e.g., “Invoice from Supplier”), automatically apply labels, and archive them, keeping your inbox clean and organised.
6. Automate Invoicing
Build an invoicing system in your CRM sheet. A script can generate an invoice from a template and email it. Another script can run weekly to find unpaid invoices and automatically send polite payment reminders, improving cash flow.
Phase 3: Driving Growth
7. Semi-Automate Receipts
Streamline expense tracking. When you save a receipt to a dedicated Drive folder, a daily script can log the file and date in a “Finances” sheet. You only need to add the amount, saving time on data entry.
8. Automate Review Requests
Boost your reputation effortlessly. A week after a project is marked “Completed” in your CRM, a script can automatically send a personalised email thanking the client and asking for a review on your preferred platform.
9. Nurture Past Clients
Stay top-of-mind for repeat business. Use your CRM list to send a quarterly newsletter directly from a Google Doc. A script can pull the content and email your entire list of past clients with a single click.
10. The Connector: Apps Script
Other services require a “connector” like Zapier to make apps talk to each other. With this system, Apps Script **is** the connector. It’s the glue that seamlessly integrates the Google tools you already use.