Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of repetitive tasks you have to do each day?

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, it's easy to get bogged down in the daily grind of managing operations, tracking finances, marketing your services, and everything else required to keep your business running.

The good news is, you don't have to do it all yourself.

In today's digital world, there are tools that can automate a huge portion of your workload so you can get back to focusing on growing your business.

1. Zapier: The Swiss Army Knife of Automation

Zapier is the ultimate tool for connecting your apps and automating workflows. With over 2000 integrations, Zapier makes it easy to connect the apps you use every day.

For example, say you want to automatically save email attachments to Dropbox. You can create a “zap” in Zapier that will trigger when a new email arrives, then save the attachment to your Dropbox. Zapier handles all the work for you behind the scenes.

Another useful zap is to automatically add new Trello cards to a project board. Whenever a new email comes in with a certain label or subject, Zapier can add a card to your Trello board with the email details. This takes the tedious work out of copying info from your email to your project management tool.

Zapier isn’t just for productivity apps either. You can connect social media, e-commerce, database, and hundreds of other types of apps. The possibilities are endless! Some other useful zaps include:

● Adding new Salesforce contacts to your mailing list
● Posting your latest blog post to social media
● Saving Formstack form submissions to Airtable or Google Sheets
● Sending a Slack message when you receive a new SMS text
● Adding Eventbrite registrants to your email list automatically

With a simple drag-and-drop interface, anyone can start automating their workflows with Zapier. And the best part is, Zapier has a forever-free plan so you can automate to your heart’s content. Why waste time on repetitive tasks when Zapier can handle them for you?

2. Integromat: For Complex Automation Workflows

Integromat is one of the most powerful automation tools out there for connecting various apps and services. If you have complex workflows that require advanced logic or conditions, Integromat is your new best friend.

Integromat lets you build intricate automation sequences using a visual editor. You just drag and drop modules, set up the logic flow, and you’re done. No coding is required. Some of the types of automation you can create include:

● Syncing data between apps. For example, adding new Trello cards for new Salesforce contacts.
● Posting to social media. Schedule posts in advance or automatically share new blog posts.
● Sending notifications. Get alerts in Slack when a form is submitted or payment is received.
● Data cleaning and organization. Manipulate, filter, and restructure data from one or more services.

Integromat supports over 3,000 apps and services so far. Whether you want to automate your personal life or optimize your business workflows, Integromat makes it happen.

The free plan is great for getting started and building simple automation. Paid plans start at $9/month and provide more advanced features like webhooks, Zapier integration, data retention, and priority support.

For power users and businesses, Integromat is an investment that will pay off in time savings and efficiency.

3. Slazzer: Image Optimization

Slazzer is an all-in-one tool for automating image editing and background removal. As an online SaaS tool, Slazzer uses AI to instantly remove background from image, saving you tons of time.

Whether you’re an e-commerce store owner, blogger, or marketing agency, high-quality product photos are essential. But editing product photos to remove backgrounds manually can be tedious and time-consuming.

Slazzer to the rescue. This user-friendly tool uses AI to detect edges and instantly remove backgrounds with just a single click. You can upload your product photos, select the area you want to cut out, and Slazzer will remove the background for you. No more painstakingly erasing backgrounds pixel by pixel.

Slazzer offers a simple pay-as-you-go pricing model. You only pay for the images you process each month. For high-volume users, Slazzer also offers affordable monthly subscription plans with bulk discounts.

Other useful features include:

● Batch processing to remove background from multiple images at once. Great for product catalogs.
● Automatic shadow and reflection removal. Slazzer can detect and erase shadows, reflections, and other artifacts.
● Customizable backgrounds. Easily add a solid color background or choose from Slazzer’s library of patterned and textured backgrounds.
● Integrations with e-commerce platforms. Slazzer offers integrations with platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce to streamline your workflow.
● Slazzer OnPremise for self-hosting. For companies with high-security needs, Slazzer OnPremise allows you to host the software on your own servers with full control and privacy.

Whether you need to edit a few product photos each month or process thousands of images for your e-commerce catalog, Slazzer has a solution to fit your needs.

This simple but powerful SaaS tool will save you time and money by automating your image editing and background removal.

4. IFTTT: Simple Automation for Everyone

IFTTT, which stands for “if this, then that,” is an easy-to-use automation tool anyone can take advantage of. IFTTT connects your various apps and devices, then lets you set up simple automated actions between them called “recipes.”

For example, you can create a recipe that says if I post a photo to Instagram, automatically save it to my Google Drive. Or if I get an email with the subject “Receipt” in Gmail, file it in my Receipts folder in Google Drive. The possibilities are endless!

Some other useful recipes you can create with IFTTT include:

● Posting your new Twitter followers to a Slack channel. This lets your whole team know when someone new is engaging with your brand on social media.
● Backing up your Google Photos to Dropbox. This gives you an extra copy of all your pictures and videos in case something happens to your Google account.
● Getting a daily weather forecast email. IFTTT can send you an email with the high and low temperatures, chance of rain, humidity, and air quality index for your location each morning.
● Automatically turning on your Nest thermostat when you leave the house. If your phone disconnects from your home Wi-Fi network, IFTTT assumes you've left and can switch the temperature on your Nest to away mode.

The best part about IFTTT is that it’s free to use and set up takes just a few minutes.

You don’t need any technical skills to create recipes and connect your apps—IFTTT’s simple interface makes automation accessible for everyone.

5. Automate.io: Easy Automation With a Human Touch

Automate.io is one of the easiest automation tools to use, with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface anyone can master. No coding is required. You can connect hundreds of apps and automate repetitive tasks in minutes.

For example, say you want to automatically email new subscribers a welcome message when they join your email list. Just drag your email integration onto the canvas, connect it to your email list app, add a filter for “new subscribers,” and drag the “send email” action from your email app onto the workflow. Boom, you’ve created your first automation in under a minute.

Automate.io handles the technical details for you behind the scenes so you can focus on the business logic. Their slogan says it all: “Easy automation with a human touch.” The user experience is incredibly friendly and guided. As you build your workflow, helpful tips appear to walk you through the process.

Some other useful automation you can set up include:

● Posting content to social media platforms when a new blog post is published.
● Moving customer data between apps when a new record is created in one system. For example, create a new contact in your CRM when someone subscribes to your email list.
● Sending an SMS text message alert when an important event happens, like a spike in website traffic or an error in your system.
● Streamlining your customer support by automatically replying to common questions or routing tickets to the right team member.

The best part is Automate.io has a forever-free plan so you can get started with simple automation at no cost.

Paid plans start at $99/month and offer more advanced features for larger teams and workloads. But for most small businesses, the free plan is perfect to start gaining time back in your day through the power of automation.

Conclusion

So there you have it, five of the best SaaS tools out there to help you automate your workflows and boost productivity. Now you have no excuse not to streamline those tedious tasks and free up more time to focus on what really matters to you and your business.

With powerful yet affordable options like Zapier, Slazzer, and IFTTT at your fingertips, you'll be automating in no time and wondering how you ever lived without them.

What are you waiting for? Pick a tool, connect your apps and services, and start saving time today. Read More