6 best workflow automation tools every small business needs
author Penny Dower Hunt, 17 May '25
In today’s competitive world, small businesses are looking out for ways to do more with less. One particular solution stands out from the rest that is saving time, reducing cost, improving productivity and transforming operations — automation. Embracing automation will not only eliminate human error but will also free up valuable time for small teams to concentrate on strategic growth. If you have not yet automated your business processes, it’s time for you to do so now.
what is workflow automation?
Workflow automation refers to the software or tools that are used to automate the repetitive tasks that can reduce the need of human intervention. These processes can include completing leads, responding to emails, generating invoices, assigning tasks, and more. Automation allows for a defined sequence of tasks to be completed with the required steps being based on rules, conditions, or data inputs.
why should small businesses embrace automation?
As is typically the case with small business, the headcount is limited, hence the use and management of time and resources is extremely important. Workflow management automation can:
• Eliminate repetitive activities and save time.
• Dependably improve efficiency because of fewer errors associated with manual entry.
• Improve the customer experience because of easy, faster and consistent service.
• Improve the level of collaboration among team members.
• Achieve lower operational costs by raising productivity with smaller resources.
6 best workflow automation software for small business
1. Zapier
Benefits
• No coding experience is needed -- highly intuitive design.
• Most apps and services are compatible with the tool.
• Strong social media presence as it automates routine tasks like updating social media accounts and sending emails.
Use Case
Integrates and adds leads from Facebook Ads to a Google Sheet to automatically notify the sales team via slack.
2. Yoroflow
Yoroflow is a powerful, one stop business process automation solution that provides workflow builders, project management, sales and marketing automation, and form automation combined with AI features specifically targeted towards expanding businesses.
Benefits
• Custom approval workflows with stepwise notifications.
• Automates employee document collection and HR notifications.
• Starts triggers with integration to CRM and helpdesk.
• Cost-effective for small business users.
Use Case
Trigger task automation for document collection and notify HR upon candidate acceptance to set automation workflows for onboarding.
3. Trello + Butler
Trello is notable as a project management tool and task tracker. Its Butler automation feature enables users to automate tasks such as moving cards, assigning members and setting due dates.
Benefits
• Easy and visual task management.
• Automation of repetitive workflows is built-in.
• No external integrations necessary.
Use Case
Notify the project manager after all subtasks have been checked off and the card is moved to completed status.
4. Hubspot
Apart from offering CRM functionalities, HubSpot has powerful marketing, sales, and service automation and thus becomes a tool to consider for the smaller business.
Benefits
• Offer complete automation across all marketing, sales and customer support functions.
• Nurture leads with emails and ad-free campaigns.
• Core automation features available for free tier.
Use Case
Automatically email the welcome sequence and assign the customer to a sales rep after clicking a CTA with the newsletter sign-up.
5. Pipefy
Pipefy's platform centralizes no-code process management and automation, enabling businesses to scale and streamline their operations. To enhance organizational efficiency, Pipefy provides fully customizable “pipes” (workflows) for processes such as procurement and customer support.
Benefits
• Piece together a custom workflow with the intuitive drag-and-drop builder.
• Utilizes the pre-built templates for common business processes like invoice approvals and hiring.
• Automated real-time analytics enable the monitoring of process performance.
• Seamless integration with Slack, Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace.
Use Case
Automates the purchase-order process, where requests from team members are automatically routed via Pipefy to the correct approver.
6. Kissflow
Kissflow is a workflow management system designed for organizations that need to digitize and automate internal procedures. It provides an intuitive dashboard for designing, managing, and monitoring workflows spanning multiple business units.
Benefits
• Tailored workflows for human resources, finance, operations, etc.
• Visual form and workflow designer.
• A scalable solution for growing teams, cloud-based.
• Collaboration features like comments, notifications, and even attachments.
Use Case
Automate leave request processes by routing requests to department heads, then to HR with reminders for pending approvals, along with automatic payroll updates.
conclusion
For small businesses trying to remain effortlessly competitive, workflow automation is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity. The proper system can assist with everything from managing leads to processing approvals, allowing for time savings, cost-effective error reduction, and faster scalability.
These six small business automation tools are a great starting point Whether you are starting from scratch or trying to improve your existing processes. Check out what each of them offers and go with the one that works best with your business objectives.