Charge small businesses $500/mo to run on autopilot — Zapier does the work

Before selling, build the automations. You need 3 working Zap templates that you can demonstrate and deploy for clients in the same niche.

For real estate agents, an example set of 3: 1. Lead capture → CRM + email: When a new lead fills in a web form (Gravity Forms, Typeform, Facebook Lead Ads), automatically create a contact in the agent's CRM (Follow Up Boss, HubSpot, or even a Google Sheet) and send a personalised welcome email 2. New listing → social post queue: When a new property is added to their MLS, automatically create a social media post draft in Buffer or Hootsuite for the agent to approve with one click 3. Closed deal → review request: 3 days after a deal closes (triggered by a status change in their CRM), automatically send a personal email asking for a Google review

Build each Zap in Zapier using a free account (Zapier Free allows 5 Zaps, enough to demo). Test each Zap end-to-end with real data before calling it ready. Use Zapier's built-in task history to verify each step ran correctly.

Ask Claude to map the logic: *"Map out the full workflow for automation [number] in [niche]. What triggers it, what data passes between apps, and what happens at each step? What edge cases might break it?"*

Automation consulting scales poorly when sold as hourly work. Package it instead.

Recommended pricing structure: - Setup fee ($300–$500): One-time charge to build, connect, and test the 3 core automations for the client's specific tools. This covers your setup time (typically 4–8 hours). - Monthly retainer ($150–$300/mo): Covers ongoing monitoring, Zapier task usage costs (you pay for the plan, bill the client), fixes when apps break integrations, and one new Zap per month.

At 5 retainer clients, that's $750–$1,500/mo in recurring revenue for maintenance that takes 2–3 hours total per month.

Ask Claude: *"Write a 1-page service overview for a Zapier automation package targeting [niche]. Include: what's included in setup, what the monthly retainer covers, 3 specific workflow examples, and the pricing. Professional but plain English — no jargon."*

Create this as a simple PDF in Google Docs. It becomes your sales document for every prospect conversation.

The fastest path to a first client is warm outreach to people in your target niche who already know you — or direct outreach with a specific, relevant offer.

LinkedIn outreach (most effective): 1. Search your niche on LinkedIn (e.g. 'real estate agent' + your city) 2. Connect with 10–15 prospects per day — include a personalised note 3. Once connected, send a message referencing a specific pain point: *"I build Zapier automations for real estate agents that automatically route new leads to Follow Up Boss and trigger a follow-up email — most agents I speak to are doing this manually. Worth a 20-min call to show you how it works?"*

Ask Claude to write your outreach sequence: *"Write a 3-message LinkedIn outreach sequence for a Zapier automation consultant targeting [niche]. Message 1: connection request note. Message 2 (sent 2 days after connecting): value offer without a hard pitch. Message 3 (sent 5 days later if no reply): follow-up with a specific result."*

Alternative: Post in Facebook groups for your niche (e.g. 'Real Estate Agents Network') offering a free automation audit — a 20-min Zoom call where you identify what they could automate. Converts to a paid setup naturally.

Once you have your first client live, systematise delivery before adding more:

1. Client onboarding doc: A Google Doc template with 8–10 questions about their current tools, what they want automated, and their login credentials process (never ask for passwords directly — use Zapier's connected account method) 2. Zap documentation: For each client, maintain a simple Google Doc listing their active Zaps, what triggers them, and what to check if they break 3. Monthly check-in: A 15-minute monthly call keeps clients happy and surfaces upsell opportunities naturally

Growth playbook: - Month 1: 1 client at $300 setup + $150/mo retainer - Month 2–3: Add 2 more clients using first client as a case study. Revenue: $450/mo retainer - Month 4–6: Raise setup fee to $500 and retainer to $200. At 5 clients: $1,000/mo purely recurring - Month 6+: Consider a white-label partnership with a web designer or marketing agency in your niche — they refer clients, you split the retainer

Upwork is a secondary channel: search 'Zapier automation' and bid on relevant jobs to supplement your LinkedIn pipeline.