2025 is the year small businesses wake up to AI. Owners want to save time, cut costs, and stop doing the same tasks over and over. If you can set up simple automations with no-code tools, you can charge a monthly retainer and build a high-margin side hustle. Below is the exact model to copy.
What is AI automation?
AI automation connects the tools a business already uses and lets software do the busywork. You do this with no-code platforms like Make.com. Drag, drop, and link apps so data moves on its own.
Common wins:
- Capture leads without manual copy and paste
- Send instant emails and texts after a form fill
- Auto-generate reports in Google Sheets
- Send invoices and payment reminders
- Notify the right person when something important happens
Key Features
Lets you build automated workflows between apps and services using a visual drag-and-drop interface — no coding needed.
Connects to thousands of apps and tools (CRMs, email, databases, messaging, AI services) so you can sync data, automate tasks, and trigger workflows across your stack.
Supports advanced logic — like conditional steps, data transformations, error handling — so workflows can be simple or complex, depending on your needs.
Why We Recommend It
Make.com helps you save time and reduce mistakes by automating repetitive tasks like moving data between tools, sending notifications, or updating databases. It’s ideal if you run a business or manage multiple tools and want to streamline operations without writing code.
Pros & Cons
- Easy to use even without technical skills
- Highly flexible and powerful: can handle simple automations or complex multi-step workflows
- Integrates with lots of services, so you can connect nearly your whole tool stack
- The logic and setup can get complex if workflows become large
- Free plan has limits (on number of runs/operations).
- If you rely heavily on manual tasks or custom in-house systems, some automation might still require manual oversight.
You are not writing code. You are designing simple flows that save hours each week.
The problem you solve
Most local businesses still:
- Copy leads from email into a spreadsheet
- Forgot to follow up after a quote
- Miss reviews because no one asks
- Send invoices late
- Lose track of no-shows
Fix these, and owners will happily pay you every month.
Example: local gym lead follow-up
Trigger
A visitor signs up for a free trial on the gym site.
Flow
- Webhook in Make.com grabs the form data and sends it to a Google Sheet.
- Gmail sends a welcome email with a schedule, a map link, and a discount code.
- Twilio SMS checks 24 hours later. If no class is booked, it sends a friendly text reminder.
- Slack or email alert pings staff when someone books, so they greet them by name.
Result: no missed leads, faster replies, and more paid memberships.
Pricing and business model
- Setup fee: $300 to $800 for a single workflow
- Monthly retainer: $300 to $500 for monitoring, edits, and small tweaks
- Five clients: $1,500 to $2,500 per month in recurring revenue
- Stack costs: start on free or low-cost plans, pass any pro tool fees to the client
Keep your scope simple. Sell outcomes, not hours.
Niches that love this
- Gyms and studios
- Coffee shops and restaurants
- Dentists and med spas
- Real estate agents and mortgage brokers
- Home services and contractors
- Ecommerce stores and boutiques
Pick one niche and learn its top three pain points. You will sign clients faster.
High-value automations you can sell
1. Lead capture and follow-up
- Form or ad lead flows into a Sheet and CRM
- Auto email plus SMS follow-up
- Sales rep notified with all details
2. Content and marketing
- After a purchase, send a review request via email or SMS
- Schedule social posts when a new product or event is added
3. Data reporting
- Pull orders, bookings, and ad spend into one live Google Sheet
- Daily snapshot emailed to the owner at 7 a.m.
4. Invoicing and collections
- Auto-send invoice when a job is marked complete
- Reminder at 3, 7, and 14 days if unpaid
5. Team communication
- Instant Slack alert for new sale, missed appointment, or low inventory
Tools you can use
- Make.com for building workflows
- Google Sheets for data hubs and reports
- Gmail or Outlook for email steps
- Twilio for SMS follow-ups
- Typeform or Shopify/WordPress forms for lead capture
Starting from $17/month
Get your free trial and $1 for the first month + Free store builder
Key Features
AI-powered product recommendations and marketing
Advanced fulfillment and inventory management
Seamless omnichannel selling
Why We Recommend It
Storage and Bandwidth:
Unlimited storage allows you to upload as many products and images as needed.
Unlimited bandwidth means your site can handle many visitors and lots of activity without slowing down.
Extras and Inclusions:
Secure, integrated payment gateway, with transaction fees waived if you use Shopify Payments.
Access to an extensive app store to add features and functionality.
Built-in tools for SEO, marketing, and analytics.
Pros & Cons
- Comprehensive store management tools
- Wide range of themes and apps
- Excellent 24/7 customer support
- It can get expensive with additional apps and transaction fees
- Limited SEO capabilities compared to other platforms
- ActiveCampaign or Omnisend if the client wants deeper email automations
Starting at $15/mo
14 day trial
Key Features
Advanced email marketing automation
CRM and sales automation tools
Detailed reporting and analytics
Why We Recommend It
Provides powerful automation features allowing businesses to create personalized customer journeys, nurture leads, and drive conversions
Provides email, SMS, and cross-channel tools to power relevant experience
Pros & Cons
- Powerful automation features
- Integrates well with other tools and platforms
- Scalable for businesses of all sizes
- Can be complex for beginners
- Pricing may be high for small businesses with limited budgets
Starting from $16/month
Get 30% off for the first 3 months with coupon code: SIDEHUSTLEMASTERY
Key Features
Multichannel Marketing Automation: Engage customers through email, SMS, and push notifications within a single platform
Pre-built Automation Workflows: Utilize ready-made workflows like welcome series and cart abandonment to streamline customer engagement
Advanced Segmentation: Target specific customer groups based on behavior, preferences, and purchase history for personalized campaigns
Why We Recommend It
Omnisend is tailored for e-commerce businesses seeking to automate and personalize their marketing efforts across multiple channels. Its user-friendly interface and robust features help enhance customer engagement and drive sales
Pros & Cons
- E-commerce Integration: Seamlessly connects with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce
- Comprehensive Free Plan: Offers a robust free plan with access to most features, suitable for small businesses
- 24/7 Customer Support: Provides round-the-clock assistance, even on the free plan
- Learning Curve: Some users may experience a learning curve when setting up advanced features
- Template Limitations: Limited customization options in sign-up forms and templates
- Occasional Bugs: Some users have reported occasional bugs and challenges with customer support responsiveness
Start with the tools the client already has. Add only what you need.
Your 6-step delivery process
1. Discovery call
Ask about their top three bottlenecks. Clarify tools, logins, and goals.
2. Map the workflow
Draw a simple diagram: trigger, steps, conditions, outputs.
3. Build in Make.com
Create a scenario with test data. Keep modules clean and labeled.
4. Test end-to- end
Use dummy leads and real inboxes. Confirm each step fires once.
5. Go live
Turn on the scenario, set error handling, and add basic logging.
6. Monitor and improve
Weekly check-in, small tweaks, and add a second workflow when they see results.
Quick-start outreach plan
- Freelance sites: Upwork and Fiverr, with a niche offer like “Gym lead follow-up automation”
- Local outreach: DM five nearby businesses with a short audit
- Warm network: Ask friends who own shops if you can fix one process
Cold DM script
Hey [Name], I noticed you offer free trials. Many gyms lose 40 to 60 percent of leads to slow follow-up. I can set up an automation that emails and texts new leads in under one minute, logs them in a sheet, and alerts staff. Flat setup plus small monthly support. Want a 10-minute walkthrough?
Keep it simple. Focus on the outcome.
What to include in your starter package
- One lead capture and follow-up workflow
- One reporting sheet with a daily summary email
- One invoice or review request automation
- Monitoring and two edits per month
Make the value obvious. Put it in a one-page proposal.
ROI math to share with owners
- Gym lead worth: $40 trial, $50 average monthly membership
- Save 2 hours per week of admin time at $25 per hour
- Close 3 extra trials per month from faster follow-up
Even this small lift covers a $300 to $500 retainer.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Building huge “do everything” automations on day one
- No fallback messages if an app goes down
- Hard-coding staff emails and not documenting changes
- Skipping consent rules for SMS or email
- Not adding alerts when a step errors out
Keep flows modular. Document everything in a simple Google Doc.
Simple SOP template you can copy
- Name: Gym free-trial follow-up
- Trigger: Website form submission
- Apps: Make.com, Typeform, Google Sheets, Gmail, Twilio
- Steps:
- Capture form via webhook
- Append to Leads sheet
- Send a welcome email with the schedule and code
- Wait 24 hours, check booking status
- If no booking, send an SMS reminder
- Notify staff in Slack
- Error handling: Log error row, send internal alert email
- Owner: Your agency
- Last updated: [date]
Hand this to the client at delivery.
How to scale
- Productize: one niche, one package, one price
- Template your Make.com scenarios
- Use a client portal with tutorials and status
- Hire a part-time builder to clone and tweak flows
- Add higher tiers for multi-location or CRM integrations
Grow by repeating what already works.
Final thoughts
Selling AI automation to small businesses is a real gold mine in 2025. You do not need to code. You just need to listen for pain, map a simple flow, and connect a few tools. Start with one niche, one workflow, and one paying client. Deliver a clear win, then turn it into monthly revenue. Keep it simple, document your work, and stack small wins. That is how you build a profitable automation agency this year.