Small Business Automation: How to Save Time, Cut Costs, and Scale Faster

Small business automation involves using technology to automate mundane tasks and thereby make complicated workflows easier. Tools such as Power Automate or Zapier will help with the automation of manual entry, approvals, and staff scheduling to free your time to drive strategic initiatives.

Put simply, it means more hours for growth in small businesses and fewer hours spent on admin work. According to a report carried out by Smartsheet in 2023, small businesses that use automation can see their operational costs decrease by up to 20% in just six months.

The Role of Yocum Technology Group in Business Automation

Yocum Technology Group was founded in 2012 by Tim Yocum and is a technology consulting firm based in Pennsylvania. The firm offers digital transformation solutions to small and mid-sized businesses. Professionals working for this organization deal with low-code platforms like Microsoft PowerApps and Azure Cloud. The company helps customers in any industry design solutions to meet whatever needs there may be, including application modernization, custom software development, cloud migration, and modernization, business process automation, and data modernization.

• Application Modernization
• Custom Software Development
• Cloud Migration and Modernization
• Business Process Automation
• Data Modernization

All these go towards smoothing operations and driving innovation. As a recognized Microsoft Partner, YTG also upgrades companies' legacy applications to make sure they remain current and efficient.

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“Our mission is to help businesses leverage modern technologies for tangible results,” says CEO Tim Yocum.

Microsoft PowerApps: A Key Tool for Small Business Automation

One of the most powerful tools for small business automation that YTG offers is Microsoft PowerApps-a low-code platform to build custom applications without deep coding knowledge. It easily integrates into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, which can be connected to Excel, SharePoint, and Dynamics 365.

How PowerApps Supports Automation

• Custom App Development: Build apps tailored to your team’s specific needs.
• Workflow Automation: Power Automate to handle approvals, notifications, and routine updates.
• Mobile Optimization: Create apps that work across devices for maximum flexibility.
• Integration: Connect PowerApps with other systems for seamless operations.

Pro Tip: If you’re already invested in the Microsoft 365 suite, PowerApps can unify your data and processes, making sure your staff can collaborate in real time-even from different locations.

Read more about how you could leverage the PowerApps solution effectively in our blog: PowerApps 101: Getting Started.

Benefits of Small Business Automation with YTG

1. Save Time: Automation does the mundane tasks, freeing your team for space to think about strategy.
2. Lower Costs: Well-oiled workflows mean less need for additional staff or intervention
3. Increase Scalability: Automated systems scale up with your growth without breaking a sweat.
4. Improve Accuracy: Reduce human error while automating data processing and keeping it on a single record.
5. Enhance Customer Experience: Speedier operations translate into a better service provided.

These are just some of the advantages you will see with small business automation collaboration on creating customized solutions with YTG. How YTG approaches different application modernization projects can be seen by visiting our Data Modernization Services page .

Practical Example: How Automation Saved 30 Hours a Month

Think of a small accounting firm that manually keeps track of a dozen clients’ invoicing. Working with YTG, they used PowerApps and Flow to digitize and schedule this activity. Invoicing alone now takes one-third the time it did previously: “Within two months, the firm saved an estimated 30 hours per month”; staff were then free to attend to clients and proactive financial planning.

Fun Fact: They also reduced errors by 15% since human data entry was no longer needed.

Getting Started with Small Business Automation

1. Assess Your Needs: Pinpoint repetitive tasks and bottlenecks within your workflows.
2. Consult the Experts: Contact YTG to design and implement the right tools for your business.
3. Test and Scale: Start by automating just one or two processes, and then scale those after you see what works.

Automation isn’t a privilege reserved for big businesses. YTG can empower a small business to “work smarter not harder” by introducing the business to various tools, including PowerApps solutions.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Contact YTG today for a free consultation.
Learn more about automation services with YTG.

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Pro Tip: See how AI can take your business to the next level at YTG’s AI & Automation blog section.

Investing in small business automation with a reputable Microsoft Partner like Yocum Technology Group isn't just about saving time; it's about setting your business up for long-term success by not allowing archaic applications to weigh it down.

About the Author

Tim Yocum, CEO & Founder

‍At YTG, I lead the development of next-generation tooling solutions to make humans more productive and creative. My passion for artificial intelligence and large language models leads our focus on automation to amplify efficiency and transform business processes. I've spent more than ten years doing application modernization and upgrades of legacy applications; because of that experience, I help small and midsized businesses find scalable, future-ready solutions.