Make.com workflow templates for small business are the fastest way to get automation running without starting from a blank canvas. Instead of figuring out which modules to connect and in what order, you start from a proven structure — adjust the details for your business, test it once, and turn it on. These 7 templates cover the highest-value automation scenarios for any small business.
Each template below includes the exact modules to use, what triggers what, and the specific fields to map. If you do not have a Make.com account yet, start free here — 1,000 operations per month, no credit card required.
Template 1: Lead Capture → Log + Notify + Auto-Reply
What it does: Every time someone submits your contact form, Make logs their details in Google Sheets, sends you an instant notification, and sends them an automatic reply email.
Why it matters: Responding to a lead within 5 minutes is 21x more effective than responding within 30 minutes. This template makes instant response automatic.
Modules:
- Webhooks → Custom Webhook (trigger) — paste this URL into your contact form's webhook setting
- Google Sheets → Add a Row — map Name, Email, Phone, Message, Timestamp
- Gmail → Send an Email — notify yourself with lead details in the subject line
- Gmail → Send an Email — auto-reply to the prospect: "Thanks for reaching out — we'll be in touch within 2 hours."
Schedule: Instant (webhook triggers immediately on form submission)
Operations per run: 3 — fits comfortably on the free plan
Template 2: 48-Hour Lead Follow-Up
What it does: Checks your leads spreadsheet every morning. Any lead older than 48 hours with a blank "Status" column gets an automatic follow-up email sent on your behalf.
Why it matters: Most leads go cold not because they lost interest — but because nobody followed up. This template recovers those leads automatically.
Modules:
- Google Sheets → Search Rows (trigger on schedule) — filter: Status is empty AND Created date is more than 48 hours ago
- Router — split: has email vs no email
- Gmail → Send an Email — follow-up template: "Hi [Name], just checking in on your enquiry from [date]..."
- Google Sheets → Update a Row — mark Status as "Followed Up" so this row is not triggered again
Schedule: Every day at 8am
Operations per run: 4 per lead — scale with the Core plan at $9/month if volume is high
Template 3: Job Complete → Google Review Request
What it does: When a job is marked "Complete" in your tracking sheet, Make waits 24 hours then sends the client a personalised review request via email or SMS.
Why it matters: Businesses that automate review requests get 3–5x more reviews than those who ask manually. Reviews compound — more reviews means higher Google Maps ranking.
Modules:
- Google Sheets → Watch Rows (trigger) — fires when Status column changes to "Complete"
- Tools → Sleep — wait 24 hours
- Gmail → Send an Email — review request: "Hi [Name], thank you for choosing us. If you have a moment, an honest Google review would mean a lot: [your Google review link]"
- Google Sheets → Update a Row — mark "Review Requested" column as Yes
Schedule: Instant (triggered by spreadsheet change)
Pro tip: Add your Google Business review link directly in the email template. Find it in Google Business Profile → Get More Reviews → copy the short link.
Template 4: Invoice Overdue Reminder Sequence
What it does: Sends automatically escalating reminders for overdue invoices at 7, 14, and 21 days — without you having to chase anyone manually.
Why it matters: This single template typically reduces average days-to-payment by 30–40% for service businesses. The reminders come from the system, not from you — removing the awkwardness of chasing clients personally.
Modules:
- Google Sheets → Search Rows (daily trigger) — filter: Payment Status is "Unpaid" AND Due Date is in the past
- Router — branch by days overdue: 7 days / 14 days / 21 days
- Gmail → Send an Email (7-day branch) — polite: "Hi [Name], just a reminder that invoice #[number] for $[amount] was due on [date]."
- Gmail → Send an Email (14-day branch) — firmer: "Hi [Name], invoice #[number] remains outstanding. Please arrange payment at your earliest convenience."
- Gmail → Send an Email (21-day branch) — direct: "Hi [Name], this is a final reminder before we escalate. Please contact us immediately to arrange payment."
Schedule: Every day at 9am
Note: You can also connect QuickBooks or Wave directly instead of Google Sheets for automatic invoice data — both have Make integrations.
Template 5: New Booking → Confirm + Calendar + Notify Team
What it does: When someone books via Calendly (or any booking system), Make sends a confirmation email to the client, creates a Google Calendar event, and notifies your team via Slack or WhatsApp.
Why it matters: Manual booking confirmation takes 5–10 minutes per booking. At 20 bookings a week, that is over an hour of admin — every week — eliminated.
Modules:
- Calendly → Watch Events (trigger) — fires on new booking
- Gmail → Send an Email — confirmation to client with appointment details and any prep instructions
- Google Calendar → Create an Event — adds the job to your calendar with client name, address, and notes
- Slack → Create a Message (or WhatsApp Business) — notifies your team: "New booking: [Client Name] on [Date] at [Address]"
Schedule: Instant (Calendly webhook trigger)
Template 6: Weekly Business Summary Email
What it does: Every Monday morning, Make pulls key numbers from your spreadsheets and sends you a plain-English business summary — new leads, jobs completed, revenue logged, and outstanding invoices — without you opening a single spreadsheet.
Why it matters: Most small business owners have no idea how last week went until they dig through spreadsheets on a Friday. This template puts the numbers in your inbox automatically every Monday before your day starts.
Modules:
- Schedule → Every Week (trigger) — fires Monday at 7am
- Google Sheets → Get Range Values — pull new leads count from leads sheet
- Google Sheets → Get Range Values — pull completed jobs from jobs sheet
- Google Sheets → Search Rows — count unpaid invoices
- Gmail → Send an Email — weekly summary with all pulled values assembled into a readable email
Schedule: Every Monday at 7am
Operations per run: 5 — one run per week, minimal impact on quota
Template 7: Social Media Post Scheduler from Google Sheets
What it does: You write your social media posts for the week in a Google Sheet — date, platform, caption, image URL. Make reads the sheet daily and publishes posts to Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn automatically at the scheduled time.
Why it matters: Batch writing social content once a week and automating publishing is 5x more efficient than posting manually every day. It also means you never miss a post because you forgot or were too busy.
Modules:
- Schedule → Every Day (trigger) — fires at your preferred posting time
- Google Sheets → Search Rows — find rows where Scheduled Date = today and Published = No
- Router — branch by Platform column: Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn
- Instagram for Business → Create a Photo Post (or Facebook Pages / LinkedIn)
- Google Sheets → Update a Row — mark Published = Yes
Schedule: Daily at your preferred posting time
Note: Instagram and Facebook posting requires a Meta Business account. LinkedIn posting requires a LinkedIn Page (not personal profile) for API access.
How to Build Any of These in Make
- Log in to Make.com
- Click Create a new scenario
- Add the first module (the trigger) by clicking the + on the canvas
- Connect each subsequent module in order, mapping the fields between steps
- Click Run Once to test with real data
- Fix any mapping errors the test reveals
- Toggle the scenario On
The first scenario takes the longest — usually 1–2 hours. By the third one you'll build in under 30 minutes. All 7 templates above can be live within a week.
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