To create something great and achieve your desired outcome, you need certain tools--and you need to know how to use them. You have a limited budget, so the tools you pick have to be the essential pieces that will help you get your work done efficiently. 

In this guide to adding automation to your business, Zapier highlights popular ways to automate apps that are crucial to your business. You rely on forms, surveys, CRMs, email marketing, and social media to stay in touch with your clients and customers. And spreadsheets, databases, and project/task management programs to help keep you aligned internally. 

With automation, you can keep your focus on the most important work while ensuring everything you need done in the background keeps happening.