About
Honest, plain-English automation guidance for UK small businesses — and why we include a reality check in every guide.
The Automation Shed gives UK small businesses honest, plain-English guidance on automation: what's worth doing, what it really costs, and when you shouldn't bother.
Most automation advice comes from the companies selling the tools. Those companies naturally lead with what their product can do, not with the hidden costs, the free option you already own, or the reasons it might not be right for you. We try to fill that gap.
Every guide includes a reality check: the catch, the limit, or the cost the vendor tutorial skips. Sometimes the honest answer is "you don't need a new tool for this". We'll say so, even though it doesn't help us sell anything.
What we cover
- Getting more from the software you already pay for, like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
- Free and low-cost ways to do what vendors charge extra for
- Choosing between tools like Make, n8n and Zapier without getting caught out on price
- Keeping customer data on systems you control, for businesses where that matters
Who's behind it?
The Automation Shed is written by people who build automations day to day, using tools like Power Automate, n8n and Jotform. Guides are drafted with AI help and then checked by a person before they're published. Here's exactly how we do it.
Spotted something wrong or out of date?
Tell us. We'd rather fix it than leave it.