Your Systems Don’t Have to Do Everything. They Do Need to Work Together.
Most small businesses use more than one platform.
You may have one system handling inquiries, another managing email, another processing payments, another managing projects, and something completely different for scheduling or client delivery.
The problem starts when you become the connection between all of them.
Copy this information here. Add that person there. Send this email. Create that task. Update that status. Remember to follow up.
Kopf Consulting provides Zapier integration and workflow automation support for solopreneurs and small teams that want their systems doing more of that work automatically.
As a Zapier Solution Partner, Kopf Consulting provides hands-on automation and integration support for small businesses, including building new workflows, troubleshooting existing automations, and connecting the systems you already use.
Whether you need a simple connection between two platforms or a more complex workflow involving multiple steps, filters, conditions, or webhooks, the goal is to make sure the automation actually supports the way your business works.
What Can You Automate With Zapier?
Zapier can connect supported applications so that an event in one system automatically triggers an action somewhere else.
For example:
- A new inquiry can be added to your CRM or email marketing platform
- A form submission can create a task for your team
- A purchase can trigger onboarding steps
- A signed contract can update a contact record
- A scheduler can send information to another business system
- A CRM status change can trigger a follow-up action
- Information can move between systems without someone entering it manually
- Different actions can happen depending on what a client purchased or selected
The goal is not to automate something simply because you can.
It is to identify the repetitive steps that make sense to automate and build a workflow that supports the way your business actually operates.
From Simple Zaps to More Complex Workflows
Not every automation needs to be complicated.
Sometimes two systems simply need to exchange one piece of information.
Other times, your workflow needs to make decisions along the way.
Two-Step Automations
A simple automation typically starts with one event and completes one action.
For example:
HoneyBook → Mailchimp
When a new inquiry comes into HoneyBook, add that contact to the appropriate audience in Mailchimp so the next part of the email journey can begin.
Simple does not mean unimportant.
Removing one repetitive step that happens dozens of times can still make a meaningful difference in how your backend operates.
Multi-Step Automations
Sometimes one trigger needs to set several things in motion.
For example:
Acuity → Docusign + Ontraport + Payment Process
When someone purchases a specific package through Acuity, send the appropriate agreement through Docusign, add the person to Ontraport for the correct email communication, and continue the process once the agreement has been signed.
Filters can also be used when the automation should continue only when specific conditions are met.
So if Package A should trigger the workflow but Package B should not, the automation can be built to account for that rather than treating every transaction the same way.
Zapier currently supports Filters specifically for workflows that should continue only when defined conditions are met.
Workflows With Multiple Outcomes
Some processes are not a straight line.
Different purchases, selections, statuses, or other conditions may need to send people down different paths.
For example:
Membership Purchase → Different Onboarding Paths
A monthly member may need to be added to ClickUp with one status and sent into one Keap automation, while an annual member needs a different status, different onboarding communication, and an additional fulfillment step through ShipStation.
Zapier Paths can route information to different actions depending on the conditions you establish, allowing one workflow to handle multiple outcomes.
Sometimes the Apps Don’t Connect the Way You Want Them To
One of the most frustrating parts of automation is knowing exactly what you want to happen and discovering that your platforms do not offer the trigger, action, or direct integration you need.
That does not always mean the workflow is impossible.
Depending on the software and the data available, there may be another supported way to connect the pieces.
I have built workflows using:
- Native integrations
- Zapier
- Filters and conditional logic
- Paths
- Custom fields
- Webhooks
- Intermediate platforms when an appropriate connection exists
- Other supported methods for moving information between systems
Zapier’s webhooks, for example, can be used to send or receive data when a standard app connection does not provide everything the workflow requires.
The solution depends on what the platforms actually allow. I will not promise that every application can be connected simply because we want it to be.
Real Automation Workarounds
Mindbody → Mailchimp → HighLevel
One client needed information from Mindbody to reach HighLevel.
Mindbody did not provide the direct Zapier connection needed for that workflow, but it did integrate with Mailchimp. We used Mailchimp as the intermediate step so the information could continue into the client’s larger automation.
Mindbody still does not currently offer an official Zapier integration, although Zapier provides other potential connection methods depending on the use case.
Podio → Keap
Another client needed two separate CRM systems to communicate.
We used custom fields and automation triggers to move the necessary information between Podio and Keap so the client did not have to manually duplicate the same updates across both systems.
These are the kinds of situations where understanding the entire workflow matters more than simply asking whether App A has a button that says “Connect to App B.”
Already Have a Zap That Isn’t Working?
You do not have to be building something new.
I can also help troubleshoot existing Zapier automations that:
- Stopped running
- Are producing errors
- Are sending incomplete or incorrect information
- Are creating duplicate records
- Are triggering when they should not
- Are failing at a particular step
- Need an updated connection after a software change
- Were built by someone else and no longer make sense
- Have grown more complicated than the original workflow requires
Sometimes the problem is the Zap.
Sometimes the problem is the way one of the connected platforms is configured.
And sometimes the workflow itself needs to be reconsidered before another automation is added.
When Automation Is Not the Answer
Not every manual process is a bad process.
If something happens twice a year, changes every time, requires significant human judgment, or would take more effort to automate than it saves, I may tell you to leave it alone.
The same applies when a platform limitation makes an automation unreliable or creates more opportunities for something to go wrong.
The goal is not the greatest number of automations possible.
The goal is a backend that is easier to manage.
Not Sure What Needs to Be Automated?
If you know your process feels harder than it should but cannot pinpoint where the problem is, a Workflow Audit may be the better place to start.
A Workflow Audit looks at one existing process from beginning to end to identify:
- Unnecessary manual steps
- Repeated data entry
- Disconnected systems
- Potential automation opportunities
- Bottlenecks
- Places where the current process could be simplified
You receive recommendations without being required to hire Kopf Consulting to implement them.
Need the Automation Built?
If you already know what you want your systems to do, you may not need an audit first.
A custom Zapier setup, repair, or integration can generally be handled through Temp Tech as a one-time technical project.
If you need ongoing help maintaining or improving automations as your business changes, Pay As You Go or Flex Support may make more sense.
Temp Tech
Best for a custom one-time Zapier build, integration, repair, or troubleshooting request.
Pay As You Go or Flex Support
Best when Zapier is one part of the ongoing technical support you need across your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Zapier?
Zapier is an automation platform that allows supported applications to exchange information and perform actions based on triggers and conditions.
Instead of manually moving information between systems every time something happens, a Zap can perform supported steps automatically.
Zapier currently connects with thousands of applications and also provides built-in tools for more advanced workflow logic.
Do both of my programs have to integrate directly with Zapier?
Not necessarily.
A direct Zapier integration is usually the simplest option, but depending on the platforms involved, other supported methods such as webhooks, native integrations, or an intermediary platform may be available.
I need to review the actual systems and the information that needs to move before determining what is possible.
Can you build multi-step Zaps?
Yes.
Support can include simple two-step automations as well as multi-step workflows involving filters, conditional logic, Paths, and multiple applications when appropriate.
Can you use Zapier Paths?
Yes.
Paths are useful when the same trigger needs to lead to different actions depending on the information received.
For example, different products, membership levels, form responses, or CRM statuses may require different next steps.
Can you fix a Zap someone else built?
Yes, assuming the platforms and requested workflow fall within my scope.
You do not need to have originally built the Zap with Kopf Consulting.
Can you connect any two programs?
No.
The fact that a workflow makes sense in your head does not guarantee that the platforms expose the data, triggers, actions, APIs, or other functionality necessary to make it work.
I will review what the systems support before telling you that an automation is possible.
Do I need a paid Zapier account?
It depends on the workflow.
Some functionality, including certain advanced workflow features, may require a paid Zapier plan. For example, Zapier currently lists Filters as a paid-plan feature.
I recommend determining what the automation requires before upgrading solely for a feature you may not need.
Do you only work with Zapier?
No.
I also work with native integrations and Integrately, along with other supported connection methods when appropriate.
This page focuses specifically on Zapier because it is one of the automation platforms I regularly use.
Can you help me decide what should be automated?
Yes.
If you want someone to review an existing process and identify where automation could help, start with a Workflow Audit.
If you need broader one-on-one guidance about your systems, Virtual Tech Consulting may also be appropriate.
Copyright: Photo by RealToughCandy.com
Ready to Get Your Systems Talking to Each Other?
If you are manually moving information between platforms, troubleshooting an automation that no longer works, or already know exactly what you want Zapier to do, tell me what systems are involved and what you are trying to accomplish.
I will review the request and determine the best way to approach it.
Not sure whether you need implementation or a Workfow Audit first?