ROI of automation — calculate your real return

Plug in your numbers. We'll show you the annual savings, payback months, and 3-year net return on automating one process.

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Your numbers, your ROI

Defaults reflect a typical SMB automating a single recurring process (intake, scheduling, billing handoff, etc.). Everything updates live.

your result

Annual labor savings$40,500
Annual revenue recovered$9,600
Annual SaaS cost-$960
Annual net benefit$49,140
Payback period3 months
3-year net return$135,420
3-year ROI1129%

How to read these numbers honestly

A few rules we use with every client so the math doesn't lie:

  • Discount labor savings by 30–50%. "Saved hours" rarely become billable hours one-for-one. Use the freed time for higher-value work — or don't count it.
  • Recovered revenue is the bigger lever. For most service businesses, cutting no-shows and responding faster to leads dwarfs labor savings. Be conservative — even $400/mo recovered is real money.
  • Payback under 12 months = green light. 12–18 months is okay if the process is strategic. Over 18 months means you're automating the wrong process.
  • Don't forget internal time during build. Someone on your team will spend ~5 hrs/week during the project. That's a real cost — add it if your hourly is high.

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Want us to plug in your real numbers?

Book a free 20-minute review. We'll do the ROI math together, then tell you whether automation is worth it for your specific process.