Automation ROI Worksheet for Home Service Businesses
Automation costs money upfront, but the returns come fast when you implement the right systems. This worksheet helps you calculate your actual return on investment so you can make informed decisions about where to invest next.
Section 1: Current State Assessment
Before measuring ROI, you need to understand where you are now. Answer these questions honestly:
Time Spent on Manual Tasks (Per Week)
| Task | Hours/Week | Cost (Hours × Hourly Rate) |
| Responding to new leads | ____ | $____ |
| Sending appointment reminders | ____ | $____ |
| Following up on estimates | ____ | $____ |
| Creating and sending invoices | ____ | $____ |
| Chasing overdue payments | ____ | $____ |
| Asking for reviews | ____ | $____ |
| Social media posting | ____ | $____ |
| Data entry and admin work | ____ | $____ |
| Total | ____ | $____ |
Revenue Lost to Manual Processes
| Revenue Leak | Estimated Monthly Loss |
| Leads that went cold (slow response) | $____ |
| No-shows (no reminders sent) | $____ |
| Unsigned estimates (no follow-up) | $____ |
| Late payments (no reminders) | $____ |
| Lost repeat business (no reactivation) | $____ |
| Total Monthly Revenue Loss | $____ |
Section 2: Automation Costs
| Cost Category | Monthly Cost |
| CRM software subscription | $____ |
| Automation platform (Zapier, Make, etc.) | $____ |
| SMS/email platform costs | $____ |
| Setup/implementation costs (amortized) | $____ |
| Ongoing maintenance/support | $____ |
| Total Monthly Automation Cost | $____ |
Section 3: Calculate Your ROI
Monthly Savings
Time savings value (from Section 1): $____ per month
Revenue recovered (from Section 1): $____ per month
Total monthly benefit: $____ + $____ = $____
Monthly Cost
Total automation cost (from Section 2): $____
Net Monthly ROI
Net benefit: $____ (benefit) - $____ (cost) = $____
ROI percentage: ($____ net benefit ÷ $____ cost) × 100 = ____%
Section 4: Payback Period
If you had a one-time setup cost, calculate how quickly you'll recoup that investment:
One-time setup cost: $____
Monthly net benefit: $____
Payback period: $____ ÷ $____ = ____ months
Typical Results
Based on real home service businesses that have implemented automation:
- Time saved: 10-20 hours per week on administrative tasks
- Lead conversion increase: 20-40% more leads converted to jobs
- No-show reduction: 40-60% fewer missed appointments
- Review growth: 3-5x more Google reviews per month
- Payment speed: Invoices paid 40% faster on average
- Typical ROI: 300-500% in the first year