How I Use 3 Tools to Automate My Weekly Workflow

Jason Dousharm
3 days ago
3 min read

If you’re a virtual assistant, freelancer, or solo business owner, you know how fast the week can slip away with client tasks, time tracking, invoicing, and admin work. Over the years, I’ve learned that automation isn’t a luxury — it’s a survival strategy.

Below, I’m sharing the 3 exact tools I use every single week to automate, streamline, and simplify my workflow — so I can stay organized, serve my clients better, and still have time to breathe.

1. ClickUp – My Central Command Center

ClickUp is where I run my entire business. Every client task, personal reminder, and recurring to-do lives here. But the real power comes from how I use automation to stay focused and on track.

Here’s how I automate with ClickUp:

Recurring tasks: Weekly admin work like content planning, social scheduling, and check-ins auto-reset every Monday.
Templates: I’ve built plug-and-play templates for onboarding, content calendars, and process checklists.
Automations: For example, when I move a task to “complete,” ClickUp automatically starts the next step and pings my email with a reminder.

ClickUp helps me eliminate decision fatigue and keeps my entire workflow moving without manual effort.

2. Toggl – My Effortless Time Tracker

Time tracking used to be a pain — until I found Toggl. It’s clean, fast, and surprisingly smart.

Toggl helps me track billable hours across multiple clients and projects without disrupting my day. What’s even better is how it automates reporting so I’m not manually calculating hours every Friday.

How I automate with Toggl:

I use project and client tags to auto-organize everything.
I create preset timers for common tasks (e.g., content writing, inbox management, admin).
At the end of the week, I generate a report in one click that I attach to invoices or share with clients for transparency.

Toggl keeps me accountable and professional, while removing the time-wasting part of, well, tracking time.

3. QuickBooks Online – My Financial Back Office

QuickBooks Online isn’t just for taxes — it’s my full financial system. I use it to automate invoicing, track expenses, and monitor income without spreadsheets or sticky notes.

How I use QuickBooks to automate my money:

I create recurring invoices for retainer clients that go out on schedule with no action from me.
My bank and PayPal accounts are linked so transactions auto-sync and categorize.
I set up rules to auto-sort common expenses (e.g., Zoom, Canva, Google Workspace).
I check my Profit & Loss dashboard weekly to see where I stand — no math required.

QuickBooks lets me stay on top of my business finances like a pro — even if I don’t love bookkeeping.

Why This Works

These three tools — ClickUp, Toggl, and QuickBooks Online — don’t just save me time. They free up mental bandwidth, reduce errors, and help me run a business that looks polished and feels organized. I’m not chasing invoices, forgetting hours, or scrambling to remember what I need to do next — the systems do it for me.

Want to Try This Workflow?

Start simple:

Pick one weekly task you repeat over and over.
Choose one of the tools above to automate it.
Test it this week — you’ll never want to go back.

Whether you’re onboarding new clients or managing multiple projects, automation helps you work smarter, not harder.

Explore the Tools I Use:

Let’s Chat:

What’s one thing you wish you didn’t have to do manually every week? Send me a message or leave a comment — I might feature your question in a future blog post!