Automations you can install yourself, free
The same starter patterns we build for clients — packaged so you can use them today, no engineer required. If you'd rather have them built, wired to your exact tools, and run for you: that's the Sprint.
Three ready-to-import automations
n8n is a free automation tool (n8n.io). Each template below is a working workflow: download, import, connect your Google account, and switch it on.
Lead response & follow-up
New form leads get a friendly reply within seconds — and an automatic follow-up two days later. Nobody slips through.
Invoice chasing
Every weekday at 9am, politely reminds every client whose invoice is unpaid and past due. Mark it Paid in your sheet and it stops.
Inbox triage & drafted replies
Watches your inbox, labels the emails that matter, and leaves a reply draft waiting for your approval. Nothing sends itself.
Download a template
Click a Download button above. You get a small .json file — that file is the whole workflow.
Import it into n8n
In n8n (free at n8n.io — cloud or desktop), open Workflows, click the ⋯ menu, choose "Import from File", and pick the file you downloaded.
Connect your accounts
Nodes with a small warning icon need a sign-in (usually just your Google account). Click each one and follow the prompt — no passwords are typed into n8n itself.
Personalize and switch on
Every template opens with a yellow "Read me first" note listing exactly what to edit (your name, your sheet, your words). Then flip the Active switch. Done.
Give Claude real small-business tools
MCP is how you plug tools into Claude. This free server adds 12 of them: exact invoice math and late fees, business-day and holiday calculations, printable invoices, pricing calculators, contact-list cleanup, and cross-timezone meeting finding. Everything runs on your computer — no data leaves it.
Get the server
Free and open source (MIT). 12 tools, 42 tests, zero network calls. Works with Claude Desktop and Claude Code.
{
"mcpServers": {
"smb-utils": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/smb-utils/dist/index.js"]
}
}
}Download and unzip
Grab the zip above and unzip it somewhere you won’t delete it — e.g. your Documents folder.
One-time install
Open Terminal, type "cd " (with a space), drag the unzipped smb-utils folder onto the window, press Enter — then run: npm install && npm run build. (Needs Node 20+, free from nodejs.org.)
Tell Claude about it
In Claude Desktop: Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and add the snippet shown below (replace the path with your folder). Restart Claude.
Just ask
Try: "Is invoice INV-114, issued June 3 on net-30 with a 1.5%/month late fee, overdue — and when should I follow up?" Claude does the math with the tools, exactly.
Stuck on any step? Email admin@astralisone.com — happy to help, no strings attached.
Want these running without lifting a finger?
The free Teardown finds the two or three automations worth doing first in your business — these templates included.