Running a gear business solo means wearing every hat. Customer service, inventory management, and marketing all land on your desk. But you don’t need to answer every email personally or check stock levels manually.

Smart automation can handle the routine stuff while you focus on building great products. Here are three workflows you can set up today that will save you hours every week.

Workflow 1: Automated Customer Service (30 minutes setup)

Most customer questions fall into predictable categories. Order status, sizing questions, return policies. An automated system can handle 70% of these inquiries without your input.

Set Up Your FAQ Bot

Start with Shopify’s built-in customer service tools or add Gorgias for more features. Create auto-responses for your top 10 most common questions.

Common outdoor gear questions to automate:

• “What’s my order status?”- “How does this jacket fit?”- “What’s your return policy?”- “Is this waterproof rating good for [specific activity]?” Write clear, helpful responses for each. Include links to size charts, care instructions, or your returns page. The goal is solving problems, not just deflecting them.

Create Smart Email Rules

Set up filters in your email client to automatically sort incoming messages. Route wholesale inquiries to one folder, customer service to another, and press requests to a third.

Gmail and Outlook both offer powerful filtering options. Create rules based on keywords like “wholesale,” “media kit,” or “broken zipper.”

Workflow 2: Inventory Alert System (45 minutes setup)

Nothing kills momentum like running out of your best-selling item. Automated inventory alerts keep you ahead of stockouts and help you spot trends early.

Low Stock Alerts

Most e-commerce platforms offer basic inventory tracking. Set alerts when products hit specific thresholds. For outdoor gear, consider seasonal patterns when setting these levels.

Smart threshold examples:

• Base layers: Alert at 20 units (quick sellers)- Technical jackets: Alert at 5 units (slower movers, higher value)- Accessories: Alert at 50 units (impulse purchases) Connect these alerts to your phone via SMS. Email alerts can get buried, but text messages demand attention.

Reorder Automation

Take alerts one step further with automatic reorder triggers. If you work with reliable suppliers, set up systems that generate purchase orders when inventory hits critical levels.

Shopify apps like RestockPro or TradeGecko can handle this. They’ll create draft orders for your review, saving hours of manual tracking.

Trend Spotting

Set up weekly reports showing your best and worst performers. This helps you spot emerging trends before they peak.

Look for patterns like:

• Which colors sell fastest- Size distribution changes- Seasonal demand shifts- Regional preferences

Workflow 3: Customer Follow-Up Sequences (45 minutes setup)

A great product experience doesn’t end at delivery. Automated follow-ups build loyalty, generate reviews, and create repeat customers.

The Perfect Follow-Up Timeline

Day 1: Order ConfirmationConfirm the order details and set expectations. Include tracking info and estimated delivery dates. Add care instructions or setup guides if relevant.

Day 3-5: Shipping UpdateShare tracking details and delivery estimates. Include a note about what to do if there are any issues.

Day 7-10: Delivery ConfirmationCheck if the order arrived safely. Include a quick start guide or tips for getting the most from their new gear.

Day 14: Usage Follow-UpAsk how they’re enjoying their purchase. This is perfect timing for review requests. People have used the product enough to form opinions but haven’t forgotten the purchase experience.

Day 30: Care TipsShare maintenance advice to extend product life. This positions you as helpful, not just transactional.

Day 60: Complementary ProductsSuggest related items based on their original purchase. If they bought a rain jacket, mention base layers or hiking pants.

Email Automation Tools

Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or ConvertKit can handle these sequences easily. Most integrate directly with Shopify and other e-commerce platforms.

Set up triggered emails based on customer actions:

• Purchase confirmations- Abandoned cart reminders- Win-back campaigns for inactive customers- Birthday or anniversary messages

Review Collection Strategy

Don’t just ask for reviews - make it easy to leave them. Include direct links to your Google Business page, Trustpilot, or product pages.

Time your review requests carefully. Ask too soon and customers haven’t used the product. Wait too long and they’ve forgotten about you.

For outdoor gear, 2-3 weeks post-delivery usually works well. Customers have had time to test products but the experience is still fresh.

Setting Up Your Automation Stack

Start with your existing tools before adding new ones. Most e-commerce platforms include basic automation features that many founders never use.

Shopify users get access to:

• Automated email notifications- Inventory tracking and alerts- Customer segmentation tools- Abandoned cart recovery For more advanced needs, consider:
• Zapier for connecting different tools- HubSpot for comprehensive customer relationship management- Slack for internal notifications- Google Sheets for simple data tracking

Measuring Success

Track key metrics to ensure your automation actually helps:

Customer Service Metrics:

• Response time reduction- First-contact resolution rate- Customer satisfaction scores Inventory Metrics:
• Stockout frequency- Inventory turnover rates- Reorder lead times Marketing Metrics:
• Email open rates- Review collection rates- Repeat purchase percentages

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Automation should feel helpful, not robotic. Avoid these mistakes:

Over-automation: Keep some human touch points. Complex issues still need personal attention.

Generic messaging: Customize automated messages for your brand voice. A climbing gear company should sound different from a fishing tackle brand.

Set-and-forget mentality: Review and update your automation monthly. Customer needs change, and your systems should evolve too.

Ignoring edge cases: Build in escalation paths for unusual situations. Your automation should know when to hand off to a human.

Next Steps

Pick one workflow and implement it this week. Don’t try to automate everything at once.

Start with customer service automation since it provides immediate relief. Once that’s running smoothly, add inventory alerts. Save the follow-up sequences for last since they require more planning.

Remember: good automation feels invisible to customers but saves you hours every week. Focus on creating helpful, timely interactions that enhance rather than replace human connection.

Your gear speaks for itself in the field. Let automation handle the routine stuff so you can focus on making it even better.