Zapier and Make: Automation Tools That Help Filipino VAs Earn More

Most Filipino VAs charge by the hour for tasks a client could theoretically do themselves. Automation changes that equation entirely. When you can build a system that replaces 5 hours of manual work every week, you’re no longer selling time — you’re delivering a result. That distinction is why VAs with automation skills regularly earn two to three times what task-only VAs earn.

Zapier and Make are the two most widely used no-code automation platforms in the world. Learning either one — or both — is one of the highest-ROI investments a Filipino VA can make in 2025.

Why Automation Skills Mean Higher Rates

Here’s the simple math. If a client pays you $5/hour for 10 hours of manual data entry per week, that’s $50/week. If you set up a Zapier automation that eliminates that data entry entirely and takes you 3 hours to build, you’ve just delivered $50/week in ongoing value for a one-time effort. Clients understand this. They’re willing to pay more for a VA who thinks in systems rather than tasks.

The rate premium is real and documented:

• Pure admin VA with no automation skills: $4–6/hr
• VA who can set up basic automations (Zapier): $6–9/hr
• VA who builds and maintains multi-step automations: $10–15/hr
• Automation specialist (Make + API basics + testing): $15–30+/hr

That gap between $5/hr and $12/hr is the difference between learning one tool and practicing it until you can demo it confidently.

What Is Zapier?

Zapier connects web applications without writing a single line of code. The core logic is simple: something happens in App A (the Trigger) → something happens in App B (the Action). That’s a Zap.

Example: New form submission in Typeform (Trigger) → Add row to Google Sheets (Action). You built that. No developer needed.

Zapier Pricing (as of 2025):

• Free: 5 Zaps, 100 tasks/month
• Starter: $19.99/month (750 tasks)
• Professional: $49/month (2,000 tasks)

In most cases, your client pays for their own Zapier account. Your job is to design, build, and test the Zaps. Some VAs charge a one-time setup fee for each automation they build.

Practical Zapier Examples for VA Work

These are real use cases you can practice and add to your portfolio:

Lead management: New Typeform submission → Add row to Google Sheets + send Slack notification to client

Scheduling: New Calendly booking → Create task in Trello or Asana + send confirmation email via Gmail

E-commerce: New WooCommerce order → Add to Google Sheets tracker + send internal Slack alert

Social media: New RSS feed post from blog → Draft social media post in Buffer for review

File management: New Gmail email with attachment → Save attachment to a specific Google Drive folder automatically

Client onboarding: New row added to Google Sheets (new client info) → Send welcome email via Gmail + create folder in Google Drive

Start with a 2-step Zap. Once you’re comfortable, add a Filter step (only run this Zap if [condition is true]). That’s where automation becomes genuinely powerful.

What Is Make (Formerly Integromat)?

Make is more powerful and more complex than Zapier. Instead of linear trigger-action chains, Make uses a visual drag-and-drop canvas where you can build branching workflows, add logic conditions, loop through data, and process information in ways Zapier cannot easily handle.

Make Pricing (as of 2025):

• Free: 1,000 operations/month (significantly more generous than Zapier’s free tier)
• Core: $9/month (10,000 operations)
• Pro: $16/month (10,000 operations + advanced features)

Make’s free tier is a legitimate learning environment. You can run substantial automations at no cost, which makes it ideal for building your portfolio before pitching clients.

Make is preferred by more technical clients — SaaS founders, marketing agencies, and e-commerce businesses with complex workflows. Once you’re comfortable with Make, you can charge more than Zapier specialists because the client base skews higher-budget.

Zapier vs. Make: Which Should You Learn First?

Factor	Zapier	Make
Learning curve	Lower	Higher
Free tier	5 Zaps, 100 tasks/month	1,000 operations/month
Paid plans start at	$19.99/month	$9/month
Best for	Simple, linear automations	Complex, multi-branch workflows
App integrations	6,000+	1,800+
Visual builder	Limited	Excellent (drag-and-drop)
Tutorial availability	Extensive English resources	Growing, less beginner-friendly
Typical client profile	Small business owners, solopreneurs	Agencies, tech startups

The practical answer: Start with Zapier. Build 5 working Zaps you can show in a portfolio. Then invest 2–3 weeks in Make’s free tier to expand your capabilities. Having both on your profile makes you significantly more hireable.

How to Learn Zapier: A Step-by-Step Plan for Filipino VAs

Week 1: Foundations

1. Create a free Zapier account at zapier.com
2. Browse the template library — don’t build from scratch yet. Filter by apps your clients use (Gmail, Sheets, Trello, Slack).
3. Activate 3 templates and see them run live
4. Understand the vocabulary: Trigger, Action, Filter, Formatter, Delay

Week 2: Build Your First Original Zaps

1. Connect your personal Gmail to Google Sheets — build a Zap that logs every email from a specific sender into a Sheet
2. Connect Calendly to Google Sheets — log new bookings automatically
3. Add a Filter step to one of your Zaps (only run if email subject contains “invoice”)

Week 3: Complete the Free Zapier 101 Course

• Go to learn.zapier.com
• Complete “Zapier 101: Automate Your Work” (free, about 2 hours total)
• Take the certificate — it’s a real credential to add to your portfolio and profiles

Week 4: Build Portfolio Zaps

• Build 5 complete, documented Zaps using only free apps (Gmail, Sheets, Trello, Slack, Typeform free tier, Calendly free tier)
• Screenshot each Zap with its trigger and action visible
• Write a 2-line description for each: “This Zap automatically adds new Typeform responses to a Google Sheet and sends a Slack notification. It saves approximately 2 hours/week of manual copying.”

That portfolio gives you something concrete to show during interviews on OnlineJobs.ph or Upwork.

How to Position Automation Skills to Get Higher Rates

On your OnlineJobs.ph or Upwork profile: Add “Zapier Automation” and “Make (Integromat)” as explicit skills in your skill list. Many clients search these terms specifically when hiring.

In your bio/summary: “Beyond standard VA tasks, I specialize in setting up Zapier and Make automations that eliminate repetitive manual work. Clients I’ve supported have recovered 3–8 hours per week through automations I’ve built for lead management, client onboarding, and social media scheduling.”

In proposals: “I noticed you’re handling [task] manually. I’ve built Zapier automations for similar workflows that eliminate that step entirely — happy to share examples of what I’ve set up for other clients.”

Portfolio entry format:

• Zap name: “New Lead → CRM + Welcome Email”
• Apps connected: Typeform → Google Sheets → Gmail
• What it does: Captures new leads from a contact form, logs them to a tracker, and sends an automated welcome email
• Time saved: ~3 hours/week of manual copy-paste

Common Client Automation Projects You’ll Be Asked to Build

Once clients know you can handle automations, these are the most frequently requested projects:

Lead capture pipeline: Form submission → CRM entry → Welcome email → Sales rep notification (3–4 steps, $75–$150 setup fee is reasonable)

Content calendar to social scheduler: Google Sheets row added → Buffer or Hootsuite post created and scheduled (saves 2–4 hours/week)

Invoice trigger: Project marked complete in project management tool → Invoice generated in Wave or QuickBooks

Client onboarding sequence: New client form submitted → Drive folder created + welcome email sent + task list created in Asana (5-step automation, premium project)

Reporting dashboard: Pull data from multiple sources (Stripe, Google Analytics, email platform) into a weekly Google Sheets report automatically

Start charging for these as separate project fees, not just part of your hourly rate. A $150 automation setup that saves a client 5 hours/week pays for itself in a month.

Getting Your First Automation Client

Most VAs with automation skills get their first automation project from an existing client. The conversation is simple:

“I’ve been learning Zapier and noticed [client’s manual process]. I could set up an automation that handles that automatically. Want me to build a test version this week so you can see how it works?”

Offer the first one as a test or at reduced cost. Once the client sees it running, they’ll ask for more.

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