Short version: These are NexFlow's pillar guides — long, practical references on the five topics SMBs actually ask us about. Each one carries realistic cost notes, links to the deeper Field Notes posts that support it, and a clear next step. Start with the one closest to your problem.
What is n8n? The plain-English business guide
New to n8n? Start here. How it works, what it costs, self-hosting and privacy, and how it compares to Zapier, Make and Power Automate — the hub that ties the whole library together.
The five pillar guides
Invoice automation
The complete n8n + Xero/MYOB invoice-OCR guide — what it costs per document, how approvals and reporting fit in, and the workflow that replaces 8 hours/month of data entry.
n8n vs Zapier
The cost breakdown nobody else publishes — task pricing vs self-host at 1k / 10k / 100k ops, lock-in, AI nodes, and when migrating actually pays off.
Self-hosting n8n
Keep automation data under control: cloud region choices, privacy implications, and the deployment stack we ship to clients.
Agentic AI for business
What “agentic” really means for an SMB, where it earns its keep, what to build first, and the governance traps to avoid — with the PwC and Capgemini numbers.
Hiring an AI automation consultant
A decision framework: what to ask, what good pricing looks like, the red flags that signal lock-in, and how to keep ownership of everything you pay for.
Compare & specifics
Tool comparisons, pricing, and industry- and app-specific playbooks.
n8n pricing guide
What it really costs, with server sizing.
n8n vs Zapier
The honest cost & feature breakdown.
n8n vs Make
Per-operation vs near-fixed cost.
n8n vs Power Automate
Which fits an SMB.
AI agent setup
OpenAI, Claude & n8n AI nodes.
Xero automation
Invoices, reconciliation & reporting.
MYOB automation
Invoices, payroll & reporting on autopilot.
Real estate automation
REA.com enquiry → CRM with n8n.
Cliniko automation
No-show recovery & booking workflows.
Shopify automation
Order automation & inventory sync.
Workflow audit
The paid Deep Map: what to automate first.
Automation readiness check
Is your business ready to automate?
- Help centre & FAQ — hyper-specific integration and edge-case questions
- Field Notes — tutorials and case notes that support these pillars
- Pricing — paid map consults + Spark / Flow / Fleet
Not sure which applies? Start with a 15-minute map.
Paid, focused, no deck. US$50, credited if you proceed to a build within 30 days.