The problem
An animal activity license lasts 1 to 3 years, so the renewal comes round rarely enough to forget. The licensing guidance says you must apply to renew at least 10 weeks before the license expires. Miss that in a busy summer and you risk a gap in your license with 20 runs of bookings on the books.
What the AI does
Record the license expiry date first in your main diary or booking system, with a named person to check it, and keep the council's reminder letter (the guidance says councils should write 3 months before expiry). As a backup, keep a Google Sheet with the license, its expiry date and an apply-by date 70 days earlier, worked out by a formula, plus other renewals such as insurance. A two-step Zapier automation turns each new row into a Google Calendar event on the apply-by date, with notifications. It reminds you; it doesn't apply for you or check the date is right.
A worked example
A 20-run kennel and daycare near York holds a 3-year license covering boarding and day care, with the renewal due next August, in peak season. The owner puts the dates in the paper diary and the booking system, then adds a sheet row for a backup reminder.
Before
Renewal date only on a certificate in a drawer, 3 years after the last inspection
After
Date in the main diary, plus a backup calendar reminder on the apply-by date, 10 weeks before expiry
What it's worth
There's no monthly money value here: this is a backup prompt behind your own diary, so the value is set at nil. Zapier's free plan allows two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month, which covers a handful of renewal dates, and this assumes free Google accounts for Sheets and Calendar.
How to set it up
- Write the license expiry and the apply-by date, 10 weeks earlier, in your main diary or booking system, and name the person who checks it.
- Create a Google Sheet with columns for item, expiry date, apply-by date (a formula 70 days before expiry), owner and a tick for 'in main diary'.
- In Zapier, start a Zap on each new sheet row and add one action: create a Google Calendar event on the apply-by date with notifications.
- Test with a dummy row and check the event lands on the right date in a calendar more than one person sees.
- Once a month, compare the sheet, the calendar and your main diary.
What goes wrong
- Never rely on this alone. The main diary and a human check come first; this is a second prompt.
- Zapier can fail silently, for example if a Google connection expires. The monthly check is what catches it.
- Renewal means an inspection of your records, procedures and premises; start preparing well before the apply-by date.
- This follows the England regulations; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing rules.