Before You Automate Anything, Do THIS One Thing

2026-02-02

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Most people think saving time in their business means automation, software, or hiring help.New tools. New systems. More complexity.This episode doesn’t do that.Because the fastest win is simpler.Stop rewriting the same things.Standardise what doesn’t need thinking.Get your evenings back.Hi, I'm Mike Fox, host of this podcast, "Lone Wolf Unleashed."In this episode, I break down why templates are one of the most underused tools for solo operators and small teams, and how they quietly unlock massive time savings without aut...

Most people think saving time in their business means automation, software, or hiring help.

New tools. New systems. More complexity.

This episode doesn’t do that.

Because the fastest win is simpler.

Stop rewriting the same things.

Standardise what doesn’t need thinking.

Get your evenings back.

Hi, I'm Mike Fox, host of this podcast, "Lone Wolf Unleashed."

In this episode, I break down why templates are one of the most underused tools for solo operators and small teams, and how they quietly unlock massive time savings without automation or extra staff.

I walk through real examples from client work, including how a single report template cut review time from an hour to fifteen minutes, reduced caseloads, and delivered a 422% productivity increase.

This isn’t about bureaucracy.

And it’s not about making work soulless.

It’s about doing the thinking once, so you don’t have to keep doing it every day.

We cover:

Why templates matter more than process maps or procedures

How to identify what should be standard and what should stay custom

Simple ways to structure templates so they’re fast to use, not annoying

Why templates are the foundation for automation, not the other way around

How AI can help you build templates quickly without overengineering

The payoff is straightforward.

You stop starting from scratch.

You copy, paste, and change the few things that actually matter.