<description>&lt;p&gt;Most people think saving time in their business means automation, software, or hiring help.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;New tools. New systems. More complexity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This episode doesn’t do that.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Because the fastest win is simpler.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stop rewriting the same things.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Standardise what doesn’t need thinking.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Get your evenings back.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hi, I'm &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-michael-j-fox/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Mike Fox,&lt;/a&gt; host of this podcast, "&lt;a href="https://podcast.lonewolfunleashed.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Lone Wolf Unleashed&lt;/a&gt;."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This isn’t about bureaucracy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And it’s not about making work soulless.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s about doing the thinking once, so you don’t have to keep doing it every day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We cover:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why templates matter more than process maps or procedures&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;How to identify what should be standard and what should stay custom&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Simple ways to structure templates so they’re fast to use, not annoying&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why templates are the foundation for automation, not the other way around&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;How AI can help you build templates quickly without overengineering&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The payoff is straightforward.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You stop starting from scratch.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You copy, paste, and change the few things that actually matter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s how you reduce admin without building a bigger business than you want.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And that’s how Lone Wolf Unleashed helps you switch off sooner and live larger.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Chapters/Timestamps&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Why templates deserve more attention&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:19 Why templates matter more than process documents&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:37 A real example of time saved with a single report template&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:04 What should and shouldn’t be standardised&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:40 Templates vs automation, and why order matters&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;07:17 Using AI to spin up practical templates quickly&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;08:51 How to design templates so they’re fast to fill out&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;10:06 Choosing your first task to templatise&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Links:&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;🔗 Lone Wolf Unleashed site – &lt;a href="https://lonewolfunleashed.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://lonewolfunleashed.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mentioned in this episode:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;You might also like...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Check out the "Websites Made Simple" podcast with Holly Christie at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lone Wolf Unleashed - avoid exhaustion, reclaim your time using tools, systems and AI

Mike Fox

Before You Automate Anything, Do THIS One Thing

FEB 2, 202612 MIN
Lone Wolf Unleashed - avoid exhaustion, reclaim your time using tools, systems and AI

Before You Automate Anything, Do THIS One Thing

FEB 2, 202612 MIN

Description

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 proceduresHow to identify what should be standard and what should stay customSimple ways to structure templates so they’re fast to use, not annoyingWhy templates are the foundation for automation, not the other way aroundHow AI can help you build templates quickly without overengineeringThe payoff is straightforward.You stop starting from scratch.You copy, paste, and change the few things that actually matter.That’s how you reduce admin without building a bigger business than you want.And that’s how Lone Wolf Unleashed helps you switch off sooner and live larger.Chapters/Timestamps00:00 Why templates deserve more attention01:19 Why templates matter more than process documents02:37 A real example of time saved with a single report template05:04 What should and shouldn’t be standardised05:40 Templates vs automation, and why order matters07:17 Using AI to spin up practical templates quickly08:51 How to design templates so they’re fast to fill out10:06 Choosing your first task to templatiseLinks:🔗 Lone Wolf Unleashed site – https://lonewolfunleashed.comMentioned in this episode:You might also like...Check out the "Websites Made Simple" podcast with Holly Christie at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/