If you're running a business solo or with a tiny team, you're probably doing a lot of repetitive tasks. The kind that have to get done but don't actually move your business forward.

Here are five tasks that almost every solopreneur does manually—and shouldn't. These are the highest-impact automations to start with because they're common, repetitive, and surprisingly easy to fix.

1. Client Inquiry Responses

What it looks like manually: Someone emails asking about your services. You copy and paste from a template, personalize it a bit, attach your pricing guide, maybe add a booking link. Five minutes later, you send it off. Repeat 10 times a week.

What it looks like automated: Inquiry comes in. They immediately receive a warm welcome email with everything they need: what you offer, how it works, pricing, and a link to book a call if they're interested. Happens instantly, 24/7, even while you sleep.

Why automate this first: Because first impressions matter, and fast responses feel professional. Also, you'll stop dropping the ball on inquiries that come in at inconvenient times.

2. Meeting Confirmations and Reminders

What it looks like manually: Client books a call. You manually send a confirmation email with the Zoom link. Then you remember (or forget) to send a reminder 24 hours before. Then maybe another reminder an hour before. Each one takes 2 minutes you don't have.

What it looks like automated: Someone books a call and immediately gets a confirmation with all the details. 24 hours before, they get a reminder automatically. An hour before, another reminder. You show up to the call. That's it.

Why automate this first: Because no-shows waste your most valuable resource: time. Automated reminders reduce no-shows by 60-80%. Plus, you'll never accidentally forget to send a Zoom link again.

3. New Client Onboarding

What it looks like manually: Someone becomes a client. You send them the welcome email. Then the contract. Then the intake form. Then the payment link. Then the calendar link for your first session. Five separate emails spread across two days because you forget to send them all at once.

What it looks like automated: Someone becomes a client. They receive everything they need in a structured sequence: welcome email immediately, contract an hour later, intake form the next morning, first session booking link after they submit the form. Perfect timing, zero effort from you.

Why automate this first: Because how you onboard someone sets the tone for the entire relationship. Professional, organized onboarding makes you look good and gets clients started on the right foot.

4. Invoice and Payment Reminders

What it looks like manually: You send an invoice. You wait. Payment is due. You wait another few days because you don't want to be annoying. Finally, you send an awkward "just following up" email. They apologize and pay immediately—they just forgot.

What it looks like automated: Invoice sent. Automatic friendly reminder goes out the day before it's due. If unpaid, another gentle reminder three days after the due date. Most clients pay before you'd ever have to think about it.

Why automate this first: Because chasing payments is uncomfortable and time-consuming. Automated reminders aren't awkward—they're expected. You get paid faster without the emotional labor.

5. File and Document Delivery

What it looks like manually: Client asks for your standard contract/worksheet/checklist/pricing guide. You find it in your files, attach it to an email, write a quick message, send. Someone else asks for the same thing next week. You do it again. And again.

What it looks like automated: Client requests a document and receives an automatic reply with the file attached and a friendly message. Or better: they fill out a form on your website and the document is delivered instantly without you ever touching it.

Why automate this first: Because this is pure busywork. Zero creativity required, yet it eats up time. Automating it is easy and the time savings are immediate.

Start With Just One

Don't try to automate all five at once. Pick the one that annoys you most. Set it up. Live with it for a week. Notice how much easier life is when you're not doing that task anymore.

Then move on to the next one.

Within a month, you'll have reclaimed hours every week—and you'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner.

Need help setting these up? That's exactly what we do. Book a 15-minute call and we'll talk through which automation makes the most sense for you first.