It’s quite the local scene, always overflowing with interesting people of all ages. Greg and I like to sit at the counter so we can catch the action.

Another reason I love the place is that as soon as you sit down they immediately give you coffee, a powdered donut on a small paper plate, and plop a tabloid newspaper in front of you. Perfection.

Last Sunday, while checking out the coo-coo clock collection and dreaming about my upcoming spicy omelet, I happened to notice the coffee machine in the corner. Sitting right next to its five burners was a bucket filled with pre-measured coffee filters.

Great idea! Since coffee is what fuels this place, how smart of them to have a daylong supply ready to go at their fingertips. Not only does it make coffee-making go faster, by pre-measuring the amounts, they always get the same great coffee that they’re known for.

And it made me wonder where the same efficiencies could be found in the world of solo-professionals, where it often seems like the work is “custom,” all the time. I took a spin through my client list and gave some thought to the themes I frequently see.

Here are some opportunities for you to make some improvements:

1. Onboarding new clients is one task most solo-professionals have in common that is (hopefully) repeated many times over the course of a year. So why not take a few minutes to document the ideal steps in your onboarding process, to make this the best experience for both you and your new client?

2. Storing information (files, emails, meeting notes and to-do’s) is also a universal need for solo-professionals. The key here is consistency. I take notes in Evernote during phone calls. I file every document and email attachment in Dropbox by client. I store emails I’ll need to reference again in Gmail folders. Tasks are listed in Teamwork.

And I don’t waiver from my system. Ever. You don’t need to replicate my system – but you do need to create and follow your own.

3. Frequently used documents, such as proposals or presentations, are often started from scratch or highly customized when they don’t need to be. Figure out what the core elements are – the introduction to your company, your bio, etc. – and standardize as much as possible. Stop reinventing each time!

The best way to standardize the core elements of your business is to take time during your day and watch yourself. Be present as you do your work and notice the tasks and processes that you do over and over again. And then take the time to document and make them better.

It might not seem like you have time in the moment, but by investing a little more effort up front, you’ll be able to deliver a more consistent, super-special service each time, and with much less effort.