What are the best ways to use the independent familiar ability?

I quite like the idea of my familiar contributing without using up my actions. But there don’t seem to be many things that they can do with one action. Especially considering they don’t have reactions, so they can’t even aid while independent.

I suppose there is demoralize, but the familiar will never be very good at that, especially with the inherent language barrier it has with basically everything unless you also give it speech.

I feel like there must be some wealth of opportunity that I’m unaware of, somebody please enlighten me.