The problem with these is that many require your clients to create an account, which adds barriers for them to upload content. You can choose to keep it old school and have your checklist in a word document and print it for meetings, get a little fancier with a spreadsheet or integrate it into your client management software. A checklist that you have with you during the initial meeting as well as after can help avoid any oversights. This way, you don’t need to go back and ask clients for more stuff later. It is also important to schedule a follow-up meeting and keep those lines of communication open to continue to build upon the new client relationship.
- The sooner you know how many accounts the company has, the better your bookkeeping firm can prepare for the workload.
- Some companies use different software to manage and send invoices that might or might not be integrated with their bookkeeping software.
- Therefore, it is essential to know whether the new client’s company operates as a sole-proprietorship, partnership, an LLC, C-Corp, or S-Corp.
- Take a look at the apps and tools the business uses now, and ask your client how comfortable they are with each one.
- The responses you get will help you understand what kind of relationship the potential client needs and wants with you.
- The earlier your client knows you can take this off their plate, the more meaningful your relationship will be should they face any regulatory challenges.
A standardized checklist lets you focus your extra time on finding the new clients to onboard and completing the accounting work. Use the checklist as a starting point and improve as you find out what works for you and your clients. It allows you to become more efficient so you can offer additional services, increase your client’s lifetime value and your overall profit. It’s important to have an efficient bookkeeping system in place if you want your firm or business to grow and succeed.
Common challenges when onboarding new accounting clients
You can give them options for meeting times or let them choose via a tool such as Calendly. Creating a special folder, channel, or label for the new client in your inbox or chat app helps you stay organized. And if there are still some details to sort out, use this step of the client onboarding template to schedule a kickoff call with your favorite meeting scheduler. From there, you can schedule regular touchpoint meetings to update your client on their projects. Similar to your legal onboarding tasks, your financial steps might vary based on the client. For example, you likely have your own accounting or invoice software to manage, but you might need to work within your client’s payment platform of choice.
Also, send a link in the email to schedule an appointment to go over everything with the client if needed. No matter what, ensure every meeting has a clear agenda shared with the client well in advance. On the client’s end, the onboarding process is where they discover how you will work together to achieve their goals. Feedback is important in any setup, and it leaves both parties satisfied.
Take Notes and Do Follow-Ups
The onboarding process is a client’s first chance to get to know your business properly. Being onboarded with a standardised process from start to finish helps to build your clients’ confidence in your business, saves time and keeps things moving. Here is an accounting client onboarding checklist that can help you devise a successful onboarding process from start to finish. If you’re looking for simple workflow templates which include templates for bookkeeping firm workflows to stay on top of your bookkeeping client onboarding checklist, you can download one for free here. It also contains 31 other free accounting workflow templates to help you run your business more efficiently.
By team
During this meeting, discuss communication methods and solidify everyone’s preferred method. Set boundaries so you or your bookkeepers aren’t being contacted across multiple platforms or channels. Let them know your days and hours of operation so clients know when they can reasonably expect responses from your office. Remember to highlight that any scope creep or requests for additional services will come with a rate increase. This is particularly important for bookkeepers working on a fixed retainer or clients paying an hourly rate who might be surprised by extra costs. Set up your client’s file structure in your file storage system, e.g., Google Drive.
Access to Inventory Records
So, how do you make sure you have an efficient onboarding process in place? A step-by-step list for your new client onboarding process will save both you and your client time and keep you both on track. Have communications plans for a new client checklist for bookkeepers to enable you to deliver with fewer challenges.
Use the onboarding meeting to talk about the benefits of Collaborative Accounting and getting more hands-on with their business financials. Explain how being involved and educated in the process—and paying you for advisory-level guidance instead of paperwork—can empower them and give them the insights they need to grow. The certification llc capital contribution agreement is free, takes just 4 hours or less to complete, and is entirely online and self-directed, so you can do it anytime. Plus, it includes hands-on training and downloadable resources to use for onboarding and beyond. Build a strong foundation with new clients, or clients new to FreshBooks, by developing a stellar onboarding process.
Examples might include union negotiations, labor disputes, or potential minimum wage increases. As you welcome a new client and conduct the onboarding process, you might find different documentation requirements for each client type. This article offers a thorough onboarding checklist to keep you ahead of the game and get you everything you need to begin working with your client. Go over basic business information with the client, explain what you need from their side in order to execute within the right timelines, and go over the workflow process and the next steps.