The first week with a new client sets the tone for the whole relationship. A well-run onboarding makes the client feel looked after and gives your team everything it needs to work efficiently. A rushed one produces missing documents, repeated questions, and a slow first invoice. Here is a practical checklist a small Canadian practice can follow every time.
1. Confirm the scope in writing
Before you collect any documents, confirm what you will do. Which services, for which period, at what fee? A short quote that the client accepts is the best record. It prevents misunderstandings later and means the first invoice is simply the accepted quote, with no surprises.
2. Create one complete client profile
Gather the basics in one place: legal name, whether the client is a person, company, or corporation, contact details, and the best way to reach them. Add tags for anything your team should know at a glance, such as HST registered or payroll. A single profile means nobody searches several systems to find a phone number.
3. Send a clear document request
Do not send a generic list. Tailor the request to the services you agreed. For a personal return, that might be slips, receipts, and last year's notice of assessment. For bookkeeping, it might be bank and credit card statements and access details for any accounting software. Give a due date and explain why each item matters.
- List documents by service, not alphabetically.
- Mention the deadline you are working to.
- Say how the client should send them securely.
4. Open the service card
As soon as the client says yes, open a service card for the work. Choose the business line and the service, and let the fee and tax fill in from your catalog. The card becomes the home for notes, dates, and status, so the work never floats around in an email thread.
5. Assign a clear owner
Every card should have one named person responsible. A client who knows exactly whom to contact feels better served than one who is passed between desks. If staff change, the card keeps the history, so the new owner can pick up without a long briefing.
6. Set expectations for communication
Tell the client how you will keep them informed and how quickly you reply. Some prefer a monthly summary, others a quick call. A short sentence in your welcome message, such as "you will hear from us within one business day", does more for trust than a long policy page.
7. Explain how and when you bill
Describe your invoicing and payment process during onboarding, not after the first invoice. Say how invoices are sent, what the terms are, and how to pay by e-transfer. Clients who know the process in advance pay faster and ask fewer questions.
8. Review the first set of documents together
When the first documents arrive, check them promptly and tell the client what is missing. A same-day message listing exactly what you still need is far better than a vague note a week later. It shows that you are on top of things and keeps the work moving.
9. Schedule a first check-in
After the first deliverable, book a short call or send a note asking how it went. This catches small frustrations early and gives you a chance to adjust. It also reminds the client that you are paying attention, which is a quiet reason people stay with a firm for years.
Make it repeatable
The real power of a checklist is repetition. Turn these nine steps into a standard template for your team and use it every time, even for small clients. Over a season the habit prevents dozens of small mistakes and gives every client the same professional start.
| Step | Owner | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| Quote accepted | Partner | Client agrees in writing |
| Profile created | Admin | Contacts and tags saved |
| Document request sent | Preparer | Client has due date |
| Service card open | Preparer | Fee, team, and status set |
| First check-in | Partner | Feedback noted |
FirmBoard is designed around this very journey, so a new client moves from profile to service card to quote and invoice without retyping a thing. If you would like to see your own onboarding on a live board, get in touch.
