New client onboarding: what to send, ask for and agree in the first week
Send one clear welcome after a client says yes: what happens next, what you need and why, how you'll request access without passwords, and the first milestone. Includes a copyable welcome outline and request list.
The first message a client gets after saying yes sets expectations for everything that follows. If it says clearly what happens next, what you need from them and when the first piece of work is due, the client knows where they stand. If every new client gets a different first week, things can easily be missed on both sides.
This guide is for owners and delivery leads in small service businesses. It covers the client-facing side of onboarding: the welcome message, the information you ask for, how you request access, and agreeing the first milestone. It includes a welcome message outline and an information request list, each with an illustrative example.
What happens inside your business once work is accepted is covered separately. Our operations handbook guide includes an example task card for the delivery handoff after a quote is accepted.
1. Send one clear welcome, soon after they say yes
Send the welcome as a single message, soon after the client confirms and before any work starts. Keep it short enough to read in one sitting. It should do six things:
- Thank them and refer to what you agreed, such as the quote or proposal and its date or version.
- Say what happens next, step by step, up to the first milestone.
- List what you need from them, in order, with a reason for each item.
- Explain how you'll ask for access to any systems or premises.
- Give the first milestone and its date.
- Say who to contact, and how.
Refer to the agreed quote or proposal rather than rewriting its terms in the welcome. If the two say different things, the client won't know which one counts.
2. Say what happens next, and who they'll hear from
A new client may not know how your work runs. Spell out the steps in the order they'll happen, and who they'll deal with at each stage.
- Name one contact. Give a person, not "the team", plus a backup for when they're away.
- Say how you'll communicate. Email, phone or a system the client already uses. Pick what's easiest for them, and say where updates will appear.
- Say when they'll next hear from you. For example, "We'll confirm your start date by Wednesday."
Only give dates you can keep. If a date depends on the client sending something first, say so.
3. Ask for information in order, and say why
A long list of everything you might need can overwhelm a client, and items can be missed. Split your requests instead:
- Needed now: what you need before the first milestone.
- Needed later: what can wait until a later stage. Ask for it then.
For each item, say why you need it, when you need it by, and how to send it. Don't ask again for anything the client has already given you, for example during the enquiry or the quote.
Ask only for what you need. The ICO's data minimisation guidance says personal data should be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary, and that you must not collect it on the off-chance it might be useful in future.
If you collect personal information, the ICO's guidance on the right to be informed says people should get privacy information when you collect it, in clear and plain language. The welcome is a natural place to link to your own privacy notice. This guide doesn't tell you what that notice should say. If you're unsure, read the ICO's guidance or get advice. At the time of checking (October 2026), the ICO marked both of these pages as under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act.
4. Ask for access without asking for passwords
If you need access to a client's systems, such as their website, accounting software or email platform, ask them to add you as a named user through their own admin settings, or to give you delegated access. Don't ask for a password by email, and don't share one login between people.
In the welcome, say:
- which system you need access to, and why
- what level of access you need. Ask for the least that lets you do the work.
- who on your side will use it, by name
- how the client grants it, or that you'll send instructions
- that access will be removed when the work ends, and who will remove it
The same applies to physical access, such as keys, fobs or alarm details. Agree how they'll be handed over in person or through the client's own process, rather than sending codes by email.
5. Agree the first milestone in writing
The first milestone gives both sides something concrete to aim for. In the welcome, state:
- what it is, described so the client would recognise it as done
- the date
- what you need from the client first, and by when
- what happens if those items arrive late. If the date would move, say so plainly.
Ask the client to reply to confirm. A short "Yes, that works" gives you both a written record of what was agreed.
6. Hand it over inside your business
Once the welcome is sent, the work moves to delivery. Make sure whoever does the work has the agreed scope, the client's contact details and anything already received. Our operations handbook guide shows how to write that handoff as a task card. If you want to see the whole route from enquiry to finished work first, our guide to mapping your enquiry-to-delivery process shows how.
7. Use the welcome outline and information request list
- Copy the blank welcome outline and write one version for your most common type of client.
- Copy the blank request list. List only what you need, split into "now" and "later".
- Fill in the reason for every item. If you can't give one, remove the item.
- Tailor both for each new client. Remove anything they've already sent.
- Keep your own copy of the request list and tick off items as they arrive.
| Block | What to write |
|---|---|
| 1. Thanks and what we agreed | |
| 2. What happens next | |
| 3. What we need from you, and why | |
| 4. How we'll request access | |
| 5. First milestone and date | |
| 6. Who to contact |
| Item | Why we need it | Needed by |
|---|---|---|
| Item | How to send it securely | Received |
|---|---|---|
Illustrative example
Illustrative example only: an invented bookkeeping practice welcoming a new small-business client. It is not a real business, client or result, and not a template for your legal or privacy wording.
Subject: Welcome, and what happens next
Hi Sam,
Thanks for confirming. We'll start the monthly bookkeeping set out in our proposal dated 3 November.
What happens next. We'll set up your file this week, then reconcile October's bank transactions. We'll send you a short summary when that's done.
What we need from you. There are three things, listed below with the reason for each. Everything else can wait until next month.
Access. Please add us as a named user in your accounting software through your own admin settings. We'll send step-by-step instructions. We only need standard access, and we'll never ask for your password. When our work ends, we'll ask you to remove our access.
First milestone. October's transactions reconciled by Friday 14 November. If the bank statements arrive after Friday 7 November, that date will move, and we'll tell you the new one.
Your contact is Priya, by email or on 0113 496 0000. If Priya is away, Tom will pick up.
Our privacy notice explains how we handle your information: [link to your privacy notice].
Could you reply to confirm the milestone date works for you?
| Item | Why we need it | Needed by |
|---|---|---|
| October bank statements | To reconcile October | 7 November |
| Named user access to accounting software | To record transactions | 7 November |
| Who approves supplier payments | To know who to ask | 7 November |
| Item | How to send it securely | Received |
|---|---|---|
| October bank statements | Upload to the shared folder we set up | Yes, 6 Nov |
| Named user access to accounting software | Invite us through your admin settings | Not yet |
| Who approves supplier payments | Reply to this email | Yes, 5 Nov |
The example doesn't ask again for the business name or address, because the client gave those at quote stage. Last year's accounts are left for "later", because the first milestone doesn't need them.
Common questions
How soon should I send the welcome?
There's no fixed rule. Soon after the client confirms, and before work starts, keeps the momentum, so the client isn't left wondering what happens next.
Should I use a client portal?
Use whatever is easiest for the client and that you'll keep up to date. A clear email can do the job. If you do use a portal or shared folder, say so in the welcome and explain how to get in.
What if the client doesn't send what I asked for?
Check in on the "needed by" date. Remind them what the item is for, and explain that the milestone will move if it's still missing. Record the new date once you agree it.
Can I use the same welcome for every client?
Yes, as a starting point. Keep the six blocks the same, and tailor the requests, access and milestone for each client.
Should the welcome include our terms or privacy wording?
Link to them rather than rewriting them. Your agreed quote or terms and your privacy notice should each be the single source of truth. If you're unsure what they need to say, get advice.
ScalePass helps service businesses connect the steps from enquiry to finished work, using the tools they already have. If you'd like help making your first week with new clients consistent, see how we approach connected systems.
In short
Send one clear welcome soon after the client says yes. Say what happens next and who their contact is. Ask for information in order, only what you need, and give a reason and a date for each item. Request access through named or delegated accounts, never passwords. Agree the first milestone in writing, and say what moves it. Then hand the work over inside your business.