Client onboarding checklist for freelancers

The first week sets the tone for the whole project. A client who gets a clear welcome, knows what you need from them and where to find everything sends content on time and pays on time. One who has to chase you for a contract or an invoice starts wondering what else you'll forget.

Before they say yes

1. Intake form: name, email, company, service needed, budget range, start date and project details. A client intake form template gives you eight questions to start from.
2. Discovery call booked from your booking page, with the intake answers in front of you.
3. Proposal sent within a day or two, with scope, pricing table, terms and an expiration date.
4. Follow-up two or three days later if they haven't answered.

Once they accept

1. Contract sent for e-signature, signed by both sides, and the signed PDF filed.
2. Deposit invoice sent the same day, with a card payment link and the due date.
3. Billing details collected: legal company name, billing address, AP email, PO number and how they pay vendors.
4. Their vendor paperwork done: most US companies ask for a Form W-9, and some have a vendor portal or insurance certificate request.
5. If you work in New York or Illinois, check the contract covers what the state freelancer law requires: names and addresses, services, rate and payment date.

Kickoff

1. Kickoff call booked once the deposit is paid. Send an agenda.
2. Access requested in one list: logins, brand files, content, analytics. Ask for a password manager share instead of passwords by email.
3. Contacts confirmed: who gives feedback, who approves, who pays.
4. Communication rules agreed: where questions go (email, a shared channel), your response time and your working hours.
5. Feedback rules agreed: how many rounds, how feedback is sent (one consolidated list per round) and how long they have to reply.
6. Timeline shared with milestones and the dates you need things from them.

Set up your side

1. Project created for time tracking with the right hourly rate, even on fixed-price work, so you know your real effective rate.
2. Task board with the milestones and due dates.
3. A shared folder or portal where the client finds files, documents to sign, invoices and upcoming meetings.
4. Reminders on for the deposit and later invoices.
5. Calendar holds for check-ins, such as a 15-minute status call every Monday.

Questions to ask on the kickoff call

1. What does success look like in three months, and how will you measure it?
2. Who else needs to see the work before it's approved?
3. What has worked or failed in past projects like this one?
4. Are there dates we can't move, like a launch, a trade show or a board meeting?
5. What's the best way to reach you when I need a quick decision?
6. Is there anything you're worried about with this project?

Write the answers down and send a one-paragraph recap the same day. It becomes the reference you point to when priorities shift halfway through. If the answers change the scope you quoted, say so now and send a change quote before work starts, not at the first review.

A welcome email to copy

Subject: Welcome aboard: next steps for your website project

Hi Sam,

Thanks for signing on. Here's what happens next:

1. Deposit: your invoice for $4,650 (50%) is here: [link]. Work starts once it's paid.
2. Kickoff: pick a 45-minute slot this week: [booking link].
3. Before kickoff, please send: your logo files, brand colors, current site login and the text for the homepage.
4. Everything for this project lives in your client page: [portal link]. You'll find the signed agreement, files to review and invoices there.

How we'll work: send questions by email and I'll reply within one business day (Mon to Fri, 9 to 5 Pacific). Feedback goes in one list per round so nothing gets lost.

Looking forward to it,
Jordan

First two weeks

• Deliver something small early, like a sitemap or a first draft, so the client sees progress.
• Send a short status update at the end of week one: done, next, what you need from them.
• Log every scope change request and quote it before you start.
• Check that the deposit cleared and the next invoice date is on your calendar.

When the project ends

1. Deliver the final files and any handover notes or training.
2. Send the final invoice and confirm the deposit was applied.
3. Transfer ownership of accounts and files once you're paid in full, as your contract says.
4. Remove your access to their systems, or ask them to.
5. Switch off the client portal link if they no longer need it.
6. Ask for a testimonial or a referral a week after delivery, when the result is fresh.

Planning milestones in business days? The business days calculator counts working days between two dates, skipping weekends and federal holidays.

Doing it in SoloWOS

Each step maps to a SoloWOS tool. Forms has a one-click client intake template, creates a contact from each response and can send people straight to your Scheduling page. Proposals are accepted online and can trigger a signature request in E-Signatures. Invoicing sends the deposit invoice with a card payment link and reminders. The client portal gives each client one private link with their meetings, files to approve, documents to sign, proposals and invoices to pay, with no account needed. Time Tracking and Notes & Boards hold the project on your side.

Forms don't accept payments or file uploads, and clients can't upload files to the portal. Ask for large files through a shared drive link.