Continuing in our series about what you need to know during your first year in business, today we’re
going to look at what you need to include in a New Client Welcome Kit. Exactly what you need to include will vary based on your industry, but there are a few major elements every welcome kit should include.
Details on How and When to Get Paid
A stumbling block for many small business owners is getting paid for their services. Make it as easy as possible for your clients by providing everything they need, including:
Request for ACH/EFT – or your preferred payment method
Make it easy for clients to pay you! While you might be using an invoicing software like we covered in the previous post, it might make more sense to set your clients up with automatic ACH withdrawals. However it works for your business, make sure your clients know exactly how to pay you.
Payment Terms
Clients need to know when to pay you, too! Make the terms clear. Do you require payment immediately? Net 30? Is there a required deposit or recurring fee? Set the terms clearly and include information on what happens if they don’t pay by the deadline. Is there a late fee? How much is it and when is it assessed? The clearer you are, the fewer problems you’ll have getting paid.
IRS Form W-9
Include a completed W-9 form with your welcome kit. If your client is following sound bookkeeping principles, then they will require an IRS Form W-9 from you before they issue their first payment. Get this out of the way now so there is one less thing standing in the way of you receiving that payment!
Legal Terms
You want to make sure you are covered, and your client is protected as well. Include the following in your welcome kit to cover your bases:
Contract
Don’t forget a contract! Your payment terms can be laid out here as well, but you’ll want to make sure all the nitty-gritty details of the agreement are written down. What services you are offering, what they are getting, when the services will be provided, how much the services are, when the client must pay, and where any litigation would take place if the need arises. Please hire an attorney to draw up a proper contract for you so you don’t miss something important!
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Some industries rely on NDAs, and if one is necessary for your business, make sure you include it in your welcome kit.
Additional Information
If you have any types of standard forms your clients need to fill out, include them in your kit. Here are a few other items you might want to include, too:
Referral Sheets
Hopefully, your clients are going to be so excited about your work they’re going to want to tell their friends, so make that easy for them by offering referral sheets.
Intake Form
Use an intake form to make sure you have everything you need from the client before beginning work, like all their available contact information, their goals for working with you, and any other information you might need to get started.
A Little Gift
Throw in a little gift with your welcome kit to truly make a client feel welcomed. Something as simple as a Starbucks gift card can really make your business stand out from the crowd.
Deb Howard Greenleaf, EA, CEO and Principal, of Greenleaf Accounting Services provides virtual accounting and bookkeeping services and specializes in financial management to consultants, coaches, solo professionals, and other small business owners across the US. Deb is an Enrolled Agent (EA)—an IRS-licensed tax professional—and specializes in small businesses and entrepreneurs filing Schedule C or as an LLC. As an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Deb spends her day in QuickBooks Online and specializes in providing QBO support.
