In short
- Screen the enquiry first, so you only spend time on clients who fit your practice.
- Get the engagement letter signed and AML checks done before any work starts.
- Collect information, professional clearance and HMRC authorisation in one go, rather than over weeks of emails.
- Use the same process for every client, so nothing compliance-critical is missed.
1. Screen the enquiry before you spend time on it
The first step happens before anyone picks up the phone. Check whether the enquiry fits the work you take on: the type of business, its size, its industry and the services it needs. If it doesn't, decline it politely and move on.
This sounds obvious, but in most practices every enquiry gets a reply, a call booked and a meeting before anyone realises it was never a good fit. That can easily be an hour of time for a client you'd never have taken on.
Free template: accountancy enquiry formThe questions to ask on your website, plus example rules for accepting and declining enquiries.Open it →2. Book the discovery call
For enquiries that fit, the next step is a short discovery call to understand what the client needs. Let them pick a time from your real availability, rather than swapping emails to find a slot, and send a confirmation and a reminder the day before.
Use the call to understand the business, how it's run today, what's not working with their current accountant and when they need you to start. You'll need all of it to scope the proposal properly.
3. Send a clear proposal
Send the proposal while the call is still fresh, ideally the same day. A good proposal sets out:
- What you understood about their needs, in their words
- The services you recommend and exactly what each includes
- A clear fee, usually as a fixed monthly amount excluding VAT
- What's not included, so there are no surprises later
- The next steps once they accept
Follow up a few days later if you haven't heard back, and once more about a week after that.
Free template: accounting proposalEvery section of a UK accounting or bookkeeping proposal, with example wording and a fee table.Open it →4. Get the engagement letter signed
Once the client accepts, send the engagement letter straight away. It confirms the scope of the work, both sides' responsibilities, your fees and your terms of business, and it should be signed before any work starts. Most UK professional bodies, including ACCA and ICAEW, expect members to agree terms in writing.
Start from your professional body's model letter and add a schedule for each service, so the main terms stay the same for every client.
5. Complete AML checks
Under the Money Laundering Regulations, you need to carry out customer due diligence before the business relationship starts. That means identifying and verifying the client and any beneficial owners, understanding the purpose of the relationship and recording a risk assessment.
Most checks can be done electronically. If a client can't be verified that way, ask for certified ID and proof of address, and source of funds where your risk assessment calls for it.
Free template: AML client risk assessmentThe risk factors to assess for every new client, and how to record the outcome.Open it →6. Request professional clearance and HMRC authorisation
With the client's permission, write to their previous accountant to ask whether there's any professional reason not to take them on, and to request the handover information you need. At the same time, request agent authorisation from HMRC so you can act on the client's behalf.
Free template: professional clearance letterThe letter to the previous accountant, the client's authority, a follow-up and a reply.Open it →7. Collect information and documents
Ask for everything you need in one request rather than over weeks of emails. For most clients that means UTRs and HMRC references, prior-year accounts and tax returns, bank statements and access to their bookkeeping software. Limited companies also need their Companies House authentication code if you'll be filing for them.
Some clients need more. An overseas business, for example, may need to provide its certificate of incorporation, register of shareholders and details of its UK activity. Ask for those up front too.
8. Set up payment
Set up the direct debit for your fees as part of onboarding, not after the first invoice goes unpaid. A fixed monthly fee collected by direct debit is easiest for the client and smooths your cash flow.
9. Welcome the client and check in
Finally, send a short welcome email explaining what happens next and who to contact, and add the client and their deadlines to your practice management software. A quick check-in after the first month catches any problems early and sets the tone for the relationship.
Free template: client onboarding checklistEvery step in this guide as a checklist you can copy and tick off for each new client.Open it →How long should client onboarding take?
Done by hand, onboarding a single client can take three or four hours of admin across all of these steps, and a practice handling 20 enquiries a month can spend several hundred hours a year on it. Much of that is waiting for replies and chasing.
Automating the repetitive steps, such as screening enquiries, booking calls, chasing proposals, sending the engagement letter, running AML checks and collecting documents, can cut that to little more than the discovery call itself.
Free calculator: what does onboarding cost you?Enter your own figures to see the hours and cost of onboarding each year, and how much automation could save.Open it →Frequently asked questions
What are the steps to onboard a new accounting client?
Screen the enquiry, hold a discovery call, send a proposal, get the engagement letter signed, complete AML checks, request professional clearance and HMRC agent authorisation, collect the client's information and documents, set up payment, and welcome the client.
Do I need to do AML checks before starting work for a new client?
Yes. UK accountants must carry out customer due diligence under the Money Laundering Regulations before establishing a business relationship, which means identifying and verifying the client and any beneficial owners.
Can client onboarding be automated?
Most of it can. strively screens enquiries, books discovery calls, sends web proposals and follow-ups, and onboards new clients with e-signed engagement letters, document collection, AML checks in AML HQ and direct debit set-up through Adfin.