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Accountancy Practice Launch Programme · Stage 10 of 10
Onboard & Deliver Your First Work
Onboard your first client the right way, deliver a real job to deadline, and get paid. This is the milestone the whole programme drives at.
How long
Ongoing, hours per client
You’ll have
A first client onboarded, filed and paid
Steps
4 steps
Resources
3 resources
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01 Step 01
Step 01
Onboard the client with AML checks and a signed engagement letter
Per-client customer due diligence and a signed engagement letter are legal prerequisites. No work starts until they are done.
Do it yourself
- Run customer due diligence under the Money Laundering Regulations: verify identity and beneficial ownership, and assess and record the risk, before you start. An electronic ID and AML tool makes this fast.
- Get the engagement letter signed (Module 3) and the service schedules agreed.
- Complete HMRC agent authorisation for the relevant tax (Module 4), and confirm it has come through.
- Set the client up in your software, portal and Direct Debit, then request their records with a tailored list.
Common mistake · Starting the work before the ID and AML checks are complete and the engagement is signed. That is a compliance breach and a liability gap.
Time1–2 hrs per client CostID-check tools ~£1–£5 per check (rough market figure) DifficultyMediumResource for this step
CHECKLISTNew client onboarding checklist
The sequence that has to be finished before a client counts as "started". Customer due diligence and agent authorisation are regulated: this is a signpost, not advice.
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02 Step 02
Step 02
Do the first piece of work to its deadline
Delivering one real job correctly and on time is the proof that your whole setup works.
Do it yourself
- Pick the first deliverable (a VAT return, a bookkeeping period, year-end accounts, or a tax return) and note its statutory deadline.
- Confirm the client’s records are complete before you start, and chase any gaps early.
- Do the work in your chosen software, filing digitally where Making Tax Digital applies.
- Run a review checklist before you submit, because errors here are what drive claims.
Common mistake · Leaving the first job until close to the deadline, then finding records missing or an authorisation that has not come through in time.
TimeVaries by job CostFree (your time) DifficultyMedium–HighResource for this step
CHECKLISTFirst job delivery checklist
Get one real job from records to filed without a scramble at the deadline. Not tax advice.
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03 Step 03
Step 03
File it and confirm with HMRC and the client
The work is not done until HMRC has accepted it and the client knows what happens next.
Do it yourself
- Submit via compatible software and capture the HMRC submission receipt or reference.
- Save the filed documents to the client’s portal folder.
- Send the client a plain-English confirmation: what was filed, what they owe or are due, and when.
- Diarise the next deadline immediately, so the following period is already on your calendar.
Common mistake · Filing but not saving the receipt, or not telling the client what to pay and when, which leads to missed payments and "did you file it?" queries.
Time~30 mins CostFree DifficultyEasy -
04 Step 04
Step 04
Bill the work and get paid (the launch milestone)
Getting paid closes the loop and proves the practice is a real, functioning business. This is the finish line of the first 90 days.
Do it yourself
- Raise the invoice at your agreed fee. Ideally the recurring Direct Debit is already collecting, so there is no surprise bill.
- Reconcile the payment in your own bookkeeping.
- Ask for a review at this high point (Module 8), and request a referral (Module 9).
- Do a fifteen-minute retro on what took longer than expected, and what to templatise for client number two.
Common mistake · Delivering well, then being slow or vague on billing. New practitioners often deliver beautifully and under-collect, because payment terms were never set at onboarding.
Time~30 mins CostFree DifficultyEasyResource for this step
CHECKLISTLaunch milestone: first client, closed out
The finish line of your first 90 days. Every line ticked means the practice has delivered, filed and been paid for real work.
What you’ll have after this stage
- A first client onboarded, with customer due diligence complete and the engagement signed
- A first real job done to its statutory deadline and filed
- The HMRC receipt saved and the client told what to pay and when
- An invoice raised and the fee actually collected
- A short retro and the templates ready for client number two