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Business Advisory Launch Programme · Stage 10 of 10
Onboard & Deliver Your First Engagement
Take a real client from signed contract to a delivered engagement and a paid invoice.
How long
A week or two per engagement
You’ll have
A first engagement delivered, presented, and paid
Steps
4 steps
Resources
3 resources
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01 Step 01
Step 01
Onboard the client
A clean start sets the tone, protects you, and makes delivery smooth.
Do it yourself
- Get the engagement letter, and an NDA if needed, signed before any work begins.
- Run a kickoff to confirm scope, outcome, timeline, what you need, and what is out of scope.
- Collect their data securely (Module 3), taking only what the work needs.
- Set expectations on communication and on the refer-out boundary.
Common mistake · Starting work before the contract is signed and scope is pinned, the classic route to scope creep and a payment dispute.
Time~2–3 hours CostFree DifficultyMediumResource for this step
CHECKLISTClient onboarding pack
The signed-to-started sequence that protects you before any work begins.
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02 Step 02
Step 02
Run the diagnostic
The diagnostic is your low-risk entry product and the foundation of everything you recommend.
Do it yourself
- Use your methodology (Module 5) and healthcheck template to assess the business systematically.
- Pull the numbers into your forecasting tool to find the real story.
- Interview the owner and key people for the context the numbers miss.
- Produce a clear findings summary: what is working, what is at risk, and the priorities.
Common mistake · Jumping to solutions before diagnosing, and recommending tactics that do not fit the actual root problem.
Time1–3 days CostFree (uses your tools) DifficultyMediumResource for this step
PDFBusiness healthcheck framework
A diagnostic questionnaire, a simple scoring model, and a findings-report structure.
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03 Step 03
Step 03
Deliver the core piece of work
This is the value the client is paying for: the plan, model or review that moves them forward.
Do it yourself
- Produce the deliverable your niche promised, from your templates (Module 5).
- Make recommendations specific, prioritised and actionable, and stay inside scope.
- Refer out anything that crosses a regulated line (Module 4).
- Present it live, walking them through it and agreeing the next actions.
Common mistake · Delivering a thick document and disappearing. Clients pay for clarity and momentum, not page count.
Time2–5 days CostFree DifficultyHard -
04 Step 04
Step 04
Invoice and get paid
The engagement is finished when the money is in, and getting paid cleanly is a skill of its own.
Do it yourself
- Invoice promptly against your engagement terms, with a clear due date and a professional presentation.
- Use terms that protect cash flow: a deposit up front and balance on delivery, or staged payments.
- Send a reminder before and on the due date, with a simple, unapologetic chase sequence for late payment.
- Confirm receipt, offer the next step (a retainer or implementation), and ask for a review and an introduction.
Common mistake · Vague payment terms and no chase process, so you do great work then leave the money uncollected.
Time~30–60 min to invoice; days to weeks to collect CostFree DifficultyEasyResource for this step
CHECKLISTGet-paid toolkit
The invoice terms and chase sequence that get you paid, and the milestone that closes the launch.
What you’ll have after this stage
- A client onboarded on signed terms, with scope pinned
- A diagnostic that found the real story
- A deliverable presented live, not just sent
- An invoice raised on protective terms, and paid
- A review asked for and the next step offered