Turning “yes” into revenue shouldn’t take a week. This guide shows how to automate e-sign contracts, invoices, intake forms, and your kickoff so new clients get value fast and you get paid on time—without code.
Table of Contents
- Who This Guide Is For
- Principles (Fast, Safe, and Consistent)
- Map the Flow (From “Yes” to Kickoff)
- Contract & Proposal: E-Sign Without Friction
- Invoicing & Payments: Cash In (Politely)
- Intake: Get What You Need Without Back-and-Forth
- Kickoff: Start With Value, Not Slides
- Field Map (Copy This to Your CRM)
- Comparison Table: Minimal vs Advanced Onboarding
- Starter Stacks (Copy & Adapt)
- Implementation Checklist
- 30-Day Rollout Plan
- Security, Privacy & Legal (Plain English)
- Templates You Can Copy
- KPIs Dashboard (Update Weekly)
- FAQs
- Internal Links (add them at the end)
Who This Guide Is For
Service entrepreneurs, agencies, and consultants who want a repeatable onboarding process: proposal → contract → invoice → intake → kickoff. You’ll get templates, field maps, guardrails, KPIs, and a 30-day plan, plus internal links to related posts for a complete stack.
If you still need the core stack, start with The Entrepreneur’s Automation Stack → /entrepreneurs-automation-stack. Pair this post with Bookkeeping on Autopilot → /automate-bookkeeping-entrepreneurs.
Principles (Fast, Safe, and Consistent)
- Template-first. Lock legal clauses. Only scope, timeline, and pricing change per client.
- One source of truth. CRM fields feed proposals, contracts, invoices, and kickoff tasks.
- Automate handoffs, not judgment. Humans approve discounts or unusual terms; automations handle creation, routing, and reminders.
- Evidence by default. Store consent, signatures, and approvals with timestamps.
- Security from day one. Least-privilege access, audit logs, and retention rules.
Map the Flow (From “Yes” to Kickoff)
- Deal marked “Verbal Yes” in CRM → generate proposal/contract with client data.
- Client e-signs → contract PDF saved to client folder; CRM stage set to Won.
- Invoice auto-created and sent with payment link; reminders scheduled.
- Intake form personalized and prefilled (where possible).
- Kickoff checklist and calendar slot created; welcome email sent.
- Project board and shared folder created with permissions.
- First value delivered in <7 days (report, audit, roadmap, or install).
Contract & Proposal: E-Sign Without Friction
Goal: A signed contract within 24–48 hours.
Proposal/contract structure
- Overview: outcomes and value in 3–5 bullets.
- Scope: deliverables, responsibilities, acceptance criteria.
- Timeline: phases and key dates.
- Price & payment schedule: currency, due dates, late fees.
- Legal notes: IP, confidentiality, termination, liability (locked).
- Signature block: e-sign + timestamp.
Automation
- From CRM deal: populate client name, email, billing details, plan, start date.
- Generate proposal PDF + e-sign link.
- On signature: move stage → Won, post in Slack/Email, create invoice + kickoff tasks.
Guardrails
- Approval required for discount > X% or changes to locked legal.
- Versioning:
ClientName_Contract_2025-01_v1.pdf. - Store signed PDFs with metadata (deal ID, date).
- Legal reference on e-sign validity (see U.S. ESIGN Act overview: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/esign-act).
KPIs
- Time from “verbal yes” → signed.
- Abandoned contracts (sent, not signed) and main blockers.
- % contracts signed on first link (no revisions).
Invoicing & Payments: Cash In (Politely)
Goal: Invoice on signature and money in the bank on schedule.
Workflow
- On signature → create invoice (amount, due date, method) + send payment link.
- Schedule reminders: 3 days before due, due day, +7 days.
- On payment → receipt + project starts; update DSO dashboard.
Best practices
- Offer two methods (card + bank transfer).
- Add late-fee policy and discount for early payment (optional).
- Split large projects into milestones (deposit, mid-project, delivery).
KPIs
- DSO (Days Sales Outstanding).
- % invoices paid on time.
- Time from signature → first payment.
When you scale, connect this with your monthly pack (see Reporting on Autopilot) → /automate-reporting-dashboards.
Intake: Get What You Need Without Back-and-Forth
Goal: Collect the minimum set of inputs to start delivering within 7 days.
Intake form sections
- Access & accounts: URLs, logins via secure share, permission contacts.
- Brand & assets: logo, fonts, brand voice, examples to mimic/avoid.
- Product & ICP: offers, pricing, ideal customer, key objections.
- Current stack: domains, analytics IDs, CRM, helpdesk, CMS.
- Success criteria: “In 30 days, success looks like…”.
Automation
- Prefill known fields from CRM (name, company, site).
- Conditional questions by plan or service.
- On submit → create checklist with tasks per field and notify owner.
Guardrails
- Avoid collecting sensitive IDs in plain text; use a secure upload/request link.
- Keep PII only where needed; set retention.
Kickoff: Start With Value, Not Slides
Goal: Deliver a tangible first win quickly.
Kickoff agenda (45–60 min)
- Quick outcomes recap and KPIs.
- Confirm access and roles; define owner for each input.
- Present first 7-day deliverable (audit, one quick fix, or content pack).
- Risks & dependencies; communication cadence; next milestone.
Automation
- Create calendar event with agenda + doc links.
- Generate project board (To Do / Doing / Done) with prefilled tasks.
- Send welcome email with links, schedule, and support channel.
KPIs
- Kickoff booked within 3 business days of signature.
- % completed inputs from intake by Day 3.
- First deliverable shipped by Day 7.
Field Map (Copy This to Your CRM)
- Client: company, website, billing email, legal name.
- Deal: plan/tier, scope summary, start date, price, payment schedule.
- Finance: invoice ID, due date, paid date, method.
- Delivery: project board URL, shared folder URL, owner, SLA.
- Compliance: contract URL, signature date/time, retention window.
Comparison Table: Minimal vs Advanced Onboarding
| Area | Minimal (Week 1–2) | Advanced (Month 2–3) | KPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal & Contract | One template + e-sign | CPQ rules, multi-currency | Time to sign |
| Invoicing | Invoice on sign + reminders | Milestones, subscriptions | DSO |
| Intake | Prefilled form | Conditional paths, secure vault | Inputs by Day 3 |
| Kickoff | Agenda + checklist | Auto project board + SOPs | Day 7 deliverable |
| Evidence | Store PDFs & timestamps | SIEM/log export, retention | Audit readiness |
Starter Stacks (Copy & Adapt)
“Deposit Today”
- Contract e-sign → auto-invoice deposit
- Payment link + reminders
- Kickoff scheduler with buffers
- KPI: time from yes → paid
“Inputs in 48 Hours”
- Prefilled intake form
- Task creation per field
- Daily reminder (3 days max)
- KPI: % inputs complete by Day 3
“Ship First Value”
- Project board template + SOP
- Welcome email with links
- Deliverable due Day 7
- KPI: client NPS after week 1
Implementation Checklist
- Lock proposal/contract templates; version control.
- Connect CRM → e-sign → invoicing.
- Create intake form with conditional logic and secure file requests.
- Build kickoff checklist and project board template.
- Enable audit logs and set data retention.
- Weekly KPI snapshot: time to sign, DSO, inputs Day 3, first deliverable Day 7.
30-Day Rollout Plan
Week 1 — Map & Templates: draft proposal/contract, invoice, intake, kickoff checklist. Baseline time to sign and DSO.
Week 2 — Wire & Pilot: connect CRM→e-sign→invoice; launch intake; schedule two kickoffs.
Week 3 — Iterate: reduce fields, clarify scope language, split payments if needed, shorten kickoff.
Week 4 — Prove & Decide: 1-pager with before/after KPIs + screenshots. Scale or adjust.
Security, Privacy & Legal (Plain English)
- Use least-privilege access for contractors.
- Avoid storing passwords in notes; use a password manager or secure vault link.
- Keep signed docs and consents with timestamps.
- Respect PII and client data retention periods.
- E-sign is legally binding in many regions (see ESIGN link above) and eIDAS in the EU; store the audit trail.
Templates You Can Copy
Welcome Email (Post-Signature)
“Great to have you on board, [Name]! We’ve queued your kickoff for next week. Here’s what to expect:
- Contract + invoice receipts (attached).
- A short intake form (5–7 minutes) so we can hit the ground running.
- A 45-min kickoff where we confirm access and deliver your first quick win.
Links: [Intake], [Kickoff scheduler], [Shared folder].
If anything’s urgent, reply to this email—our team is on it.”
Scope Box (Proposal Template)
- Deliverables: list items with acceptance criteria.
- Out of scope: 3–5 lines to prevent surprises.
- Dependencies: client access, assets, approvals.
- Change requests: how to price or handle.
KPIs Dashboard (Update Weekly)
- Time from verbal yes → signed
- DSO and % on-time payments
- Intake completion by Day 3
- Kickoff booked within 3 days
- First deliverable shipped by Day 7
- Client NPS after first week
FAQs
Can I skip proposals and send a contract only?
For small engagements, yes—combine proposal and contract to reduce friction.
What if clients delay the intake?
Shorten the form to the essentials and send daily reminders for 3 days. Offer to fill it together in the kickoff.
Deposit or net-30?
For small businesses, start with deposit up-front. Add milestones for larger scopes.
Who should own onboarding?
You, until revenue allows a part-time ops role. The process remains the same.
Internal Links (add them at the end)
- /entrepreneurs-automation-stack
- /automate-lead-capture-nurture
- /inbox-calendar-automation-founders
- /automate-bookkeeping-entrepreneurs
- /automate-reporting-dashboards
- /legal-security-automation-small-biz