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SAMPLE
SAMPLE — yoursaas.diy
Process Documentation

Client Onboarding — From Signed Contract to First Deliverable

This SOP is the single source of truth for how we onboard a new client from the moment they sign through the first deliverable shipped. Follow it exactly. If something doesn't fit, escalate — don't improvise.

01

Purpose

Ensure every new client gets a consistent, premium first 14 days. Reduce churn caused by ambiguous expectations. Protect the team from scope-creep on day one.

02

Scope & Triggers

Scope: Applies to all new client engagements above $5,000 contract value. For engagements under $5,000, use the Lite Onboarding template instead.

Trigger: Signed contract is countersigned in HelloSign. Webhook fires → CRM creates project → this SOP starts.
03

Roles & RACI

RACI matrix for the onboarding phase. Anyone marked "R" (Responsible) is on the hook for executing the activity.

Activity
Founder
PM
Designer
Client
Send welcome packet
A
R
I
Schedule kickoff call
R
C
Brand discovery questionnaire
A
R
R
First deliverable shipped
A
C
R
I
04

Process Steps

1

Send Welcome Packet (within 1 business hour)

PM triggers the "Welcome" sequence in HubSpot. Includes branded PDF, 5-minute Loom intro, and the link to the discovery questionnaire. PM verifies delivery and updates the CRM stage to "Onboarded — Awaiting Client."

PM
2

Schedule Kickoff Call (within 24 hours)

PM sends Calendly link with three slots in the next 5 business days. Kickoff is 60 minutes, attended by Founder + PM + primary client stakeholder. Recorded by default; recording lives in the project Drive folder.

PM
3

Discovery Questionnaire (24h before kickoff)

Client must complete the brand discovery doc no later than 24 hours before kickoff. If incomplete, kickoff is rescheduled — never run a kickoff without the questionnaire. PM nudges at the 48h mark.

Client
4

Kickoff Call & Internal Brief (Day 0)

Run the standard 7-section kickoff agenda. Within 24h of kickoff, PM publishes a written brief to the project Notion. Brief is signed off by Founder before any production work begins.

PM + Founder
5

First Deliverable Build (Days 1–10)

Designer owns production. Internal review at Day 5, polish at Day 8, final QA Day 10. Use the standard QC checklist (see section 05) — every box ticked before sending.

Designer
6

Ship + Feedback Window (Day 10–14)

Send via Loom walkthrough + PDF. Client has 4 business days for feedback. Anything past that triggers extension request via PM. Standard SLA: 1 round of revisions within scope, 2nd round triggers change order.

Designer
05

Quality Checks (Pre-Delivery)

Every first deliverable must pass these checks before going to client. Designer self-checks; PM verifies.

✓

Brand consistency

Logo, color palette, type system match the discovery doc — no exceptions, including line spacing and corner radii.

✓

Spelling & copy review

Run through Grammarly + read aloud once. PM does final pass — fresh eyes catch what we miss.

✓

File hygiene

All asset files named per convention. No "asset_FINAL_v3_REAL_FINAL.psd" — kill it before client sees it.

✓

Loom walkthrough recorded

5–8 minute Loom explaining what was built and why. Saves at least one feedback round.

06

Escalation Paths

When something goes off-script, here's the ladder.

Green · Inside scope

PM owns. Standard Slack channel. No action required from Founder.

Amber · Drift / risk

PM flags Founder within 24h. Decision: absorb cost or change order. Document in project log.

Red · Out of scope / dispute

Founder owns. Pause production, no further work until written agreement. Loop in legal if contract is in question.

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How to use this solo-founder SOP template

Standard Operating Procedures aren't just for big companies. The single biggest leverage move a solo founder makes — usually somewhere around year two — is writing down HOW they do their work. Because the moment you can explain the process to someone else, you can hire someone to run it. Without an SOP, every task lives in your head, and you're the bottleneck on every transaction. This template gives you the structure to write the procedures that scale your business beyond yourself.

Who this is for

Solopreneurs, indie operators, agency founders preparing to hire their first VA, freelancers documenting client onboarding, anyone whose business is currently held together by "I just do it myself."

The 7 sections of a working SOP

1. Title and purpose. Name the procedure precisely. "Client onboarding for new design contracts" beats "intake." The purpose: one sentence on why this procedure exists.

2. Scope. When does this procedure apply? "New website-design clients only, not retainer renewals." Out-of-scope means a different SOP.

3. RACI. Responsible (does the work), Accountable (owns the outcome), Consulted (provides input), Informed (gets the result). For solo operators, you're often all four — but writing it down makes you see the bottleneck.

4. Prerequisites. What needs to be true before this procedure starts. "Client must have signed the contract and paid the deposit." Skipping this leads to chaos.

5. The numbered steps. The actual procedure. Step 1, step 2, step 3. Specific. Time-boxed. Resource-linked. "Send welcome email (Template #3 in Notion) within 4 business hours of contract signature."

6. Quality checks. What does done look like? How do you verify the procedure completed correctly? "Welcome email sent + Asana project created + first invoice queued + Slack channel created."

7. Escalation path. What happens when something goes wrong. "If client doesn't respond to welcome email in 5 days, send Template #3-followup. If still no response in 10 days, refund deposit and close project."

Step-by-step: how to write your first SOP

1. Pick a high-frequency task you do at least weekly. Client onboarding, monthly invoice run, weekly content production.

2. Open the template. Fill in title, purpose, scope.

3. Write the steps from memory the next time you actually do the task. Don't write from how it SHOULD work — write from how it ACTUALLY works.

4. Add quality checks and escalations.

5. Do the task one more time, following ONLY the SOP. Where did you have to think? That's a missing step.

6. Hand the SOP to someone unfamiliar with your business. Can they execute it? If yes, you have a working SOP. If no, refine.

Tips that compound

One SOP per task, not one giant master document. Hand a single page to a VA and they can run it. Hand them 80 pages and they'll quit.

Update SOPs when you change the process. Outdated SOPs are worse than no SOPs — they teach the wrong way.

Link every SOP to the actual tools. "Use Notion template X." "Pull from Airtable view Y." The SOP without the tool reference is half-useful.

Start with the procedures you HATE doing. They're the ones you most need to systemize so you can delegate them first.

Get yours customized

The sample is generic. Your version is pre-filled for YOUR specific business process — new-client onboarding, monthly content production, podcast publishing, whatever you actually do — with YOUR tools (Notion, Asana, ClickUp, Trello) referenced inline. $19 personalization, $49 fully custom at yoursaas.diy. Word-doc compatible. Yours forever.