Onboarding clients like a pro suit (for freelancers)
When most people imagine freelancing, they picture a dream scenario: spending 100% of their time doing what they love. If you're a writer, that probably looks like sipping a flat white at your favourite café, tapping out clever headlines and blog intros. If you're a designer, maybe it’s mood boards, colour palettes, and big brand ideas all day, every day. If you're a developer, it might be clean code, satisfying problem-solving, and the thrill of pushing a new website live.
What most people don’t picture? The emails. The client calls. The “Can we just jump on a quick Zoom?”s. The fourth follow-up to chase a login. The fast evaporating timelines.
Suddenly, the thing you love doing becomes only part of your job, and not always the biggest part. That’s where client onboarding comes in.
Onboarding is insurance
If you’re new to freelancing, you might think onboarding sounds like overkill. Maybe even a bit corporate. But like many things in freelancing (invoicing, contracts, scoping documents… we see you), it’s not just admin, it’s protection. For your time, your energy, and your sanity.
A good onboarding process helps you minimise the dreaded email ping-pong and late-night deadline panics by making sure everyone’s on the same page from the start. It doesn’t have to be fancy or over-engineered. It could be as simple as a checklist you share with every new client (in fact, we’ve got one for you here, and it’s free).
Here’s what it gives you:
Clarity. You set the expectations upfront. You outline your process, timelines, and what you need to get the job done.
Confidence. Your client knows what’s coming, what they’re responsible for, and how you’ll be working together.
Calm. With fewer questions and less back and forth, you’ll both feel more at ease. A win for everyone.
Put yourself in their shoes
Most clients aren’t trying to be difficult, they’re just busy. They're juggling their own projects, teams, stakeholders, and pressures. They’re not mind readers, and they probably don’t know exactly what you need (or when you need it).
They might also be a little nervous. Maybe they’ve been burned by a bad experience in the past. Maybe it’s their first time hiring a freelancer. Maybe they’re under pressure to deliver results fast.
The more transparent you can be about your process, the more confident your client will feel. That trust leads to smoother comms, fewer roadblocks, and less scope creep.
The onboarding checklist
To help you get started, we’ve created a simple client onboarding checklist you can download and make your own (link coming soon). It covers everything you need to tick off across five key stages:
Scoping
Proposal & Agreement
Financials
Project Kick-Off
Operational Set-Up
Whether you’re just starting out in the freelance world or refining how you work, this checklist is designed to take the guesswork out of onboarding, leaving you to focus on the work you actually enjoy.
Download the free checklist here and keep it handy for your next project.