Insights And Strategies As I Streamline My Own Onboarding Process

Hey there!

So I've been flirting with the idea of creating an agency for years now. The people management part has always held me back though. I mean, as a mom of three kiddos, I'm already people managing just to get their bedrooms clean!

But you know what? This is the right time in my life to make this business move happen. Being a mom to three active kids actually has a lot to do with my decision.

As I prepare to scale up my offers and hire more team members, I've been reviewing the processes and software I use for our signature "Get Your Tech List Done" service. 

Have you ever noticed how doing things for others can sometimes be easier than doing it for yourself? Stepping back and really looking at my own workflows objectively has been tough - and this is literally what I do for clients!

To get myself started, I asked some key questions that I also go through with clients when we're exploring their processes.

I’ve broken this down into a few sections. Hopefully these will be helpful for you too as you look at streamlining your own business:

1. Define Your Onboarding Steps and Communication Methods

2. Evaluate Your Current Software and Tools

3. Tailor the Onboarding Experience to Your Business Needs

Define Your Onboarding Steps and Communication Methods

First up, I took a good hard look at the full journey someone goes through when they come onboard as a new client or team member - from that very first interaction all the way through to our kickoff and welcoming them into my business (and me into theirs).

There were a bunch of unintentional gaps in my process - like after they signed the contract, I didn't have a standard "What's Next?" email going out to set expectations.

Or for new team members, I realized I was totally dropping the ball by not having a simple checklist laying out all the assets, accesses, and info they needed to get up and running smoothly. No standard operating procedure in sight! I’ve since purchased Meighan O’Toole’s Notion knowledge base to house SOPs. Check her out, she is brilliant.

So silly things like the aforementioned, which seem small, can really make the initial experience disjointed and unprofessional if they slip through the cracks.

On the communication side, I made sure to define the exact communication methods and cadence for each step. For leads, it's a mix of email marketing sequences and personal emails. For contractors, it's video updates and a project management platform.

Getting crystal clear on all the pieces has been so helpful. I can already feel the onboarding experience is going to be lightyears better and more seamless for everyone involved.