Most agency churn is decided in the first 30 days. A repeatable onboarding checklist is the cheapest retention tool you have.
Set up billing first
Get the payment method on file and the recurring schedule live before work starts. Chasing the first invoice manually signals chaos.
Brand the portal before the kickoff
The client should log into a portal in your brand from day one — colors, domain, logo. First impressions of professionalism compound.
Confirm the services and the margin
Map each contracted service to its wholesale cost so margin is visible from the start, not discovered later.
Schedule the first report
Set the cadence and the first deliverable date during kickoff. Predictability is what retainer clients are buying. Tools like HubWho automate the billing and portal pieces.