When an engagement is signed in the CRM, the automation creates the client in the accounting software, builds a Google Drive folder tree, adds recurring tasks to the practice board and sends a welcome email, so each bookkeeping client is set up within a day.
Typical results
≈18 hrs/mo
Office manager setup time saved
100%
Clients set up with the same folders and tasks
8–10
New clients a month with no extra admin staff
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
A bookkeeping office that signs 8 to 10 clients a month sets each one up by hand: a client file in the accounting software, a Drive folder for every year and month, recurring tasks on the practice board and a welcome email with bank-feed instructions. Steps get skipped, setup stretches over four days, and the first month's work starts late.
Before and after
Working days from signed engagement to client ready
−75%Staff hours of setup per new client
−80%Setup steps missed per month
−100%The automation
When a deal moves to signed in the CRM, a Make scenario creates the client file in the accounting software. It builds a Google Drive folder tree by year and month, adds the client's recurring tasks to the practice board and sends a welcome email with bank-feed authorization steps, a request for last year's closing balances and a kickoff booking link. The office manager sees a setup checklist in the CRM that ticks off as each step completes.
How it works
- 01
Engagement signed in the CRM
The deal moves to signed, and the client's entity details, contacts and service package are picked up by the automation.
- 02
Accounting file created
A client file is opened in the accounting software through its API, with the fiscal year and VAT settings from the CRM.
- 03
Folders and recurring tasks
A Google Drive folder tree by year and month is built, and the package's recurring monthly tasks are added to the practice board.
- 04
Welcome email
The client receives bank-feed authorization steps, a request for last year's closing balances and a link to book a kickoff call.
- 05
Checklist ticks off
The office manager sees a setup checklist in the CRM that updates as each step completes, with an alert if one fails.
Starts from
- Signed engagement in CRM
Delivers
- Accounting software file
- Drive folders by year/month
- Welcome email + kickoff link
The impact
New bookkeeping clients are set up within one working day instead of about four, and every client gets the same folder structure, task list and welcome pack. The office manager saves roughly 2 hours per client, or about 18 hours a month, and the first month's bookkeeping starts on time.
Questions about this automation
Which systems does the setup connect to?
It reads the signed deal from the CRM, creates the client in the accounting software through its API, builds folders in Google Drive and adds tasks to the practice board. Each connection is a separate step in Make, so a different accounting package or task board can be swapped in without rebuilding the rest.
How are different service packages handled?
The service package chosen in the CRM decides which recurring tasks are created, such as monthly bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll or an annual report. Each package maps to a task template the office maintains, so offering a new service means adding a template and leaving the automation as it is.
What happens if one of the setup steps fails?
Every step writes its status to the checklist in the CRM. If the accounting software rejects a record, for example because the tax ID already exists, the step is marked failed and the office manager gets an alert with the reason. This is a multi-step build, usually rolled out in stages.