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Client onboarding for virtual assistants with Dubsado

Dubsado sends the proposal, contract, first invoice and onboarding questionnaire to each new client in order, without you chasing. From about $44£33€39A$63C$62 a month.

At a glance

  • What it costs$44–55£33–41€39–49A$63–79C$62–77 a month

  • Worth, in extra profit or time saved in the worked example$180£135€161A$259C$254 a month

  • Pays for itselfIn about two weeks

  • Connecting two tools or some setup timeSome setup needed

Figures come from the worked example below, using its stated assumptions. Tool prices checked . How we check prices

The problem

Taking on a new client means a proposal, a contract with confidentiality and data terms, the first invoice, and a list of logins, tools and preferences. Done by email it takes about 2.5 hours per client, and the work often starts before the contract is signed. With 3 new clients a month, that's 7.5 hours.

What the AI does

Dubsado is client management software for service businesses. Its Premier plan adds automated workflows, scheduling and public proposals to proposals, contracts with e-signature, invoices with payment reminders and questionnaires. You build one onboarding workflow: when a client accepts the proposal, the contract goes for signature, then the first invoice, then a questionnaire about tools, access and preferences, each step waiting for the last.

A worked example

A virtual assistant business in Harrogate (the owner and one associate) takes on about 3 new clients a month for inbox, diary and admin support. Every new client goes through the same Dubsado workflow.

Before

3 new clients a month at 2.5 hours of onboarding admin each: 7.5 hours

After

3 clients at about 1 hour each, mostly reviewing answers and setting up access: 3 hours

What it's worth

About $180£135€161A$259C$254 a month in time saved: 4.5 hours (7.5 down to 3) at an assumed $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour. Dubsado Premier is $55 (about $55£41€49A$79C$77) a month, or $525 (about $524£394€469A$756C$741) a year, which is about $44£33€39A$63C$62 a month. The cheaper Starter plan lacks automated workflows.

How to set it up

  1. Start Dubsado's free trial and set up your proposal, contract, invoice and onboarding questionnaire templates.
  2. Have your contract checked so it covers confidentiality, data processing terms and how access is removed when you part ways.
  3. Build the workflow so each step sends only when the one before is complete.
  4. Run your next new client through it and note where they got stuck.
  5. Don't start work, or accept any logins, until the contract is signed and the first invoice paid.

What goes wrong

  • Dubsado prices in US dollars, so the sterling cost moves with the exchange rate.
  • Automated workflows are on Premier only; Starter is cheaper but you'd still send each step by hand.
  • A questionnaire is not the place for passwords. Ask clients to share logins through a password manager instead.
  • If you and an associate both use it, check how Dubsado's 3 free extra users work for your setup.

More ideas for Virtual assistants

Retainer hours for virtual assistants: Toggl Track timers

Toggl Track times every small task against each client's retainer, so 5-minute jobs get billed and clients see where the hours went. From about $9£7€8A$13C$13 a month.

  • Costs $9–12£7–9€8–11A$13–17C$13–17/mo
  • Worth $479£360€428A$691C$677/mo
  • Pays for itself in a few days
  • Easy to set up

Social media scheduling for virtual assistants with Buffer

Buffer schedules a week of client posts in one sitting, with an AI Assistant to refine the copy. Nine channels from about $45£34€40A$65C$64 a month.

  • Costs $45£34€40A$65C$64/mo
  • Worth $258£194€231A$372C$365/mo
  • Pays for itself in about a week
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Trip itineraries with Gemini in Docs for virtual assistants

Gemini in Google Docs pulls flight, train and hotel details from booking emails into a client's itinerary for you to check. From about $32£24€29A$46C$45 a month for 2 users.

  • Costs $32£24€29A$46C$45/mo
  • Worth $186£140€167A$269C$263/mo
  • Pays for itself in about a week
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Process videos for virtual assistants with Loom AI

Record a client task once in Loom, and Business + AI adds a summary and chapters, so an associate can cover it. From about $24£18€21A$35C$34 a month.

  • Costs $24£18€21A$35C$34/mo
  • Worth $160£120€143A$230C$226/mo
  • Pays for itself in about a week
  • Easy to set up

Monthly work summaries for virtual assistants' clients

ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini turn your month's time entries into a short summary of what you did for each client. Free to about $27£20€24A$38C$38 a month.

  • Costs Free–$27Free–£20Free–€24Free–A$38Free–C$38/mo
  • Worth $108£81€96A$156C$152/mo
  • Pays for itself in about a week
  • Easy to set up

Client logins for virtual assistants: shared with Bitwarden

Bitwarden Teams keeps each client's logins in its own vault collection, shares them with the right associate and logs access. Three users from about $12£9€11A$17C$17 a month.

  • Costs $12£9€11A$17C$17/mo
  • Worth $64£48€57A$92C$90/mo
  • Pays for itself in about a week
  • Easy to set up

Last updated October 17, 2026.