# Tidewell Studio · SOP Library

*A 12-person brand and social media agency. Retainer clients, monthly content, a founder who still answers every question. We invented Tidewell to show exactly what a Sprint delivers.*

Team: Maya (Founder), Jess (Operations lead), Theo (Account manager), Priya (Account manager), Sam (Lead designer), Ola (Content lead), + 6 (designers, writers and freelancers)

## Contents

- SOP-001 Onboarding a new client (Sales)
- SOP-002 Planning the monthly content calendar (Delivery)
- SOP-003 Getting client approval on content (Delivery)
- SOP-004 Sending the monthly client report (Delivery)
- SOP-005 Handling a scope change request (Sales)
- SOP-006 Invoicing and chasing late payments (Finance)
- SOP-007 Hiring a freelancer (People)
- SOP-008 Onboarding a new team member (People)
- SOP-009 Handling a client complaint (Client care)
- SOP-010 Offboarding a client (Client care)

## 🤝 Onboarding a new client

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-001 |
| **Area** | Sales |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Maya (Jess runs setup) |
| **Starts when** | Client signs the contract |
| **Done when** | Kickoff notes sent and work has started |
| **Tools** | Gmail, Asana, Xero |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

Get every new client from signed contract to a working kickoff within one week, with nothing missing that blocks the work.

### Steps

1. **Send the welcome email.** Gmail template “Welcome – new client”, deposit invoice attached. (Maya · Day 0)
2. **Send the intake form.** Brand assets and social logins. (Jess · Day 0)
3. **Check the deposit has cleared.** No kickoff booking until it has. (Maya · Day 1–3)
4. **Chase missing assets and logins.** Day 2 and Day 4. Still missing on Day 5? Move the kickoff and tell the client why. (Jess)
5. **Set up the Asana project.** From the master template, never from the last client's project. (Jess · Day 2)
6. **Book the kickoff call.** Once the deposit and logins are in. (Maya · within 7 days)
7. **Add the client to Xero.** Repeating monthly invoice. (Maya · before kickoff)
8. **Send written kickoff notes.** Within 24 hours of the call. Work starts once they're sent. (Maya)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Welcome email sent
- [ ] Intake form sent
- [ ] Deposit cleared
- [ ] Assets and logins received and tested
- [ ] Asana project created from master template
- [ ] Client added to Xero
- [ ] Kickoff notes sent

### Common mistakes

- Copying the last client's Asana project carries over their tasks.
- Booking kickoff before logins arrive stalls the first week.
- The Xero step gets skipped because it comes last. Do it before kickoff.

### Still open

- No master Asana template exists yet. Jess builds one from the next onboarding.

## 🗓️ Planning the monthly content calendar

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-002 |
| **Area** | Delivery |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Ola |
| **Starts when** | The 15th of each month |
| **Done when** | Next month's calendar is approved by the client and scheduled in Asana |
| **Tools** | Notion, Asana, Google Drive |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

Every client has next month's content planned, written and approved before the month starts, so nobody is posting on the fly.

### Steps

1. **Pull last month's results.** Top three posts and anything that flopped, from the monthly report. (Account manager · 15th)
2. **Draft the calendar.** From the Notion calendar template: dates, pillars, formats, one line per post. (Ola · by the 18th)
3. **Brief design.** One Asana task per visual, with copy, size and deadline. (Ola · by the 19th)
4. **Internal review.** Account manager checks tone and client priorities. (Account manager · within 1 day)
5. **Send to the client.** Share link plus a three-line summary of what changed and why. (Account manager · by the 22nd)
6. **Schedule the approved posts.** Only posts marked approved. Anything still pending moves to week 2. (Ola · by the 28th)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Last month's results pulled
- [ ] Calendar drafted from template
- [ ] Design tasks created
- [ ] Internal review done
- [ ] Sent to client by the 22nd
- [ ] Approved posts scheduled

### Common mistakes

- Starting from a blank page instead of last month's results.
- Briefing design before the copy is final means everything gets redone.
- Scheduling posts the client hasn't approved yet.

## ✅ Getting client approval on content

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-003 |
| **Area** | Delivery |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Account manager |
| **Starts when** | A draft is ready to show the client |
| **Done when** | Client approval is recorded in Asana, or the change round is closed |
| **Tools** | Asana, Gmail, Slack |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

Get a clear yes or a clear list of changes, in writing, without endless rounds or approvals lost in WhatsApp.

### Steps

1. **Send one link, one deadline.** All drafts in a single share link, with a reply-by date two working days out. (Account manager)
2. **Log the request in Asana.** Status “With client”, due date set to the reply-by date. (Account manager · same day)
3. **Nudge once.** If there's no reply by the deadline, one friendly reminder. (Account manager · deadline day)
4. **Collect changes in one place.** Comments go in the share link or one email. Not voice notes, not DMs. (Account manager)
5. **Make one round of changes.** Included in the retainer. A second round counts as a scope change (SOP-005). (Ola or Sam · within 2 days)
6. **Record the approval.** Paste the client's “approved” message into the Asana task and mark it done. (Account manager)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Drafts sent with a reply-by date
- [ ] Asana task set to “With client”
- [ ] Reminder sent if needed
- [ ] Changes collected in one place
- [ ] Approval pasted into Asana

### Common mistakes

- Accepting approval by phone with nothing in writing.
- Letting feedback arrive in four different channels.
- Quietly doing a third round of changes for free.

## 📊 Sending the monthly client report

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-004 |
| **Area** | Delivery |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Account manager |
| **Starts when** | The 3rd working day of the month |
| **Done when** | Report sent and the client's questions answered |
| **Tools** | Google Drive, Gmail, Notion |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

Clients see what their retainer achieved last month, in plain language, every month, without Maya writing it.

### Steps

1. **Export the numbers.** Reach, engagement, follower change and top posts, into the report template in Drive. (Account manager · day 3)
2. **Write three takeaways.** What worked, what didn't, what we'll change next month. Plain words, no jargon. (Account manager)
3. **Peer check.** The other account manager reads it for clarity and typos. (Theo or Priya · within 1 day)
4. **Send it.** PDF plus a short email using the “Monthly report” template. (Account manager · by day 5)
5. **Log it.** Link the report on the client's Notion page. (Account manager)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Numbers exported
- [ ] Three takeaways written
- [ ] Peer checked
- [ ] Sent by working day 5
- [ ] Linked in Notion

### Common mistakes

- Sending a wall of charts with no takeaways.
- Reporting vanity numbers the client never asked about.
- Missing the date because it isn't on anyone's calendar.

## 📐 Handling a scope change request

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-005 |
| **Area** | Sales |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Maya |
| **Starts when** | A client asks for something outside their retainer |
| **Done when** | The client has agreed a price in writing, or the request is politely declined |
| **Tools** | Gmail, Xero, Asana |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

Say yes to extra work at a fair price, instead of absorbing it and resenting it.

### Steps

1. **Spot it.** Anyone who hears “could you also…” flags it in #scope on Slack. (Whole team · same day)
2. **Check the retainer.** Compare against the scope in the client's contract. (Account manager · within 1 day)
3. **Quote it.** Use the “Extra work” email template: what, when, price. (Maya · within 2 days)
4. **Wait for a written yes.** No work starts on a verbal OK. (Account manager)
5. **Add it to the invoice.** One-off line on the next Xero invoice. (Maya)
6. **Create the tasks.** In the client's Asana project, tagged “extra”. (Account manager)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Flagged in #scope
- [ ] Checked against the contract
- [ ] Quote sent
- [ ] Written approval received
- [ ] Added to the invoice
- [ ] Tasks tagged “extra”

### Common mistakes

- Doing the work first and hoping to bill it later.
- Account managers quoting prices on the spot.
- Forgetting to add it to the invoice.

### Still open

- Tidewell has no price list for common extras yet. Maya to draft one.

## 💸 Invoicing and chasing late payments

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-006 |
| **Area** | Finance |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Jess |
| **Starts when** | The 1st of each month |
| **Done when** | Every invoice is paid, or escalated to Maya |
| **Tools** | Xero, Gmail |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

Retainers are billed on time and late payers are chased the same way every time, without awkwardness.

### Steps

1. **Check the draft invoices.** Repeating invoices plus any extras from SOP-005. (Jess · 1st)
2. **Approve and send.** From Xero, due in 14 days. (Jess · 1st)
3. **Friendly reminder.** Automatic Xero reminder. (Xero, automatic · day 3 after due)
4. **Personal follow-up.** Short email from Jess using the “Payment follow-up” template. (Jess · day 10 after due)
5. **Escalate.** Maya calls the client. Work pauses if still unpaid at 30 days. (Maya · day 21 after due)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Extras added
- [ ] Invoices sent on the 1st
- [ ] Reminders switched on in Xero
- [ ] Follow-ups sent on time
- [ ] Escalations logged

### Common mistakes

- Sending invoices late, so payments are late too.
- Forgetting the extras from the month.
- Pausing work without telling the client first.

## 🧑‍🎨 Hiring a freelancer

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-007 |
| **Area** | People |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Jess |
| **Starts when** | A project needs more hands than the team has |
| **Done when** | The freelancer has access, a brief, and has delivered their first task |
| **Tools** | Slack, Google Drive, Gmail |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

Bring in trusted freelancers quickly, with the same brief, access and paperwork every time.

### Steps

1. **Check the bench first.** The Freelancer list in Notion has rates and past work. (Jess)
2. **Agree the job in writing.** Scope, rate, deadline and the freelancer agreement, signed. (Jess · before any work)
3. **Give access.** Shared Drive folder and a Slack guest account. Never client passwords. (Jess · same day)
4. **Send the brief.** Brand guide, examples and one named contact. (Account manager)
5. **Review the first task closely.** Feedback within 24 hours. (Sam or Ola)
6. **Pay and rate.** Pay within 14 days of invoice. Add a rating to the Freelancer list. (Jess)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Bench checked
- [ ] Agreement signed
- [ ] Access given (no passwords)
- [ ] Brief sent
- [ ] First task reviewed
- [ ] Paid and rated

### Common mistakes

- Sharing client logins with freelancers.
- Starting work on a handshake.
- Not recording who was good, so next time starts from zero.

## 👋 Onboarding a new team member

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-008 |
| **Area** | People |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Jess |
| **Starts when** | The offer is accepted |
| **Done when** | The new starter has shipped real work by the end of week 2 |
| **Tools** | Notion, Slack, Google Drive, Asana |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

New starters learn the Tidewell way from the SOP library, not by shadowing Jess for two weeks.

### Steps

1. **Prepare accounts.** Email, Slack, Drive and Asana, ready before day 1. (Jess · the week before)
2. **Day 1: the tour.** Walk through this SOP library and the client list. (Maya · day 1)
3. **Assign a buddy.** For questions that aren't in the library yet. (Jess · day 1)
4. **Week 1: read and shadow.** Read the five SOPs for their role, then sit in on one of each. (New starter)
5. **Week 2: real work.** Run a task end to end with the buddy reviewing. (New starter · week 2)
6. **Fix the gaps.** Anything they had to ask about gets added to the library. (Buddy · end of week 2)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Accounts ready before day 1
- [ ] Library walkthrough done
- [ ] Buddy assigned
- [ ] Role SOPs read
- [ ] First real task shipped
- [ ] Gaps added to the library

### Common mistakes

- Accounts not ready, so day 1 is wasted.
- Skipping the library because “it's quicker to just show them”.
- Never writing down the questions new starters ask.

## 🧯 Handling a client complaint

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-009 |
| **Area** | Client care |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Account manager |
| **Starts when** | A client says they're unhappy, in any channel |
| **Done when** | A fix is agreed and delivered, and Maya has signed it off |
| **Tools** | Gmail, Slack, Notion |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

Unhappy clients get a fast, calm, consistent response, and the cause gets fixed so it doesn't happen again.

### Steps

1. **Acknowledge within 4 working hours.** Thank them, say what happens next and by when. No defending yet. (Account manager)
2. **Tell Maya.** Short post in #client-care: who, what, how serious. (Account manager · same day)
3. **Find out what happened.** Check the Asana history and approvals before replying properly. (Account manager · within 1 day)
4. **Propose a fix.** Call the client if it's serious. Confirm the fix in writing. (Account manager or Maya)
5. **Deliver the fix.** Track it as an urgent Asana task. (Team)
6. **Fix the cause.** Note it on the client's Notion page, and update the SOP if a step failed. (Account manager · within 1 week)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] Acknowledged within 4 hours
- [ ] Maya told
- [ ] Facts checked
- [ ] Fix agreed in writing
- [ ] Fix delivered
- [ ] Cause fixed or SOP updated

### Common mistakes

- Replying defensively before checking what happened.
- Fixing the symptom and not the cause.
- Maya hearing about it from the client first.

## 📦 Offboarding a client

| | |
|---|---|
| **ID** | SOP-010 |
| **Area** | Client care |
| **Status** | Ready |
| **Owner** | Jess |
| **Starts when** | Either side gives notice |
| **Done when** | Final invoice paid, access removed, files handed over |
| **Tools** | Xero, Google Drive, Asana, Gmail |
| **Last reviewed** | 2026-10-14 (review every 6 months) |

### Purpose

End every client relationship cleanly and kindly, so they'd recommend us or come back.

### Steps

1. **Confirm the end date.** From the notice period in their contract, in writing. (Maya · within 2 days)
2. **Plan the last month.** Finish or hand over scheduled content. Nothing left half-done. (Account manager)
3. **Hand over files.** Final assets and the brand folder, shared to the client's own Drive. (Jess · last week)
4. **Remove access.** Hand back the client's social logins and remove ours. (Jess · end date)
5. **Final invoice.** Stop the repeating invoice in Xero and send the last one. (Jess · end date)
6. **Ask for feedback.** Three questions by email. Ask for a testimonial if it went well. (Maya · 1 week after)

### Completion checklist

- [ ] End date confirmed
- [ ] Last month planned
- [ ] Files handed over
- [ ] Access removed
- [ ] Repeating invoice stopped
- [ ] Feedback asked for

### Common mistakes

- Leaving the repeating invoice running.
- Keeping access to client accounts after the end date.
- Never asking why they left.