Ready to make the switch to Apron? Brilliant choice! Moving your clients over doesn't have to be a faff – we've made it simple. This guide walks you through everything from setting up your firm's account to getting your clients up and running (and saying goodbye to your old software for good).
What's covered:
Step 1: Create an Apron account for your firm
Step 2: Onboard your clients
Step 3: Out with the old
Let's dive in.
Step 1: Create an Apron account for your firm
Add all of your team members who'll be using Apron
First things first – if you haven't already, you'll need to create an Apron account for your firm. Under the Team section of your Practice hub, simply pop in all the team members who'll be using Apron day-to-day, and decide who gets Admin permissions (basically, who can add new clients).
Top tip: You can absolutely use Apron for your own firm's bookkeeping and payments, too. That means payroll, supplier payments, expense cards – the whole shebang. Why not give it a proper test run before rolling it out to clients? Best of all, using Apron to manage your own practice’s books and finances is completely free.
Need a hand getting set up? Our team's here to help – contact us via chat or email [email protected].
Step 2: Onboard your clients
Add each client company to Apron – they'll appear in your Practice Hub
Pro tip: Check out our Client Bulk Upload article if you want to add clients in batches – it's a real time-saver.
This is where the magic happens! You can tackle this step as a team or have each person handle their own clients. Just remember: only Practice Hub Admins can add new clients. Your client will get an email with the sign-up link. Once they're done – the account goes live!
You can resend invitation emails anytime by going to the client in your Practice Hub, then Settings > Company Settings > Members > Resend invite.
Client onboarding email template
Want to give your clients a heads-up about what's coming? Here's a template that explains the switch in terms they'll love - feel free to copy, paste and tweak it to fit your firm’s unique style:
Subject: Get your Apron on: [Action required by]
Hi [client name],
We're writing to let you know that we're changing our bookkeeping and payments software – and it's going to save you time and money!
The software is called Apron, and it's a game-changer. It handles invoice capture and payments all in one place. Plus, Apron offers free expense cards for your business – you can easily create multiple cards for your employees so they can pay for business expenses.
Apron has the same functionality as [previous supplier] but with much more powerful features. With Apron, you can:
Capture documents like receipts and invoices on the go via the app, email, or WhatsApp
Get free expense cards that reward your business spend
Pay all of your suppliers, staff and contractors together
Best bit? Apron's software will be offered [free to you], saving you [£ ] per month starting [date] 2025.
Fancy a demo? Just let us know your availability, and we'll sort something out.
Best,
[Your name]
Step 3: Out with the old
Remove clients from your previous software to avoid any duplication
Right, time for the final step – saying goodbye to your old software. This bit's crucial to avoid any double payments or confusion down the line.
Here's your exit checklist:
Log into your client's old account via their previous provider's app or website
Clear out the inbox – make sure all documents are either published or archived
Export everything – go to the Archive and download all data as a ZIP file
Update contact details – log into your Xero/QuickBooks and change the client's contact information from the old invoicing email to their new Apron email. You'll find this under the client's Settings > Company Settings > Direct emails
Sort out auto-forwards – if clients have suppliers sending documents directly to the old system, ask them to switch to Apron. They can use the company-wide email address found in Settings > Company Settings > Direct emails
And that's it! Your client is officially switched over and ready to experience the Apron difference. Well done – you've just made everyone's life a whole lot easier.