From Filing Cabinets to Full Control: How Engagement Letter Software Changed the Way We Work
When I first started out in accounting, I had this grand idea that my biggest challenge would be tax codes or spreadsheets gone rogue. Turns out, the real headache was paperwork. Not just the work itself, but the endless back and forth that came with onboarding new clients—getting them to review, sign, and return engagement letters, sometimes chasing for weeks just to get the basics in place.
I’d created all my templates in Word, saved them in neat little folders, and printed them off whenever I needed one. I’d either post them or send them as PDFs and wait for the client to sign, scan, and send them back—if they even remembered. Some never came back at all. Others were returned with handwritten notes or changes that threw the whole thing off. It wasn’t just messy. It was risky. I knew I was leaving myself open to scope creep, fee disputes, and misunderstandings. I had no audit trail, no tracking system—just crossed fingers and a cluttered inbox.
The thing is, I didn’t even realise how much time I was wasting. It was just the way things were done, and I got used to chasing signatures as part of the process. But during one particularly chaotic January, I finally hit a wall. I had six new clients waiting to get started, and I couldn’t even begin the work because their engagement letters weren’t signed. I was drowning in admin, and my stress levels were through the roof. That’s when I knew something had to change.
I started looking into options and came across a few tools that promised to make things easier. I was sceptical at first—another bit of tech to learn, another monthly subscription—but after giving it a go, I genuinely wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner. Using engagement letter software for accountants completely changed the way I work. I could customise templates, build service-specific letters, and send them out in minutes. Clients would get a branded, professional letter in their inbox, and most signed within a day. No printing, no scanning, no back and forth. Everything was digital, trackable, and stored in one place.
The difference it made was immediate. For the first time in ages, I felt like I had control—not just over client onboarding, but over how my business was run. There was a clear, written agreement for every job. If a client tried to expand the scope halfway through, I could politely point back to the letter and say, “That wasn’t included in the original scope, but we can discuss a fee for the additional work.” It sounds simple, but having that clarity protected both my time and my fees.
It also changed how clients saw us. They noticed the shift in professionalism and appreciated the smoother experience. Everything felt quicker, easier, and more secure. One client even emailed to say how impressed they were that we’d “gone digital”—which made me laugh, because it’s hardly revolutionary. But in our industry, just having a slick process for engagement letters puts you ahead of a lot of firms still doing it the old-fashioned way.
These days, I wouldn’t dream of going back. The engagement letter software for accountants that we now use is just a regular part of how we work. It’s allowed me to take on more clients without losing sleep over admin, and it’s helped me draw clearer boundaries around what’s included in our services. More importantly, it’s given me space to actually focus on the accounting work—and on growing the business.
If you’re still handling letters manually and hoping clients remember to print and scan, trust me—I’ve been there. You don’t realise how much time and energy it eats up until you finally let go of it. This was one of the smallest changes I made to my practice, but it had one of the biggest impacts.
Honestly, I wish I’d made the switch sooner.
