What to have ready before a setup specialist starts

Getting your accounting software right from the start saves months of rework and frustration. The gap between a smooth onboarding and a messy one often isn't the specialist's skill—it's whether you've gathered what they need to work efficiently. A setup specialist can't design your chart of accounts or configure VAT settings by guesswork; they're working from your business reality, and the clearer that picture is, the faster they move and the fewer false starts happen.

The specialist's first job is to understand your operation: what you sell or do, who you invoice, what you buy, when money flows in and out, how many staff, any special tax positions. But they can only work with what you give them. If you've kept financial records scattered across emails, phone notes and old spreadsheets, onboarding becomes archaeology. If you haven't thought through what reports you actually need to see each month, they'll set up a system that doesn't fit your rhythm. The onus is on you to do the thinking upfront so they can do the setup cleanly.

Documents and records to pull together

Start by collecting everything related to how you currently track money. That includes old spreadsheets, bank statements for the past 12 months, invoices you've issued, purchase receipts, credit card statements, loan agreements—anything that shows a transaction. If you've been using accounting software already, get export files or login details so they can see what's been recorded. Don't worry if it's messy; specialists expect real-world chaos. What they need is the raw material.

You'll also need tax documents: your SARS UTR (if registered for VAT), copies of VAT returns if you're already filing, and your employment tax registration if you have staff. Bring payroll records too if you're currently paying employees. If you own the business outright or it's a partnership, have that documented. If there are directors, shareholders or loan arrangements, have those details ready. The specialist needs to understand your business structure so they set up the software to match it.

Questions to ask yourself before they arrive

Good setup specialists will interview you, but it helps if you've already thought through the answers. What's your financial year end? When do you want to run payroll—weekly, monthly, on a different schedule? Do you invoice customers or get paid upfront? How do you usually pay suppliers—cash, card, bank transfer, payment terms? What's your current turnover, and do you expect significant growth this year? Are there loan repayments, leases or contracts that affect cash flow? What reports do you run now (even if manually), and which ones do you actually look at?

Make a list of anyone who needs access to the system and what they should see:

• Your accountant or bookkeeper (usually full access)
• Staff members who invoice clients (maybe just reporting)
• A manager who approves expenses (limited viewing)
• You as owner (typically everything, but sometimes restricted areas)

What to share safely

Your setup specialist will need to log into your business bank account, possibly your email, and potentially your payment processor or invoicing tools to pull data across. This is normal and necessary, but do it right. Don't give them permanent access to sensitive passwords; instead, work through a secure login method—many software platforms let you grant temporary read-only access or let them set up a dedicated user account. Ask them how they prefer to work and what permissions they actually need. If they ask for your master password or your personal email login, that's a red flag—there's a safer way.

Similarly, if you're mid-year and have transactions already recorded, give them a read-only export of your data rather than handing over login credentials. It keeps things compartmentalized and you stay in control.

The last step before they start

A few days before the setup date, confirm the scope again: What will be live and tested by the end of the engagement? What's out of scope? Will they train you or your team, and when? Who do they call if questions come up during setup—you, or someone else? What happens if something doesn't work the way you expected after they're done?

The cleanest setups happen when both sides know exactly what's being handed over and what's expected on the other end. Spending an hour now organizing your documents and your thinking saves the specialist digging through chaos and saves you from a half-finished system. When you're ready, Strove lets you find setup specialists with verified track records in your area, compare what they'll deliver, and read reviews from businesses like yours.