Setting Up a Quoting Tool in a Small MSP: The Prep Checklist

How Onboarding Works

Onboarding is guided by our team and priced as a one-time fee on top of your plan. It typically takes two guided calls, sometimes three or four, depending on how complex your setup is. The first call covers the foundations: platform basics, your service portfolio, your first proposal templates and your branding, ending with a test proposal. You then get a week to build real quotes. The second call fine-tunes the setup based on that week and trains your team. Most MSPs are fully live and quoting within 2–4 weeks of kickoff. The detail is on the onboarding page.

Before the First Call

1. Someone With Admin Rights in Your PSA

Connecting Autotask, ConnectWise PSA or HaloPSA means creating an integration user or API credentials in the PSA. In a small MSP that is usually the owner. Block 30 minutes and follow the setup guide for your PSA, linked from the onboarding page.

2. Distributor Credentials

Most distributors ask you to apply for access to their pricing feed. List the distributors you buy from; we can request the credentials on your behalf as part of onboarding. If they aren't ready in time, carry on and add the distributor later. See distributors.

3. Your Product Categories

Write down how you split what you sell: hardware, software, services and labour, and the categories inside each. Your PSA mapping is built on this, so a page of notes saves an hour on the call. Our post on setting up item types and categories goes through the decisions.

4. Which Items Are Recurring

Recurring is defined in your PSA: the recurring services table in Autotask, Billing Frequency or Unit of Measure in ConnectWise, the billing frequency on the item in Halo. Check that your monthly services are set up that way before we import them.

5. Branding and One or Two Real Quotes

Bring your logo, fonts and colours, and one or two quotes you sent recently. A real quote is the best brief for your first template, and seeing it next to the Salesbuildr version shows quickly what to keep and what to drop.

6. The Address Your Quotes Come From

Decide which email address clients should see on a quote and where their replies should land. Small MSPs often choose between a shared sales mailbox and the owner's own address. Settle it before the first proposal goes to a client.

7. Your Tax Setup

Note the tax rates you charge, and any clients with a different treatment, such as clients abroad or in a jurisdiction with several local taxes. It is a small item that holds up the first real invoice if nobody checks it.

During the Testing Week

Build quotes for real clients, not test companies. Note every question as it comes up and bring the list to the second call. If you get stuck in between, our support team is available by chat and email, and the help center covers each PSA setup.

When You Are Live

Pick a date after which every new quote starts in Salesbuildr. One customer, PGH Networks, put it like this: "We drew a line in the sand and said all new quotes start here. Within a week, we were out of questions and didn't miss our old system." (Bill Weisser, CIO and co-owner.)

What onboarding costs for your plan is on the pricing page, and you can reach support on the support page.