AtomicSam Onboarding Guide | Get Set Up in 30 Minutes | Help Centre

You've just signed up and you're looking at a new system. Where do you start? AtomicSam answers that with a guided Getting Started checklist — nine steps that take you from an empty account to your first billable job, typically in under 30 minutes.

You don't need to manually tick boxes. As you complete each step, AtomicSam detects your progress and moves you forward automatically.

The 9 Steps

1. Connect Your Accounting

Why it matters: This is the foundation. Linking Xero or QuickBooks pulls in your tax rates and chart of accounts, so every dollar you track flows directly into your financial records without double-entry.

2. Configure Your Organisation

Why it matters: Tell AtomicSam who you are. Provide your website URL and our AI will research your firm to suggest services and targets — saving you the manual data entry.

3. Apply an Industry Template

Why it matters: You shouldn't start from a blank page. Pre-built libraries of tasks and costs tailored to your industry give you an instant 80% head-start on setup.

4. Review Task Categories

Why it matters: Organising your work into categories (like "Strategy," "Creative," or "Admin") drives high-level reporting. You'll be able to see which service lines are most profitable.

5. Customise Your Task Items

Why it matters: Refining your task list with default rates and descriptions ensures your team estimates work consistently and your invoices look professional every time.

6. Set Up Cost Categories

Why it matters: Projects aren't just about labour — they're about expenses. Setting these up ensures that when you hire a contractor or buy software for a client, the cost is captured and your margins stay protected.

7. Configure Staff Rates

Why it matters: To know your true profit, you need to know the gap between what a staff member costs you and what you sell their time for. Setting these rates powers real-time profitability tracking.

8. Add Your First Client

Why it matters: Move beyond sample data. Adding a real client lets you see how AtomicSam organises contact information, billing preferences, and project history in one place.

9. Create Your First Job

Why it matters: This is where it all comes together. Use the AI to generate job descriptions and suggest tasks based on your setup. You're no longer configuring — you're working.

💡 Tip: The order matters. Connecting accounting first gives AtomicSam the context it needs for tax rates and accounts. Setting up rates before creating jobs means your first job is financially accurate from the start.

When You're Done

Once you complete all nine steps, the checklist tucks itself away, leaving you with a clean dashboard ready for daily operations. You can always revisit it at /getting-started if you want to refine your settings later.

Next Step: Invite Your Team

Once your foundation is in place, bring your team in. Adding staff lets you assign roles, delegate work, and start tracking capacity and time across your entire firm.

Pro Tips

Block 30 minutes — most firms complete all 9 steps in a single sitting when they have their accounting login handy
Let the AI do the heavy lifting — the organisation config step uses AI to research your website and pre-fill your services, so have your company URL ready
Don't over-customise yet — get through all 9 steps first, then circle back to fine-tune. Perfecting your task library before you've created a real job usually wastes time