Help Center
Get the most out of Helmbase.
Guides and answers for clients, proposals, contracts, projects, invoicing, the client portal, and billing.
Getting started
How do I set up my workspace?
Sign up with your email and business name — that's your workspace. There's no separate onboarding call or setup fee; you can add your first client immediately.
What's the first thing I should do after signing up?
Add your first client, then either send a proposal or, if the work is already agreed, create a project directly. The onboarding checklist on your dashboard walks through the first few steps.
Can I invite my team?
Yes, from Settings. How many teammates you can add depends on your plan — see "Billing & your plan" below.
What happens when early access ends?
Paid plans launch eventually, but early users get locked-in pricing at that point. Signing up now doesn't commit you to anything, and you won't be switched to a paid plan without being told first.
Clients & Client 360
What is Client 360?
A single record per client that pulls together their contact info, currency, and every proposal, contract, project, invoice, file, and conversation connected to them — so you're not piecing their status together across tools.
How do leads turn into clients?
A lead can be converted to a client directly, or a proposal you send can carry it there once it's accepted. Prospector helps you find and qualify new leads before they reach that stage.
Can I bill clients in different currencies?
Yes — each client has its own currency, and proposals and invoices for that client are denominated in it.
Proposals & contracts
How does a client review and accept a proposal?
You send a public link — the client reviews line items, discounts, tax, and deposit terms and accepts or declines right there. They don't need a Helmbase account.
How do I turn an accepted proposal into a contract?
One click generates a contract from the proposal's own scope and pricing, so nothing gets re-typed. From there it goes out for e-signature.
Who needs to sign a contract?
Your side and the client's side each get a signer link. Once both have signed, the document is complete and a signed copy is stored against the client.
Can I collect a deposit before starting work?
Yes — a proposal can carry a deposit percentage, which generates a deposit invoice once the contract is signed.
Projects & milestones
How do projects connect back to the proposal and contract?
A project started from an accepted proposal keeps that link, so you can always trace the work back to what was scoped and signed.
What are milestones and deliverables?
Milestones break a project into billable checkpoints. Each milestone can carry deliverables your team submits, which the client approves or sends back with notes from their portal.
How do I invoice a completed milestone?
Once a milestone is marked ready, you can invoice it in one click — the invoice stays linked to that milestone and project.
Invoicing & payments
What kinds of invoices can I send?
One-off invoices, deposit invoices tied to a proposal, milestone invoices tied to a project, and recurring invoices for ongoing retainers.
How do clients actually pay?
Through the invoice link or their client portal, via Paystack or Flutterwave depending on the currency. A receipt is generated automatically once a payment clears.
What happens if an invoice goes overdue?
Helmbase sends automated reminders on the schedule you set, and the invoice status updates so it surfaces on your dashboard until it's resolved.
Can I set up recurring billing for a retainer client?
Yes — recurring invoices run on the interval you choose and generate a new invoice automatically each cycle.
Client Portal
What can my clients see in their portal?
Project progress, documents, invoices, and a message thread with your team — everything scoped to that one client relationship.
How do clients log in?
With a one-time code sent to their email — no password to remember or account to create.
Is the Client Portal available on every plan?
Yes, including during early access — every client gets one.
Team & collaboration
How many teammates can I add?
Depends on your plan — Solo is a single seat, Team and the Founder Lifetime offer include 5. See "Billing & your plan" for details.
What's team chat for?
Internal conversation that isn't client-facing — separate from the per-client message threads clients can see in their portal.
Billing & your plan
What's the difference between the plans?
Solo and Team are monthly or yearly subscriptions with 1 and 5 seats respectively. Founder Lifetime is a one-time purchase with lifetime access instead of a recurring subscription — see /pricing for exact terms.
How does the Founder Lifetime installment option work?
You can pay the full amount upfront, or split it into two equal installments — the second is due exactly 3 weeks after the first. Lifetime access activates once both payments are complete.
Can I change plans later?
Yes, from Billing in your workspace settings.
What currencies can I be billed in?
USD and NGN, detected automatically at checkout — NGN billing runs through Paystack, USD through Flutterwave.
Account & security
Is two-factor authentication available?
Yes, from your account settings.
I forgot my password — what do I do?
Use "Forgot password" on the login page to get a reset link by email.
Is my workspace's data isolated from other Helmbase customers?
Yes — every workspace is fully isolated at the data layer. Nobody outside your team can see your clients, invoices, or files.
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