Set up a client contract

A contract tells Fabrik Analytics what you charge a client: a monthly retainer, optional commission, the term, and how invoices are raised. Commission, invoices, agency margin and renewals all read from it.

Before you start

• You need agency finance access, held by default by the owner, directors and the CFO.
• Automatic invoices go through Zoho Books: the client is linked to a Zoho Books contact in its setup's Zoho Books step. Before you rely on automatic invoices, email support@fabrik.ae to confirm Zoho Books invoicing is switched on for your agency. See Raise commission invoices through Zoho Books.
• For a fee on the part above target, set the client's monthly targets in Trading, Targets first.

Create a contract

1. Open the client. In its menu, under Account, choose Contracts.
2. Choose New contract.
3. Who it covers (only for a brand in a portfolio): This brand, or the portfolio with its number of brands.
4. Retainer: choose Fixed and enter the Monthly retainer, or Stepped by sales to set the retainer in bands of sales. Add an Onboarding fee, once if you charge one.
5. Commission: choose None, A rate or Bands.
   • A rate: enter the Rate in %, choose what it is Charged on (Net Sales, Gross Sales, Gross Sales less Taxes and Duties, Net sales + shipping or Net sales + shipping less ad spend) and On All of it or The part above target. With the part above target, choose the month it applies From. See How is commission above target worked out?.
   • Bands: choose what the Bands on figure is, then Charged Progressive or Stepped, and add tiers with From, To and the rate.
6. Term: choose the month it Starts, then Fixed term with a number of Months, or Rolling monthly with a Notice, days.
7. Billing: choose the Invoice currency, the Zoho Invoice template and VAT treatment. Optionally override when the Retainer invoice and the Commission invoice, the month after are Raised on day, and Due in days. Blank fields use your agency's invoicing settings.
8. Check the preview on the right. It is priced by the same engine as billing, on this month so far, grown to month end.
9. Choose Save contract.

Whole-month dates

Contracts run in whole calendar months. A contract starts on the first of its start month, and a fixed term ends at the end of its last month. Agency revenue counts whole months too, so a date range that touches two months shows both months' retainers.

Renewals

1. Open the agency's Contracts page and choose the Renewals tab. All clients' contracts are also listed under Business, on the Contracts tab.
2. Renewals shows every contract ending in the next 12 months as Action required, Renewal linked or Auto-rolling, with the Retainer at stake.
3. For a contract that needs action, choose Draft renewal to copy its terms into a new contract starting the day after it ends, then open and adjust it. Or set its Auto-extension to Auto-roll monthly or Auto-roll same term.

What you will see

The client's Contracts list shows each contract's Status, Scope, Start, end, Retainer, Commission and Currency. Expand a row to see the model, the Zoho template and any onboarding fee. A contract expiring soon is flagged at the top.

Troubleshooting

• "Connect Zoho Books in Settings first" under Invoice template: your agency has not connected Zoho Books.
• "The currency is fixed once a contract is live or has been invoiced": create a new contract for a different currency.
• "This contract has invoices" when deleting: set an end date instead; its invoice history is kept.
• "Upper bound is below From" in bands: fix the band, or choose Auto-fix.
• "Portfolio not loaded": wait a moment for the portfolio to load, then save again.