blackbear Client Workspace Setup (Onboarding)

blackbear Client Workspace Setup (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Install the blackbear desktop app and confirm the client's data residency requirement before creating any account.

   The core app runs fully offline with no account required (anonymous mode), so a client with strict confidentiality terms can be onboarded without an email address ever touching a server. Decide this first, because switching from anonymous mode to a registered license later changes how sync and messaging behave.

2. 02

   Create the workspace structure using blackbear's native file types: notes, docs, sheets, slides, canvas, calendar, tasks, journal, reader, and audio.

   Map each client deliverable stream to one file type rather than dumping everything into notes. A retainer client with recurring reporting gets a sheet for the numbers, a doc for the narrative, and a canvas for the visual summary, all inside one workspace.

3. 03

   Import the client's existing material through blackbear's import path: Markdown, DOCX, CSV, PDFs, XLSX, image formats, and contacts.

   Run the import before configuring sync so a failed migration does not propagate half-loaded files across devices. Export stays available at any time in the same formats, which is the line to use when a client asks about lock-in during the sales conversation.

4. 04

   Connect the client's Google Calendar or iCloud account so scheduling lives in blackbear rather than a second tab.

   Calendar integration is native to the app, so the client's existing meeting cadence carries over without manual re-entry. Verify the connection on the client's own device, not just the agency machine, since calendar auth is per-device.

5. 05

   Register a free license with email, Google, or Apple, then select the sync tier that matches the client's device count.

   Cloud at $2 monthly ($1.58 monthly billed annually) covers end-to-end encrypted sync across up to 10 devices with 5GB of storage. Cloud Pro raises the ceiling to 25 devices. Count the client's laptops, phones, and tablets before choosing, because a mid-engagement upgrade is a billing conversation nobody wants.

6. 06

   Turn on end-to-end encrypted sync and walk the client through offline mode on at least one device.

   Pull the network connection during the walkthrough so the client sees that notes, tasks, and calendar keep working. This is the single strongest retention moment in onboarding: the client stops treating blackbear as another cloud app that dies on a plane.

7. 07

   Configure Pax, the AI companion, with the client's own model key if they want AI features without sending data to a vendor account.

   Pax accepts bring-your-own-key models and on-device models. For agencies handling regulated client data, the on-device option is the one to demo, because it keeps prompts inside the machine the client already controls.

8. 08

   Test encrypted messaging and shared files with the client, then hand over a one-page reference covering offline use, import/export, and device limits.

   Free-tier users can message paid users, take their calls, follow their timelines, and collaborate on shared items, so the client's own contractors can join without a license. Close onboarding by confirming the device count against the plan limit and logging the renewal date in the agency's own tracker.