Creating Your First Client

Creating Your First Client

Last Updated: January 26, 2026

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Overview

Creating your first client is an essential step in using ThriveSend B2B2G. This guide walks you through adding both business and government clients to your service provider organization.

Clients management page showing client list and add client button

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Understanding Client Types

B2B2G Client Model

ThriveSend supports two distinct client sectors:

Sector	Description	Typical Clients	Special Requirements
BUSINESS	Private sector organizations	Corporations, SMEs, Startups, Non-profits	Commercial agreements
GOVERNMENT	Public sector entities	Municipalities, Provincial govt, National depts	Security clearance, Enhanced compliance

Key Difference: Government clients require security clearance levels and enhanced POPIA compliance workflows.

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Before You Start

Prerequisites

Before creating a client, ensure you have:

• ✅ Completed organization onboarding
• ✅ Assigned role with client creation permissions (Admin or Account Manager)
• ✅ Client information ready (contact details, sector, etc.)
• ✅ For government clients: Security clearance level determined

Required Information

For All Clients:

• Client name (official organization name)
• Contact email (primary point of contact)
• Contact phone (optional but recommended)
• Sector type (Business or Government)

Additional for Government Clients:

• Government level (Local, Provincial, National)
• Department/Municipality name
• Security clearance level (Basic, Enhanced, Confidential)
• Security clearance documentation

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Accessing Client Management

Navigate to Clients Section

1. Log into ThriveSend dashboard
2. Click Clients in the left sidebar
3. You’ll see the clients management page

Clients section in sidebar navigation

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Creating a Business Client

Step 1: Start Client Creation

Click the + Add Client button (top right of clients page)

Add client button location

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Step 2: Select Client Sector

Choose BUSINESS as the client sector.

Sector selection with Business option highlighted

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Step 3: Enter Basic Information

Fill in the business client details:

Field	Description	Example	Required
Client Name	Official business name	Acme Corporation	Yes
Contact Email	Primary contact email	john@acme.co.za	Yes
Contact Phone	Phone number	+27 11 123 4567	No
Website	Company website	https://acme.co.za	No
Industry	Business industry	Technology	Yes

Business client creation form with all fields

Tips:

• Use the official registered business name
• Ensure email is correct (used for all communications)
• Phone number should be in +27 format for South Africa

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Step 4: Business Details

Provide additional business information:

Field	Description	Options
Company Size	Number of employees	1-10, 11-50, 51-200, 201-500, 500+
Industry Sector	Business industry	Marketing, Tech, Finance, Healthcare, etc.
Revenue Range	Annual revenue (optional)	< R1M, R1M-R10M, R10M-R50M, R50M+
Client Since	Relationship start date	Date picker

Additional business client information fields

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Step 5: POPIA Consent

CRITICAL: Obtain and record POPIA consent.

POPIA consent checkbox and details

Consent Requirements:

• ✅ Client has consented to data processing
• ✅ Purpose of processing explained to client
• ✅ Client aware of data retention policies
• ✅ Client informed of their POPIA rights

Checkbox:

☑️ I confirm that the client has provided explicit consent for data
   processing in accordance with POPIA regulations, and they have been
   informed of their data protection rights.

IMPORTANT: You cannot proceed without confirming POPIA consent. This is a legal requirement in South Africa.

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Step 6: Review and Create

Review all information for accuracy:

Summary of business client information before creation

Final Check:

• ✅ Client name spelled correctly
• ✅ Contact email is accurate
• ✅ Industry correctly selected
• ✅ POPIA consent confirmed

Click Create Business Client button.

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Step 7: Success Confirmation

Success message after business client creation

What Happens:

1. Client record created in database
2. Clerk organization membership established
3. Audit log entry created (POPIA compliance)
4. Welcome email sent to client contact (optional)
5. Client appears in your clients list

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Creating a Government Client

Step 1: Start Client Creation

Click the + Add Client button (top right of clients page)

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Step 2: Select Government Sector

Choose GOVERNMENT as the client sector.

Sector selection with Government option highlighted

Notice: The form will expand to show government-specific fields.

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Step 3: Enter Basic Information

Fill in government client details:

Field	Description	Example	Required
Client Name	Official government entity name	City of Johannesburg	Yes
Contact Email	Primary government contact	contact@joburg.org.za	Yes
Contact Phone	Phone number	+27 11 407 7000	Yes (govt)
Website	Official government website	https://joburg.org.za	No

Government client creation form with government-specific fields

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Step 4: Government Classification

CRITICAL STEP: Classify the government client correctly.

Field	Description	Options
Government Level	Administrative level	Local, Provincial, National
Department	Department/Ministry name	Text field
Municipality Code	Official municipality code	CPT (Cape Town), JHB (Johannesburg), etc.

Government-specific classification fields

Examples:

Government Level	Entity Name	Municipality Code	Department
Local	City of Cape Town	CPT	Communications
Provincial	Gauteng Provincial Government	N/A	Economic Development
National	Department of Health	N/A	Health Promotion

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Step 5: Security Clearance Level

CRITICAL: Assign appropriate security clearance level.

Security clearance level selector with descriptions

Security Clearance Levels:

Level	Description	Data Classification	Use Cases
BASIC	Public data only	PUBLIC	Municipal announcements, Public campaigns
ENHANCED	Confidential data	CONFIDENTIAL	Provincial initiatives, Tender information
CONFIDENTIAL	Secret/restricted data	RESTRICTED	National security, Cabinet communications

Selection Criteria:

BASIC Clearance:
- Public-facing campaigns
- Community engagement
- General municipal services
- No sensitive government data

ENHANCED Clearance:
- Inter-departmental communications
- Tender and procurement processes
- Provincial strategic initiatives
- Moderate sensitivity data

CONFIDENTIAL Clearance:
- National security communications
- Cabinet-level messaging
- Classified government operations
- High sensitivity data

IMPORTANT: Your team members must have matching or higher security clearance to access this client’s data.

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Step 6: POPIA Consent (Government)

CRITICAL: Government clients require enhanced POPIA compliance.

Enhanced POPIA consent for government clients

Government Consent Requirements:

• ✅ Government entity has provided written consent
• ✅ Purpose of processing aligned with government mandate
• ✅ Data will be stored in South African data centers
• ✅ All operations will be audit logged
• ✅ Security clearance requirements understood
• ✅ Data classification policies acknowledged

Checkbox:

☑️ I confirm that the government client has provided explicit written
   consent for data processing, understands security clearance
   requirements, and acknowledges enhanced POPIA compliance measures
   for public sector data.

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Step 7: Upload Clearance Documentation (Optional)

For government clients, you can upload security clearance documentation:

File upload for security clearance documentation

Accepted Documents:

• Security clearance certificates
• Government authorization letters
• Service level agreements (SLAs)
• Tender award documents
• Memorandum of understanding (MOU)

File Requirements:

• Format: PDF, DOC, DOCX
• Maximum size: 10 MB
• Stored securely with encryption

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Step 8: Review and Create

Review all government client information:

Summary of government client information before creation

Final Check:

• ✅ Government entity name is official
• ✅ Government level correctly selected
• ✅ Security clearance level appropriate
• ✅ Municipality code accurate (if applicable)
• ✅ Department name correct
• ✅ Enhanced POPIA consent confirmed

Click Create Government Client button.

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Step 9: Success Confirmation

Success message after government client creation

What Happens:

1. Government client record created with security clearance
2. Enhanced audit logging initiated
3. Team members notified of new government client
4. Security clearance requirements enforced
5. Compliance monitoring activated
6. Client appears in your clients list with 🏛️ government icon

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Client List View

Viewing All Clients

After creating clients, you’ll see them in the clients list:

Client list showing both business and government clients

List Columns:

Column	Description
Icon	🏢 Business or 🏛️ Government
Client Name	Official client name
Sector	BUSINESS or GOVERNMENT
Status	ACTIVE, INACTIVE, PENDING
Security Clearance	(Government only) Basic/Enhanced/Confidential
Contact	Primary contact email
Active Campaigns	Number of active campaigns
Actions	View, Edit, Archive

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Client Details Page

Accessing Client Details

Click on any client name to view full details:

Detailed view of client information and activity

Tabs Available:

1. Overview - Client summary and key metrics
2. Campaigns - All campaigns for this client
3. Contacts - Client contact persons
4. Documents - Uploaded documents and contracts
5. Activity - Audit trail of all client-related activities
6. Settings - Client configuration and preferences

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Editing Client Information

Update Client Details

1. Navigate to client details page
2. Click Edit Client button (top right)
3. Modify necessary fields
4. Click Save Changes

Client editing form with updated information

POPIA Note: All client data modifications are audit logged.

Audit Log Entry:

{
  "action": "CLIENT_UPDATED",
  "timestamp": "2026-01-26T14:30:00Z",
  "userId": "user_123",
  "clientId": "client_456",
  "changes": {
    "contactEmail": {
      "old": "old@email.com",
      "new": "new@email.com"
    }
  }
}

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Client Status Management

Client Statuses

Status	Description	Actions Allowed
ACTIVE	Client actively engaged	All actions
INACTIVE	Temporarily paused	View only, no new campaigns
PENDING	Awaiting approval/onboarding	Limited access
ARCHIVED	Relationship ended	View historical data only

Changing Client Status

1. Go to client details page
2. Click Status dropdown
3. Select new status
4. Provide reason (required for INACTIVE or ARCHIVED)
5. Confirm change

Status change dialog with reason field

IMPORTANT: Archiving a client does not delete data (POPIA retention requirements).

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Assigning Team Members to Clients

Team Access Control

Control which team members can access each client:

1. Go to client details → Team Access tab
2. Click Add Team Member
3. Select team member from dropdown
4. Assign role (Account Manager, Content Creator, etc.)
5. For government clients: Verify security clearance matches
6. Click Grant Access

Team member assignment with role and clearance validation

Security Clearance Validation:

❌ Cannot assign team member with BASIC clearance to CONFIDENTIAL client
✅ Can assign team member with ENHANCED clearance to BASIC client
✅ Can assign team member with CONFIDENTIAL clearance to any client

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Best Practices

Business Client Best Practices

1. Accurate Information: Ensure all contact details are current
2. Industry Classification: Choose the most specific industry
3. POPIA Compliance: Always obtain explicit consent before creating client
4. Regular Updates: Keep client information up to date
5. Documentation: Store contracts and agreements in Documents tab

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Government Client Best Practices

1. Security Clearance: Assign the minimum necessary clearance level
2. Official Names: Use exact official government entity names
3. Documentation: Upload all clearance documentation
4. Team Access: Only assign team members with appropriate clearance
5. Enhanced Compliance: Follow all government-specific compliance requirements
6. Regular Audits: Review audit logs for government clients quarterly

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Troubleshooting

Issue: “Client Name Already Exists”

Symptom: Error when creating client with duplicate name

Solution:

1. Check if client already exists in your organization
2. Add differentiator to name (e.g., “Acme Corp - Western Cape”)
3. Contact support if you believe the client should not exist

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Issue: “Insufficient Security Clearance”

Symptom: Cannot create government client with CONFIDENTIAL clearance

Solution:

1. Verify your user account has CONFIDENTIAL security clearance
2. Contact your organization admin to upgrade your clearance
3. Temporarily create client with lower clearance and upgrade later

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Issue: “POPIA Consent Required”

Symptom: Cannot proceed without checking consent box

Solution:

1. Obtain explicit consent from client first (required by law)
2. Document consent in client agreement
3. Only then check the consent box and proceed
4. NEVER check consent box without actual client consent

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Issue: Form Won’t Submit

Symptom: Create Client button not working

Solution:

1. Check all required fields are filled (marked with *)
2. Verify email format is correct
3. For government clients: Ensure security clearance is selected
4. Check browser console for errors (F12)
5. Try refreshing page and re-entering information

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POPIA Compliance Details

Data Stored for Clients

Data	Purpose	Retention
Client Name	Identification	Indefinite (business requirement)
Contact Email	Communication	Indefinite
Contact Phone	Communication	Indefinite
Sector & Classification	Service delivery	Indefinite
Security Clearance	Access control (govt)	Indefinite
POPIA Consent	Legal compliance	5+ years
Creation Timestamp	Audit trail	5+ years

Your Responsibilities

As the person creating clients, you must:

• ✅ Obtain explicit consent before creating client record
• ✅ Use data only for specified purposes (marketing services)
• ✅ Maintain data accuracy and currency
• ✅ Protect client data with appropriate security measures
• ✅ Respect client data rights (access, correction, deletion)
• ✅ Report any data breaches immediately

Audit Logging

All client creation and modifications are logged:

{
  "action": "CLIENT_CREATED",
  "timestamp": "2026-01-26T10:00:00Z",
  "userId": "user_123",
  "organizationId": "org_abc",
  "resourceId": "client_456",
  "details": {
    "clientName": "City of Johannesburg",
    "sector": "GOVERNMENT",
    "securityClearance": "ENHANCED",
    "governmentLevel": "LOCAL"
  },
  "ipAddress": "102.134.xxx.xxx"
}

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What’s Next?

Now that you’ve created your first client, you’re ready to create campaigns!

Recommended Next Steps:

1. Create Your First Campaign - Launch a marketing campaign for your client
2. Invite Team Members - Add team members to help manage clients
3. View Analytics - Track client engagement and performance

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Getting Help

If you need assistance with client management:

• Email: support@isutech.co.za
• Video Tutorial: Client Creation Walkthrough

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Previous: ← Dashboard Overview | Next: Creating Campaigns →

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Last Updated: January 26, 2026