Retainers · Advisory and coaching retainers
Retainer tracking for fractional executives and advisors
For fractional executives, advisors, coaches and non-executive directors. Regular sessions and always-on support, billed each period. Ambital tracks the hours against the retainer, rolls over what the agreement allows, and shows the client what they have used.
Runs on every plan · Rollover of unused hours from business
How it's soldSold as a monthly or quarterly retainer with included hours or days, from a retainer statement of work.
What you get
Pick “Ongoing advisory or coaching retainer” and this is set up for you
When you create a project, Ambital asks what it's for. The answer sets the billing model, the phases and the tabs. Change any of it, or save your own version as a template.
How project setup works →Ongoing advisory or coaching retainer
Regular sessions and always-on support, billed each period.
Tabs switched on
- Overview
- Financials
- Tasks
- Time
- Schedule
- Calendar
- Decisions
- Client Portal
The setup also asks how the client signs off: in the portal, or by emailed link for clients who'd rather not log in.
How it runs
Advisory and coaching retainers, run through Ambital
The retainer, tracked per period
Included hours, what has been used, what rolled over, what tipped into overage. Each period's rollover has its own expiry, with a write-off at close if you choose.
- Retainer periodsEvery plan
- Rollover with expiryFrom Business
- Overage and capsEvery plan
Sessions on a shared calendar, notes on the record
Meetings from every connected calendar, notes from your meeting notetaker filed to the client, and the decisions from each session logged with who decided.
- One calendar across accountsEvery plan
- Meeting notes and transcriptsFrom Pro
- Decision recordsEvery plan
A statement the client can check
The portal shows the retainer statement, or just the hours if that's all you want to share, so the renewal conversation starts from the same numbers.
- Retainer statement on the portalFrom Business Pro
- Renewal remindersEvery plan
- Recurring invoicesEvery plan
Start to finish
A board advisory retainer, month by month
- Month 1SoW signedEight hours a month, rollover for one month, overage at the agreed rate. It's all on the retainer.
- Each sessionNotes filedThe meeting lands on the calendar and its notes file to the client, with decisions logged.
- Mid-monthRunning hotAmbi's brief flags the retainer at 80% before the client asks for more.
- Month endClose the periodUnused hours roll over, overage goes on the invoice, and the statement updates in the portal.
- Month 11RenewalA reminder arrives, and both sides look at the same year of numbers.
Client names are fictional, from Ambital's demo organisation.
Everything it uses
The features, and the plan each needs
Each links to a step-by-step guide in the help centre.
- Retainers with overageEvery plan
- Rollover of unused hoursFrom Business
- Timers and timesheetsEvery plan
- Calendar across every accountEvery plan
- DecisionsEvery plan
- Meeting notes from your notetakerFrom Pro
- Client portal with the retainer statementFrom Business Pro
- Retainer SoW and e-signFrom Pro
Works with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Xero, Fireflies.ai, Early, Companies House, Calendly. Every integration →
Advisory and coaching retainers questions
Straight answers
- How does rollover work?
- Unused hours roll into the next period as a parcel with its own expiry date. At close you can let them roll, cap them, or write them off.
- Can I bill overage automatically?
- Yes. Hours over the included amount are added to the period's invoice at the overage rate when you close the month.
- Can the client see how many hours are left?
- Yes, once the client portal is on. You choose whether they see the full statement or just the hours.
- Which plan do I need?
- Every plan can run it, including Free. Most people choose Business Pro at £79 a month for client portal with the retainer statement. Prices exclude VAT.
Often run alongside
Who runs advisory and coaching retainers
Be first in when we launch
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Free plan · No card required · Built in the UK