A lot of freelancers start their journey focusing on clients rather than systems. Understandably so — you need money!
But you can quickly feel overwhelmed, especially if you’re managing multiple clients and projects.
The earlier you can get started with a project management system, the better. You’ll be able to track your progress and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
I started thinking about systems as soon as I had two clients. By that point, I was already tracking multiple due dates per month.
If you wait too long, you’ll be too swamped with client work. And that’s the worst time to try and build new systems. It’s too hard to manage client work and try to learn a new tool.
I use Trello for project management because it follows how my brain thinks about work. If you don’t have a tool in mind, try several over a few weeks. Hopefully, one feels like a good fit — even if you’re not using all the features yet.