Being a freelancer can be tough. Although you are your own boss, you are also your best employee, secretary, and sometimes even your accountant. On top of that, you need to balance all your projects and manage your clients.
While it can be challenging, the right tools make it easier. Trello is a good example. You can manage your clients and track your projects so much more easily with this app and website. If you are not familiar with Trello, here are some tips and tricks to help you manage your clients and projects.
What’s Trello?
If you haven’t heard of or used Trello before, this is a project management tool that can help you organize every aspect of your life. From big group projects to family errands.
There is some basic terminology you need to know to understand Trello better. First, with Trello, you can add boards, lists, and cards. Think of cards as the tasks you need to check off your lists. And boards are a series of different lists you can use to organize your projects.
You can start using Trello for free but with some limitations. Mostly, you’ll only be able to create a small number of boards or use one Power-Up per board, but more on this later. If you want to unlock all the features, you’ll have to purchase a subscription. That being said, for most people, the free version is more than enough at first.
If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to head to Trello.com and create one to continue our tutorial next steps. Do you already have an account? Great, let’s move to the next steps.
Create a New Trello Workspace
Trello’s workspaces are an easy way to organize different boards and projects. You’ll use workspaces to store all your boards, and you’ll be able to invite clients or colleagues to specific workspaces. Here’s how you create a new one.
- Go to trello.com and log into your account.
- On the left-side menu, click the (+) button next to Workspaces.
- Enter a workspace name. For instance, you can write your client’s name, so it’s easier to find and recognize. You can also add a workspace type and description if you want.
- Click Continue.
- If you want, you can invite other people, like your clients, to your workspace. Enter their email address to send an invitation. If you don’t want to do it, click on I’ll do this later.
Congratulations! You just created a new workspace. Now it’s time to add your projects and assignments.
How to Create Boards in Trello
There are many ways you can use boards for your freelance business. You can create a board for each commission or client you have. Remember that you have a limited number of boards if you’re using the free plan, so you might need to get creative or delete some boards when you finish a project.
- Head to trello.com.
- Click the (+) button on the top right corner next to your name.
- Click Create board.
- Add a board title.
- If you want, change the board background by clicking on the squares next to the board title.
- Choose the workspace where you want to add to this board.
- Change the visibility of your board. You have three choices: Private for only you to see that board, Workspace for anyone you invite to your workspace to see that board, and Public for everyone to see, even Google.
- Click Create board.
Add Lists to Your Boards
Now that you have a new board, it’s time to fill it with lists. It would be best that you add a different list for each step of the project process. That way, you’ll know when a task is being drafted, reviewed by the client, or paid.
- On your board, click Add a List.
- Enter a name for the list.
- Press enter or click Add list.
The number lists you need will depend entirely on what type of freelance work you do, but you can take a look at the screenshot above for reference or use a template for Trello.
Use a Freelance Template on Trello
If you don’t want to create your board, you can use a template with most of the lists you need. Here’s how to do it.
- Go to trello.com.
- Click the (+) button on the top right corner next to your name.
- Click Start with a template.
- Click Explore templates.
- Choose the best template for you or search for one using the search bar. There are many of them to choose from, but find one that fits most of your needs. Don’t worry; you can customize it later if you want.
- Once you select a template, you’ll see a preview of the lists the template has. If that’s the one you want, click Use template.
- Enter a title for your board.
- Select the workspace and visibility you want for the board.
- Click Create.
It might take a few seconds, but Trello will create a new board for you that you can change and customize. Don’t know where to start? For freelancers, we recommend you start with the Freelance Branding Project or the Copywriting boards.
How to Add Power-Ups in Trello
Power-Ups are tools that you can add to a specific board. If you’re a free user, you can only use one Power-Up in a board, but paid users can use unlimited Power-Ups.
- On your board, click the Show menu on the top right corner of the board.
- Click Add Power-up.
- Choose any Power-Up you want to use, or use the search bar to find the one you want.
- Once you find the one you want, click Add, and your Power-Up will be automatically added to your board.
If you don’t know which one to use, you can start by trying the Calendar Power-Up. It’s a great way to see your deadlines in a more organized way than looking at your lists. You can always change Power-Ups later if you want.
Keep Total Control
Now it’s your turn. Get control of your freelance business by trying these Trello tips. If you don’t like a workspace or board, you can always delete it or close it and start over. The best part is that you can use Trello for things other than project management.