Trello for Client Management: A Free Project Management Tool for Freelancers

If you’re tired of clients missing deadlines, being stuck in your email, and files being all over the place, then you need a project management system to save the day! Enter Trello, a free project management tool for freelancers. In this video, I’m sharing how to use Trello for client management — including our system for tracking our client pipeline.

First off, I know there’s no shortage of options out there for managing your clients, and believe me, I’ve tried them all — especially the free tools. The best free tool out there that I can’t recommend enough is Trello. (Full disclosure: We’ve graduated from Trello to Basecamp 2, but we’re still superfans of this tool and use it to manage our client pipeline, as you’ll see in my video.)

Now that you know it’s not gonna cost you a single penny, let’s talk about how to get it all set up and some of the best features for managing your client projects.

Trello Basics

Trello is a collaboration tool that helps you get your project organized. It uses a board driven approach, that’s similar to a whiteboard and post-it notes you’d use to stay on track, except it’s portable and always available.

You can use Trello on your own, with a team, or with your clients. You can quickly and easily see what’s being worked on, what’s due and so on.

The two main things you need to know about in Trello are Boards and Cards.

Boards are the overall system. You create a new board for each project or initiative.

Then, within boards, are what’s called Cards. Here you can attach files, assign due dates, make notes and so on.

Alright, are you ready to get out of your inbox, paper planner, and that hot mess of post-it notes on your desk and get organized AF? It’s time to get Trello and get your stuff handled like the boss you are. You’re going to save serious time — and your sanity — by investing in getting organized.