Task management for freelancers: one system for clients and admin
Last updated:
Freelancers juggle two kinds of work: client deliverables with deadlines, and the admin that keeps the business alive. Most systems handle the first and forget the second. This one handles both.
Open the weekly work reviewTry time trackingOpens in your browser — no install or sign-up needed.
One inbox for every request
Client requests arrive by email, chat, calls and comments. Capture every one in a single inbox the moment it appears, in one line with a date if there is one: “Acme logo revisions Friday 3pm #acme”. Do not organise while capturing; organising happens in the review.
The inbox is only useful if it is emptied regularly. Once a day, give each item a home: a client list, a date, or the bin.
A list per client, a tag per kind of work
Lists answer “for whom”, tags answer “what kind”. A list per active client keeps deliverables together; tags like #invoice, #call or #review let you see all calls or all invoices across clients. Archive a client's list when the contract ends instead of deleting it, so you keep the history.
Make admin repeat itself
Invoices, expense receipts, quarterly tax payments and backups are predictable, so put them on autopilot with repeating tasks: “Send invoices on the last day of every month”, “Quarterly tax every 3 months on the 15th”, “Chase unpaid invoices every Monday”. A repeating task that appears on the right day is cheaper than remembering.
The weekly review is your manager
Without a boss, the weekly review is where priorities are set. On Friday look back at what shipped, move unfinished work, choose next week's three most important outcomes and check every deadline in the next seven days. Twenty minutes on Friday saves a stressful Monday.
Setting it up in Pladay
- Type tasks in plain language — dates, times, #tags, @lists and priority are read as you type (quick add).
- Start the weekly work review template: seven repeating steps every Friday and a Monday-morning priority check.
- Track billable hours per client and project in the Time tracking module, which can also turn billable entries into an invoice.
- Kick off a new engagement with the project kickoff template, and keep yearly paperwork on track with the tax checklist.
- Want deadlines in your calendar app? Subscribe to your private calendar feed.
Templates for this
- Weekly work reviewEvery Friday look back on the week; every Monday morning reset your priorities.7 tasks
- Project kickoffDefine goals and roles, run the kickoff meeting and review the first milestone.9 tasks
- Year-end tax filingGather deductions and receipts, download records, file with your employer and check the refund.10 tasks
FAQ
Can clients see my tasks?
Not unless you share something. You can share a single list as a read-only public link, for example a project checklist.
Does Pladay replace accounting software?
No. Time tracking and invoices help you bill; tax filing and bookkeeping still belong in your accounting tool or with your accountant.