Streamline Your Webflow Workflow: Top 3 Project Management Tools for Freelancers

A freelancer's day can be pretty shifting. It can get messy with several projects going on at once while new clients want to speak about yet another project. Therefore, project management will be your key to finding structure in the chaos, and here you will find everything you need to know about three of the most popular tools out there.

Why do you need a project management tool?

Project management will first let you provide structure and organization to the sea of projects, enabling you to handle multiple projects efficiently. It will also help you manage time and resources more effectively since you can easily get an overview of on-going to-dos’. 

So, the three tools we will go through are Notion , ClickUp and Puzzl .

Tool 1: Notion  

Notion is a versatile productivity application that combines elements of databases, kanban boards, wikis, calendars, and reminders into one unified platform. It's designed to support multiple workflows and data management types, making it suitable for all kinds of business styles.

Notion offers a free plan, but you can expand it to $8, or $15 monthly for access to more features.

Some key features and benefits include;

• Docs, Notes and Templates - Allows you to write, plan and collaborate. The tool supports rich text formatting and features with pre-built templates.
• Tasks and Projects - Notion has built-in Kanban boards, lists, and tables to manage tasks and projects.
• Spreadsheets and Databases - You can create flexible databases and spreadsheets to manage and visualize data.
• Collaboration - It offers real-time collaboration, allowing teams to work together simultaneously.
• Third-party integrations - It integrates with various tools like Google Calendar, Google Drive, Slack, etc.

When Notion suits you

There are many ways to use Notion, and here are some of the key situations you may want to consider it for yourself: 

1. Project tracking - If you want to create a project management database to track tasks, deadlines, progress and time spent on projects.
2. Client Relationship Management - If you're a freelancer who works with multiple clients, Notion can serve as a CRM tool. 
3. Meeting and Agenda management - If you need to organize and keep track of meetings and agendas.

So Notion is a multifaceted productivity tool that combines various features into one platform, including databases, task management, and real-time collaboration. It's adaptable for diverse workflows, offers plans to suit different needs, and integrates with third-party tools.

With its versatility, Notion is ideal for project tracking, client relationship management, and meeting agenda organization - especially for you as a freelancer.

Tool 2: ClickUp

ClickUp is a project management tool that helps freelancers and teams of all sizes to streamline your workflow and collaborate effectively. It offers a comprehensive suite of features to help you stay organized, prioritize tasks, and track progress. 

ClickUp offers a free, $5, $12, and a $19 per month plan that gives you access to varying levels of features.

An overview of ClickUp's features and benefits;

• Task and Project Management - ClickUp allows creation, assignment, and tracking of tasks while offering different visualization options.
• Collaboration and Communication - It facilitates team collaboration with features like comments, shared docs and a live chat.
• Customizability and Automation - It offers multiple ways to customize fields to tailor tasks to your needs and automation to streamline routine tasks.
• Time Tracking and Reporting - Tracks time for tasks and provides comprehensive reporting and analytics for project progress.
• Third-party integrations - Integrates with various tools like Google Calendar, and Slack.

When ClickUp might suit you

Some specific use cases when these features come in hand;

1. Complex Project Management - If you're a freelancer handling complex projects that involve multiple tasks, stages, or collaborators.
2. Client Communication and Transparency - If maintaining transparency with your clients is a priority so they can see every shared task and status updates. 
3. Time Management and Productivity Tracking - If you're looking to optimize your productivity, ClickUp's time tracking and productivity features will help you.

So ClickUp is a project management tool designed to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration for freelancers and teams alike. It offers a range of plans and features tailored to various needs, including task and project management, collaboration, customizability, automation, and time tracking.

ClickUp also integrates seamlessly with third-party tools like Google Calendar and Slack and stands out for managing complex projects, ensuring client transparency, and optimizing productivity. This makes it a robust choice for freelancers seeking to improve their project management.

Tool 3: Puzzl  

Puzzl is a tool allowing you to streamline project onboarding. Still, it also doubles as a payroll platform designed to simplify and streamline payroll processes for freelancers and companies, particularly those with hourly workforces. It is an API-based solution that integrates seamlessly with other platforms and systems.

Puzzl's pricing isn't specified on their website, but instead they tailor their prices based on the unique need of the business.

So Puzzl has a wide range of tools, but here are some;

• Automated payroll - Automatically does payroll calculations based on hours worked, wages and tax deductions.
• Analytics - You can manage budgets and project profitability.
• CRM - Puzzl offers Customer Relationship Management, making creating new projects fast and easy.
• Reporting - Provides reporting tools to help you track and analyze payroll, expenses, paid/unpaid invoices, and more.

When Puzzl suits you

Here are some specific use cases when Puzzl might be the best choice for you;

1. Hourly billing - If you freelance with hourly billing, then Puzzl might be a perfect choice to keep everything in one place and get a quick overview at any time. 
2. Scaling Freelance Work - If you're planning to scale your work Puzzl can be a valuable tool. It can handle the increased payroll needs and ensure accurate and timely payments your business needs as it grows.
3. Expense Tracking and Reporting - If you're a freelancer who incurs various expenses related to your projects, Puzzl's expense tracking and reporting feature is invaluable.

So Puzzl is a tool designed to streamline project onboarding and payroll processes for freelancers. It offers tailored pricing and integrates smoothly with other systems via API. Key features of Puzzl include automated payroll, analytical tools, customer relationship management, and comprehensive reporting.

Puzzl is particularly beneficial for freelancers with hourly billing, and those planning to scale their work. It ensures accuracy, timeliness, and efficiency in payroll and project management processes.

Choosing the right tool for you

Choosing the right project management tool depends on your specific needs as a freelancer. Factors such as  your budget, the scale of your projects, and your particular needs will all play a role in which tool to choose. 

Different use cases

If you handle smaller projects or need a space for note-taking and organizing ideas, Notion might be the best fit. For more advanced project management features like Gantt charts and task automation, ClickUp could be beneficial.

However, if managing payroll for subcontractors is a significant part of your work, Puzzl could actually be the right choice for you. 

Experiment between them

Ultimately, select the tool that aligns best with your freelancing requirements. But the best way to know what project management tool you should use is to try them out by yourself.

Explore – That way you will see what suits you and your workflow best, as it's always individually unique. Then you will be able to choose your work companion!

For you as a Webflow freelancer, project management tools can be a game-changer. They bring structure and organization to the often multifaceted tasks of creating and managing websites.

Because it can be messy, and by utilizing any of these tools, you will not only save precious time but also make work a lot easier. Good luck finding what suits you!