

Ask HN: Project Management for Freelancers? - hpvic03

Freelancers &#38; Independent Tech Consultants: what do you use for project management?<p>I would like something that can handle some client communication, enable online discussions, and keep files &#38; notes together so I don't have to search my inbox for them.<p>I think Basecamp is too cluttered. Pivotal Tracker isn't what I want either - it seems focused on keeping teams of developers organized for very complicated projects. Asana is too focused on tasks, and I don't think my non-tech savvy clients could figure it out.<p>What do you recommend?
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michaelpinto
Stop looking for your "dream tool" because it's a form of procrastination.
Most tools are feature cluttered given the tasks that most of us have to do.

Honestly you'd be amazed what taking out one hour a week and a .txt file can
do for your life. Another low-tech tool you can use is to print out a calendar
and pencil in dates.

The reality is that "project manager" is a job title, so either you take time
for it or pay someone to do it. It's also hard for people doing the work to
manage themselves -- and this isn't a new observation but something that
Drucker was writing about eons ago.

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hpvic03
I'm asking because if I don't find something that works well, I'm going to
build something.

Right now I use a .txt file, Gmail, & Dropbox to keep things organized, but
I'd like to a place online that works with all that instead of trying to
replace it.

~~~
vail130
\- What kinds of tasks do you need to do?

\- How do the objects you create (.txt files, emails, etc.) relate?

\- What are the big headaches you run into?

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twog
A few sharp guys I know just launched <http://www.getblimp.com/>

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bdunn
I built Planscope (<https://planscope.io>) specifically for freelancers and
consultants.

I wanted: * To know how scope changes affected overall budget * My clients to
know what tasks they were spending money on * Stupid simple and a no-brainer
for clients * Integrated time tracking

Planscope does all this and more. Check it out, and if you have any questions
drop me a line: brennan@planscope.io

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debacle
I really like Redmine. It's got source integration, a wiki, a task manager,
multi-project support, can email notifications, has different user levels and
great permission configuration, and also provides time-tracking out of the
box.

IIRC, it also has a forum and other features that we never used.

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acesubido
You can take a look at Planscope:

<http://planscope.io>

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dorsiak7
I don't know how complex you want it to be, but the tool I've been using for
almost 10 months now is pretty great. I think you should take a look at Paymo
( <http://paymo.biz> ) maybe it's up your alley.

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fbuilesv
Have you tried the new Basecamp? I never got to appreciate the old one but the
newest version I've been a happy user for a couple of months now. It supports
all the things you need and I personally think the UI/UX is amazing.

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hpvic03
I took a look at it, and I just don't think it would work for my non-tech
savvy clients. There's too much going on.

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egomaksab
Try Breeze (<http://letsbreeze.com>), it's a Basecamp and Trello hybrid, plus
adds some extra stuff like budgeting, reports and time tracking.

