The Ultimate Freelancer Notion System (Freelancer Homebase)
I am a freelancer, and I have been using Notion to manage my internal operations for more than one year. I have also developed Notion systems for other freelancers—my clients. My system has developed from merely project management to deal flow and clients management. So, I decided to craft a Notion system that I would consider an “ideal” freelancer hub for managing everything related to your business: from deals to financials.
I am aware that a freelancer’s needs vary heavily based on their industry, type of work, processes, and methods. I also believe that there are some core principles that can apply to every freelance business. That is what this Notion template is targeting: essential principles for freelance operations, streamlined in one place. Once you understand how the system works, you can update it to fit your specific needs, or reach out to me if you need any support.
This Notion system does not aim to be the only tool you will need to manage your entire business. You may be able to turn it into your all-in-one tool, but you would need to implement many external add-ons/automation outside of the scope of the core system I am offering. I find Bardeen.ai to be an automation tool that may be very useful for freelancers—and Notion—due to the numerous plug-and-play Notion automation they provide. Alternatives include Make, Zapier, Automate.io, IFTTT, Integrately.
If you are a freelancer and would like to centralize most of your efforts in one tool, this system can be for you. If you are not willing to embrace the learning curve, commit to learning how to properly use the system in the long run, and tweaking it to fit your specific needs, this system may not be the right fit for you at this point.
The Notion freelancer hub is composed of eight (8) master databases and a central dashboard. The workflows start from “Deals” and end at “Finances”. The master databases included are:
Resources & Docs
Inspiration
Meeting Notes
Invoices
Deals
Clients
Projects
Tasks
The central dashboard is a project management hub where you can manage your tasks, projects, and meeting notes. To explain comprehensively the nature and functioning of the Notion Freelancer Homebase, I have recorded a detailed walkthrough video you can watch here.
The promise of this Notion system may feel idealistic to you. A single place to manage your work and clients? How can a Notion template do it all at the same time? How can this system be maintained and kept scalably pristine? How much effort does maintaining the system require?
All those doubts are thoughtful and worth addressing. A Notion template is not—cannot be—the solution to all your life/business problems. It can bolster self-awareness and the documentation of your core processes. It can foster collaboration in one place and reduce ad-hoc communication. But there are two fundamental requirements for the sustainable and effective use of this Notion system:
You need to understand how to use it properly. Understanding means defining your core workflows and processes in order to make the system fit around your needs like a sleeve on a custom-fit jacket you bought at a premium store. Understanding requires the ability to be humble. You have to be open to feeling stupid in order to learn how to use the system and master it. Or maybe not.
You need to maintain it carefully over time. It is easy to get excited about a new system in the first week and then abandon it like a toy left on the street by a child. Hedonic adaptation is a well-established concept. But in order to make sustainable use of this freelancer Notion system, you need to commit to it, for at least one month, meticulously. It is only through understanding and iterating that you can make this system fit your needs and become the backbone of your work.
Thank you for reading this far, and please feel free to reach out to me here if you have any questions/concerns/requests.
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