Start Freelancing

Build your freelance workspace in Notion

~30 min

Create a Notion workspace with a CRM for leads, a project tracker for active work, and templates for recurring tasks.

1. Create a new Notion workspace (or a section in your existing one) called "Freelance HQ"
2. Build a CRM database with columns: Client Name, Email, Status (Lead / Proposal Sent / Active / Completed), Project Value, and Next Action
3. Create a Projects database linked to the CRM with columns: Project Name, Client (relation), Status, Deadline, and Deliverables
4. Add a "Templates" page with your standard project brief, onboarding checklist, and offboarding checklist
5. Create a weekly review template to track income, pipeline, and upcoming deadlines

Set up Calendly for discovery calls

~15 min

Create a professional booking page so potential clients can schedule calls without the email back-and-forth.

1. Sign up at calendly.com and set your available hours (block out focus time - don't make yourself available all day)
2. Create a "Discovery Call" event type: 30 minutes, with a buffer before and after
3. Add intake questions: What's the project? What's your budget range? What's the timeline?
4. Connect your Google Calendar or Outlook so Calendly checks for conflicts automatically
5. Add your Calendly link to your email signature, website, and social profiles

Create proposal templates in Canva

~20 min

Design a professional proposal template that you can customize for each new client in minutes.

1. Open Canva and search for "Proposal" templates - pick a clean, professional design
2. Customize the template with your branding: logo, colors, fonts, and contact info
3. Structure your proposal with sections: Problem Summary, Proposed Solution, Deliverables, Timeline, Investment (pricing), and Next Steps
4. Save it as a Canva template so you can duplicate and customize it for each new client
5. Export proposals as PDF for sharing via email

Configure Stripe for invoicing and payments

~15 min

Set up Stripe to send professional invoices and collect payments automatically.

1. Sign in to your Stripe Dashboard and complete your business profile (name, address, bank account)
2. Go to Invoicing and create your first invoice template with your logo and payment terms
3. Set your default payment terms (Net 15 or Net 30 are standard for freelancers)
4. Create a test invoice and send it to yourself to see the client experience
5. Set up automatic reminders for overdue invoices - Stripe can chase payments so you don't have to

Use Loom for async client communication

~10 min

Set up Loom to replace unnecessary meetings with short video updates that clients can watch on their own time.

1. Install the Loom desktop app or Chrome extension
2. Record a quick test video: share your screen and walk through something (30-60 seconds)
3. Create a "Client Updates" workspace in Loom to organize videos by client
4. Set a weekly cadence: record a 2-3 minute update for each active client showing progress, next steps, and any blockers
5. Drop the Loom link in your Notion project tracker so everything is in one place