Keeping track of client imputs/revisions when I have multiple projects going on

It called a project documentation .Go on Google ,
perform a quick search and you'll see templates and softwares that you can. Use.

When working with multiple clients or multiple projects,
you need to develop a procedure to keep organized.

You have several time wasters going on, one is awaiting
a response to your emails, another is figuring out where
you were in their project, and being frustrated in general.

You need to develop a tracking system, a check sheet,
or something along those lines. This could be a separate
physical file for each client, or an electronic system, but
whatever it is should work for you, not what somebody
else is doing because people organize differently.

You might reconsider how you communicate with clients,
for example, you could develop a questionnaire to gather
necessary details all at once instead of contacting them
whenever a question arises. Maybe you could contact
them telephonically.

You should let them know that when you contact them,
they need to respond to you in a timely fashion, not keep
you waiting, because your time is valuable. That should
be established from the start.

Another thing that you could do is to work with one client
or project at a time, and don't start working on the next
one until you finish with the first one.

I would take a day or two just to get myself organized.
It's important to do this from time to time anyway.

And ICYMI ChatGPT is great for organizing all sorts of
things, schedules, questionnaires, check sheets, etc.

Just tell it what the issue is and it will assist you.

There are ALL SORTS of project management software. As a programmer of decades that's worked for many clients at once, it's a requirement.

Just google "project management software". There's free, paid, downloaded, web based, hosted, self-hosted, etc.

You can track projects, tickets, bugs, allow clients to login, etc.

This is something you should have had in place before you took the first job.

Always find out the scope of your job before you begin. If a client is not clear, fire them and find another. Trust me. I started out taking everything I could and bouncing around. It made me more problems than it was worth.

I made more progress and money with 2 clients than 6. 2 good clients that knew what they wanted propelled me into my own business.

People think there's only bad programmers. There's HORRIBLE clients. Most clients have no clue what goes into programming, that it takes planning, etc.

Make them tell you EVERYTHING ahead of time.

ASK EVERYTHING ahead of time. It is YOUR FAULT if you do not!

It sounds like you're new honestly and like you should only have one client at once.

Also: Always get a phone number. Unless it's like a 50 dollar job, in which case you should have all of the details already. For any serious job, ask for a phone number for quick contact. Explain efficiency. Don't be afraid to talk on the phone.


Finally, if you're this new, I hope you're not using AI.


Trust me when I say that how you do right now will affect your future. I mean your own decisions will affect your future decisions (obviously). You need to treat this more professionally, seriously. You will have a very hard time turning this into an actual business otherwise.


Any business should be tracking it's input and output (production/costs). For you, that's project management software and maybe quickbooks if a spreadsheet isn't enough for your finances.


I wanted to be cheap at first. I wanted to be helpful. Make people happy. It made me miserable. I bounced around. "Yes sir, yes mam, sure, ...". Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.


I'm telling you - I got my stuff straight, professional... I got serious clients and got more forceful. Yes, you may lose a client but you'll lose a BAD client. A good client will know what they want and will go over every detail with you because they will want a good product.


With a good client, you should be able to deliver a finished product without stopping. You may need to ask questions about some features but you should know enough to not need to stop on a project, so you can keep earning. Keep that in mind.


You're running a business.


Heed this advice.


Programming has a lot of competition. It makes a lot of programmers be cheap and cave to clients. Don't be one of them. Take your time, go pro.


I'm done.

When I was freelancing and occasionally needed to ask for info and shelve the project till info received...I took 15 minutes and made a detail notepad page - what was done - what remained to do - what next 3-4 steps were - what info I was waiting for, etc. It ended usually as a list of bullet points - and it was enough to jog my memory and get me moving again quickly on the project. That 15-20 minutes of making notes saved an hour or two when resuming that project.


Old school method but it worked for MY brain.

I feel your pain, mjwillyone! Juggling multiple clients and projects with constant context switching can be a nightmare. The good news is there are tools designed to streamline this process and keep track of client inputs and revisions.

Here's where project management tools come in:

Centralized Information: These tools allow you to create a dedicated workspace for each project. Within this workspace, you can document the project scope, client needs, inputs, outputs, and even store relevant files.

Task Management: Break down projects into smaller tasks and assign them deadlines. This keeps you focused and ensures you don't lose track of what needs to be done for each client.

Communication & Collaboration: Many project management tools offer built-in communication features. You can send and receive messages directly within the platform, eliminating the need for endless email back-and-forth. Some even allow for file sharing and real-time collaboration.

Version Control: Certain tools track revisions made to documents and code, allowing you to easily revert to previous versions if needed. This is especially helpful for managing client feedback and ensuring everyone's on the same page.
Here are some popular project management tools to consider:

Workstatus
Asana
Trello
Basecamp
Monday.com
These tools offer varying features and pricing plans, so it's worth researching which one best suits your workflow and budget.

By implementing a project management tool, you can say goodbye to context switching headaches and keep all your client information, tasks, and communication neatly organized in one place. This will save you time, improve your efficiency, and ensure a smoother workflow across all your projects.