Create your first project

Create your first client project so that you can track your time, send invoices, and keep track of project details.

Michelle Lee avatar
Written by Michelle Lee
Updated over a week ago

This guide will introduce you to project management in Moxie. You’ll learn how to create, edit, and update your projects.

Keeping track of your projects in Moxie

Moxie’s project management tool uses projects, tasks, and sub-tasks. Each project is attached to a client (and a particular client can have multiple projects). Within each project, you’ll have one or more tasks, and each task can include a set of sub-tasks required to complete it. This system is built to be a flexible structure so consider it this way:

In scope: A project > a task > a sub-task

Adding a project

Projects are created three ways in Moxie.

  • From homebase under "Add new" select the task icon. Choose "+ Create project" (or add your task to an existing project).

  • From projects use the + (or begin with a project template)

  • A signed agreement will automatically add projects. You can toggle automatic project creation on and off in your project settings. See more about creating a proposal that becomes a project here.

All projects are associated with clients. If you have projects you want to manage that aren't for a specific client, you can add them to a client like "Admin" or "The greatest freelancer of all time" (that's you, obviously).

Configure your project settings

Once you add a project, click edit to add start and end dates (these will show on the calendar), toggle access in your client portal, set up the fee structure and add any necessary tasks. You can select a color highlight to make it easy to glance at your task kanban and on your homebase calendar for progress.

Fee types

The freelancer mantra is "never work for free." When you set up your projects, you can set up how you will get paid based on the way you like to work.

  • Hourly projects: Set a default hourly rate or an hourly rate per project. Use Time tracker to take the guesswork out of invoicing hourly. Your set hourly rate will apply to each task within the project.

  • Recurring projects: Set your retainer amount and period. Choose advanced or arrears payment.
    Pro-tip: You can also set hour estimates and retainer overage payment.

  • Fixed-rate projects: Assign a flat rate per each of projects.

  • Per item pricing: Assign a different price to each task under a project.

Projects created with fixed rate will be immediately available to invoice as a tracked item. If you choose per item pricing, only items in the "Done" status (or to the right of it in your kanban board) will be available for adding to an invoice.

If you have chosen "Per item" as your fee structure for the project, you can select a previously used product or service or create a new one.

Adding a task

Add a task from the + in the upper right. You can also quick add a task from your homebase focus tab. Name your task and set the status and due date. Optionally add tasks, a collaborator, its priority and any other details or attachments as necessary.

In project management, click the circular arrows in the upper right to add recurring tasks to this project - like a monthly blog post, a weekly status update, or quarterly check-in.

Pro tip: If you set a deadline for a task it will appear on that date in your project calendar view. Tasks without deadlines will not be visible from the calendar.

Duplicate projects and tasks

Select any project and save it as a template for future use. Or create a template from the beginning for use in project management and adding to agreements.

Duplicate a task by clicking the 3 dots in the upper right of the task details and click duplicate. You will get a copy of the task including project (this can be altered by clicking the project name), assignee, due date, per item fee structure (if applicable), description, and tasks. The status will be set back to the earliest status column you created.

Add sub-tasks

Within a task you can add and check off tasks. Use these to keep track of the individual steps required to complete your project.

When all the sub-tasks are checked off, you’re ready to move the overall task to the “done” status!

Project management

Configure the status columns to reflect your workflow. Click projects > task and select the view that works for you. From left to right, you can choose list (table), kanban (board), or timeline (Gant)

In the list view, each of the columns can be edited directly in the list view. Or click the 3 dots to open the full task details.

In the card layout, you can click and drag cards to a column as it moves through your workflow. Edit the default column names by clicking them and typing. Click the 3 dots to add a column to your client workflow for approval (using client portal) or choose the column you will use as your "completed" column. Add as many statuses as you like and customize their color scheme.

In the timeline view, see how each of your tasks overlays each other on a calendar. Click and drag the box to lengthen the duration of the task's work. Click the task to make changes to it. Use the filters and sort to narrow the scope and get focused for your work day.

Set complete

Once you have completed a project, you can edit the project settings to "Set complete." This will remove the project from project management list view and tasks kanban, but keep it for viewing at the bottom of your project list page.

Once you have your projects created, you can integrate them with client portal, time tracking, invoicing, and calendar.

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