Creating Projects

Projects are where you track the actual work you're doing for a client. Each project has a defined scope, timeline, and contract type -- giving you a clear picture of what needs to be delivered, by when, and under what terms.

Whether you're designing a one-time logo package or managing an ongoing monthly content retainer, projects keep everything organized in one place so nothing slips through the cracks.

Why Use Projects

Without a project management system, freelancers often juggle spreadsheets, sticky notes, and email threads to track what they've promised each client. Projects on Leenkies solve this by giving each engagement its own dedicated space with:

• A clear scope of work
• Start and end dates
• Deliverables with due dates and status tracking
• A direct connection to invoicing

When it's time to bill a client, you can generate an invoice directly from the project -- no more reconstructing what you did from memory.

Contract Types: One-Off vs Retainer

Before creating a project, it's important to understand the two contract types, because this choice shapes how the project behaves:

One-Off Projects

A one-off project is a single engagement with a defined start and end. You agree on a scope, deliver the work, invoice for it, and the project is complete.

Best for:

• Website designs
• Logo or brand identity packages
• Single video productions
• One-time consulting reports
• Any project with a clear finish line

One-off projects have a simple structure: a list of deliverables that you work through from start to finish.

Retainer Projects

A retainer project is an ongoing engagement where you provide services on a recurring basis. The client pays on a regular cycle -- weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly -- and you deliver an agreed-upon set of work each period.

Best for:

• Monthly social media management
• Ongoing content creation (blog posts, newsletters)
• Continuous design support
• Regular consulting or advisory work
• Any arrangement with repeating deliverables

Retainer projects are organized into time periods -- auto-generated billing cycles that help you track what's been delivered in each cycle and invoice accordingly. See Retainer Billing Cycles for details on how time periods work.

Pro Tip: Not sure which contract type to pick? Ask yourself: "Does this work have a natural end date?" If yes, it's a one-off. If the client is paying you on an ongoing basis for continuous work, it's a retainer.

Creating a New Project

1. From the dashboard sidebar, click Projects to open the Projects page.
2. Click New Project in the top-right corner.
3. Fill out the project creation form as described below.

Selecting a Client

Choose the client this project belongs to from the dropdown. If the client doesn't exist yet, you'll need to create them first in the Clients section.

Every project must be linked to a client. This connection determines which billing details and payment terms appear on invoices generated from the project.

Project Name

Give your project a descriptive name that makes it easy to identify at a glance. Include enough detail to distinguish it from other projects for the same client.

Good project names:

• "Q1 2026 Social Media Package"
• "Website Redesign - Phase 2"
• "Monthly Blog Content"
• "Brand Identity & Guidelines"

Avoid vague names like:

• "Project 1"
• "Design work"
• "Stuff for Acme"

Contract Type

Select either One-off or Retainer based on the nature of the engagement. This choice can't be changed after the project is created, so pick carefully.

For retainer projects, you'll also configure the billing cycle frequency -- how often a new time period starts. Options include:

• Daily -- A new period every day (uncommon, but useful for day-rate arrangements)
• Weekly -- A new period every week
• Bi-weekly -- A new period every two weeks
• Monthly -- A new period every month (the most common retainer structure)

Scope

Describe the overall scope of work for this project. This is a free-text field where you can outline what the project covers, key objectives, and any boundaries. Think of it as the executive summary of your agreement.

A good scope statement helps you and your client stay aligned on expectations. When questions come up about what's included, you can reference it.

Start and End Dates

Set the project's start and end dates to define the active timeline:

• Start date -- When work begins. For retainer projects, this also determines when the first billing cycle starts.
• End date -- When the project is expected to conclude. For retainer projects, this is when billing cycles stop generating.

Pro Tip: For retainer projects, set the end date to match your contract term. If you're on a 6-month retainer starting January 1st, set the end date to June 30th. You can always extend it later if the client renews.

Project Statuses

Every project has a status that reflects where it is in its lifecycle:

Draft

The project has been created but work hasn't officially started. Use this status while you're still finalizing the scope or waiting for client approval. Draft projects don't generate billing cycles for retainers.

Active

Work is underway. This is where projects spend most of their time. Active retainer projects generate billing cycles according to their schedule.

Completed

All deliverables have been finished and the project is wrapped up. Marking a project as completed signals that no more work is expected. You can still view its details, deliverables, and invoices.

Archived

The project is stored away for historical reference. Archived projects don't appear in your main project list but can still be accessed if needed. Use this for old projects you want to keep on record without cluttering your active workspace.

Editing a Project

To update a project:

1. Click on the project in your project list to open its detail view.
2. Click Edit to modify the project settings.
3. Update the fields you need -- name, scope, dates, or status.
4. Save your changes.

Most fields can be edited at any time. The contract type (one-off vs retainer) is the exception -- it's locked after creation because changing it would fundamentally alter how the project is structured.

Archiving a Project

When a project is finished and you want to clean up your workspace:

1. Open the project detail view.
2. Change the status to Archived.

Archived projects are moved out of your main list but aren't deleted. All deliverables, time periods, and invoices remain intact. If a client returns for follow-up work, you can revisit the archived project for reference and create a new project for the new engagement.

Pro Tip: Keep your project list clean by archiving completed projects regularly. A tidy project list with only active work makes it easy to focus on what needs your attention right now.

Viewing Your Projects

The Projects page gives you an overview of all your projects. Each entry shows:

• Project name -- The name you gave the project.
• Client -- Which client the project belongs to.
• Contract type -- One-off or retainer.
• Status -- Draft, active, completed, or archived.
• Dates -- The start and end dates.

Click any project to dive into its details, where you can manage deliverables, view time periods (for retainers), and create invoices.

Next Steps

Once your project is set up, the next step is adding deliverables -- the specific outputs you'll be producing for the client. Head to Tracking Deliverables to learn how to define, track, and manage your project deliverables.