Managing Clients

Your client database is the foundation of the Clients & Projects system. Every project, deliverable, and invoice ties back to a client record -- so keeping your client information organized saves you time and keeps your invoicing accurate.

Think of it as your freelance address book with billing superpowers. Instead of digging through emails for a client's payment terms or company address, you have everything in one place, ready to pull into a project or invoice whenever you need it.

Navigating to Clients

1. Log in to your Leenkies account.
2. From the dashboard sidebar, click Clients to open the Clients management page.
3. You'll see a list of all your existing clients. If this is your first time here, the page will be empty with a prompt to add your first client.

Creating a New Client

Click New Client in the top-right corner to open the creation form. Here's what each field does and how to fill it out:

Client Name

Enter the name of the person or company you're working with. This is the primary identifier that appears across projects, invoices, and the clients list. Use whichever name you'd use in professional correspondence -- a company name for corporate clients or an individual's name for solo clients.

Client Type

Choose the category that best describes your client:

• Brand -- A company or established brand hiring you directly. Examples: a SaaS company commissioning marketing assets, a retail brand requesting product photography.
• Agency -- A marketing, design, or consulting agency subcontracting work to you. Useful to distinguish agency relationships where you may have different rates or terms.
• Direct -- An individual person hiring you for personal or small-business work. Examples: a solo entrepreneur needing a website, someone commissioning custom artwork.
• Other -- Anything that doesn't fit the above categories. Use this for non-profit organizations, government contracts, collaborations, or any unconventional arrangement.

Pro Tip: Client types aren't just labels -- they help you filter and sort your client list as it grows. Pick the most accurate type now and you'll thank yourself later when you're looking for "all my agency clients" at a glance.

Currency

Select the currency you bill this client in. This determines the currency used on all invoices generated for their projects. Choose the currency stated in your contract or agreement.

If you work with international clients across different currencies, each client can have their own currency setting -- so you might bill one client in USD and another in EUR without any conflicts.

Email

Enter the client's primary email address. This is the email invoices are sent to when you use the Send Invoice feature. Make sure it's the correct billing or accounts payable email, not just a general contact address.

Phone

Add a phone number for the client. This is optional but handy for quick reference when you need to call about a project or payment.

Website

Enter the client's website URL. This is purely for your reference -- useful when you need to quickly look up a client's business, review their branding, or share a link with a collaborator.

Billing Address and Payment Terms

Below the contact details, you'll find the billing section:

Billing Address

Enter the client's billing address, including street, city, state/province, postal code, and country. This address appears on invoices, which is important for clients who need invoices with a registered business address for their accounting.

Payment Terms

Set the default payment terms for this client -- the number of days from the invoice date by which payment is expected. Common options include Net 15, Net 30, or Net 60. When you create an invoice for this client, the due date is automatically calculated based on these terms.

Pro Tip: Setting payment terms at the client level means you don't have to remember each client's terms every time you create an invoice. Set it once, and every new invoice inherits the right due date automatically.

Viewing and Editing Existing Clients

Viewing Your Client List

The Clients page shows all your clients in a list. Each entry displays the client's name, type, and contact email, giving you a quick overview of your entire client base.

Editing a Client

To update a client's information:

1. Click on the client in the list to open their detail view.
2. Click Edit to enter editing mode.
3. Update any fields you need -- name, type, email, phone, currency, billing address, or payment terms.
4. Save your changes.

Changes apply immediately. Updated billing addresses and payment terms are used on any new invoices you create going forward -- existing invoices are not retroactively changed.

When to Update Client Details

Common reasons to edit a client:

• The company changed its name or rebranded
• They moved offices and have a new billing address
• You renegotiated payment terms (e.g., from Net 30 to Net 15)
• Their accounts payable email address changed
• You need to switch the billing currency for future projects

Deleting a Client

If you no longer work with a client and want to remove them:

1. Open the client's detail view.
2. Click Delete.
3. Confirm when prompted.

Deleting a client is permanent. Projects and invoices associated with that client will also be affected, so make sure you've completed all outstanding work and billing before removing a client record.

Pro Tip: If you're unsure whether you'll work with a client again in the future, consider keeping their record rather than deleting it. Having their billing details and payment terms on file makes it easy to pick things back up if they return with a new project months later.

Organizing Your Client Database

As your freelance business grows, a well-maintained client database becomes increasingly valuable. Here are some practices to keep it clean:

• Add clients before starting projects -- Create the client record first, then create projects under them. This keeps the relationship clear from the start.
• Keep billing details current -- Review and update addresses and payment terms whenever a client notifies you of changes.
• Use accurate client types -- Categorize clients correctly so you can filter and find them easily when your list grows.
• One record per client -- Avoid creating duplicate entries for the same client. If a client has multiple contacts, use the primary billing contact's email.

Your client database feeds directly into projects and invoicing, so the more complete and accurate it is, the smoother your billing workflow becomes.