Project management for consultants
Turn each engagement into phases, deliverables and milestones that your client can follow without another status email. When a phase is signed off, invoice it into your books and see what the engagement has earned so far.
Free for 3 users, for as long as you like. Works on any device.
Consulting work, kept on track
You sell expertise and deadlines. These are the things that make an engagement drift.
The client keeps asking where things are
Each week you write a status email by hand, and the steering group still asks for an update in the meeting.
Invite the client to their portal. They see the milestones, documents and meetings you share, and progress fills up from the tasks behind each milestone.
Phases blur into each other
Discovery runs into analysis, and the deliverables you promised are spread across notes and folders.
Each phase is a task list with its own milestone. The Gantt chart shows how one phase waits on another.
Billing is done from memory
You invoice a phase weeks late, or forget the travel you paid for on the client's behalf.
Set an amount for each milestone and invoice it when reached. Record expenses, tick Bill this to the client, and record advances received upfront.
Knowledge leaves with the engagement
Interview notes and decisions live in personal documents and are lost when the project ends.
Project pages keep a wiki with every version, discussions hold the debate, and meeting minutes stay with the meeting.
An engagement, from kick-off to final report
- Kick off from a template
Start from your standard engagement template with phases, deliverables and milestones already dated.
- Meet and record
Plan meetings with calendar invitations, keep the minutes, and turn decisions into tasks with owners.
- Share the work
Drafts go into Documents. The client comments, uploads data and reads the pages you share.
- Reach and invoice
When a milestone is reached, invoice it into your books with VAT or sales tax, settled from any advance received.
Built for advisory and consulting work
Milestones
Mark each deliverable and watch its progress fill up from the tasks behind it.
Milestone or fixed-fee billing
Invoice an amount for each milestone, a fixed fee in parts, or billable hours by person.
Advances and expenses
Record retainers paid upfront and settle invoices from them. Charge travel and other expenses to the client.
Client portal
Documents, discussions, pages and meetings the client may see, with invoices they can pay online.
Pages and discussions
A wiki with every version kept and a forum for each project, so decisions are written down.
Meetings and minutes
Calendar invitations, reminders and minutes kept with the project.
Ready for your next engagement
- Build your standard engagement as a template with phases and milestones.
- Create a project for each live client and choose milestone billing.
- Upload the current drafts to Documents.
- Invite the client contact and choose what they see.
- Record any advance the client has already paid.
Add more Ellibo apps when you need them
One account, the same customers, items and team in every app.
CRMWin the proposal in CRM and start the engagement from the deal. SignSend the engagement letter for signature before you begin. TimesheetsCapture hours across every client in one weekly sheet. AnalyticsProject profit with time and expenses on one dashboard.Projects for consultants: FAQ
Can I bill by phase instead of by hour?
Yes. Choose Milestones and set an amount for each one. When a milestone is reached it appears in Bill the client, ready to invoice.
Can I take a retainer upfront?
Yes. Record it with Advance received. When you make the next invoice, tick Settle it from the advances received.
Will the client see my internal notes?
No. Anything marked Team only stays hidden, and chat, time, Finance and the activity history are never shown to clients.
Can I keep meeting minutes in the project?
Yes. Plan meetings with calendar invitations and reminders, and keep the minutes on the meeting. Clients see only meetings they are invited to.
I work alone. Is it worth it?
Yes. The free plan covers 3 users and 2 active projects, so you can run live engagements and bring in an associate later.
Can I charge travel back to the client?
Yes. Record the expense on the project and tick Bill this to the client. It goes on the next invoice and can't be billed twice.
Projects for other businesses
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Deliver every engagement the way you promised it
Free for 3 users, for as long as you like. Add more apps whenever you are ready.