Do you find keeping track of clients, contacts, meetings, appointments and essential tasks tricky? Not missing a beat isn’t easy for busy tradespeople. After all, if it’s not sorting stuff with your supplier, it’s a last minute call from an important customer…

But if there’s one thing technology’s great for, it’s keeping track of where you’re supposed to be, when. There’s a glut of free task and project management apps out there which are perfect for busy self employed people, whether you’re a spark, a plumber or a plasterer. We’ve picked out 5 of the best, with tonnes of flexible options which will help you stay on top of your tasks, your way.

It’s time to get organised!

1. Wunderlist

Wunderlist is a fantastic tool for getting stuff done – and not letting anything slip through the cracks. Available via desktop, tablet and smartphone, this app gives busy people a handy way to set reminders, give yourself deadlines, set up different lists for different projects – and much more. You can even share shopping lists with your other half!

2. Todoist

If a ticklist structure helps you power through your to do list (and, let’s face it, ticking jobs off is ridiculously satisfying), Todoist could be a good app for you. Use this app to assign yourself tasks quickly and easily. The system differs little from Wunderlist but looks much sleeker. There are some handy paid features which might prompt you to upgrade to Todoist Pro too, if you really like it.

3. Trello

Trello is a brilliant, flexible system which you can use to fit the way you like to work. Add others to specific tasks to give them important dates for their diary and confirm attendance. Create handy ticklists when you’re working though multi-faceted jobs, keep track of pretty much anything, any way you want, across all of your devices. It’s very good, but you’ll find that with so much possibility, you may need to invest a little time in getting the hang of how you want to use the system.

4. Cloudship

We’re particularly impressed with Cloudship’s time tracking feature – really handy when you’re charging an hourly rate and need to keep track. Otherwise, this is a relatively straightforward task management application which boasts a nicely intuitive interface, and the ability to add extra notes to tasks for more information.

5. Google Keep

This is a slightly different task management option, but potentially a very good shout if you’re already a Google user (Google Docs, Google Sheets etc.) or an Android user (the app should already be on your smartphone). Google Keep is a pretty simple syncing notepad, but the variety of things which it can record and do is the big bonus. From checklists and images to voice notes and much much more, all instantly uploaded to the Cloud. Very handy indeed.

Have you tried using a task management app to keep your daily grind shipshape? What has been your experience? Which tools work best for your business? Share your knowledge with other tradespeople below…