How to manage project timelines and milestones in Honeybook for service based businesses

If you run a service business, you already know that clients expect things to move fast, stay organized, and never slip through the cracks. But let’s be real: keeping up with project timelines and milestones isn’t easy—especially when you’re juggling ten other things. This guide is for anyone tired of sticky notes, endless email threads, or trying to bend a spreadsheet to their will. If you’re using Honeybook or thinking about it, here’s how to actually use it to keep your projects on track, without getting lost in the weeds.

Why Project Timelines & Milestones Matter (And What to Ignore)

Before we jump in, here’s the first thing to know: if you’re a photographer, consultant, event planner, coach, or any service pro, your clients don’t care what software you use—they just want their project done right and on time.

Timelines are just the sequence of events: when things start, what’s due when, and when it all wraps up. Milestones are those big moments or deliverables everyone actually cares about (think: contract signed, first draft delivered, final payment).

Here’s what matters:

  • Know what needs to happen, and when.
  • Make it visible to you (and your client, if needed).
  • Get reminders before things go sideways.
  • Don’t overcomplicate it with “project management best practices” unless you’re running a huge team.

Ignore any feature that sounds fancy but doesn’t actually help you move a project forward. Most service businesses don’t need Gantt charts, dependencies, or a PhD in project management.

Step 1: Set Up Your Project Templates the Right Way

Honeybook’s biggest timesaver is its project templates. But out of the box, they’re pretty generic. Here’s how to set them up so you’re not reinventing the wheel every time a new project starts.

How to do it:

  1. Go to your Honeybook templates.
  2. You’ll find these under “Tools” → “Templates.”
  3. Create a new project template for each service you offer.
  4. Example: “Brand Photoshoot,” “Website Audit,” “Monthly Coaching.”
  5. Add all the basic steps and milestones your projects usually include.
  6. Be specific: Instead of “Send paperwork,” use “Send contract and invoice.”
  7. Add deadlines relative to the project start date (e.g., “2 days after kick-off”).
  8. Save and name your templates clearly.
  9. Use names you’ll recognize. “Template 1” is useless future-you.

Pro tip:
Don’t go overboard with templates. Start with your most common project type. You can tweak or add more later if you really need them.

Step 2: Build Out Timelines for Actual Projects

Templates are nice, but every client is a little different. Here’s how to translate your template into a real project timeline.

How to do it:

  1. Start a new project and pick the right template.
  2. Adjust milestone dates for this client.
  3. Drag and drop dates as needed. Honeybook lets you edit each milestone’s date individually.
  4. If a client is slow to sign, push everything out—don’t just leave your original timeline (it’ll bite you later).
  5. Add or remove steps that don’t fit.
  6. Every project is unique. If something isn’t needed, delete it. If you need an extra review call, add it.
  7. Use the “Tasks” section for smaller action items.
  8. Not everything is a milestone. Use tasks for reminders like “Send mood board” or “Confirm venue.”

What works:
Honeybook makes it pretty easy to see your whole project flow at a glance. You can also automate some steps (like sending forms or invoices), which is handy.

What doesn’t:
If you’re hoping for fancy project visualizations or dependencies (like, “task B can’t start until task A is done”)—that’s not really Honeybook’s thing. It’s more checklist than critical-path chart. For most service businesses, that’s just fine.

Step 3: Communicate Milestones with Clients (But Don’t Overwhelm Them)

Clients want to know what’s happening, but they don’t need to see your entire internal to-do list. Honeybook lets you share just the important stuff.

How to do it:

  1. Use the client portal.
  2. Clients can see key documents, forms, and scheduled events.
  3. Send milestone updates as needed.
  4. Don’t spam them with every little task. Focus on big moments: “Your draft is ready!” or “We’re scheduled for your session on June 15.”
  5. Automate reminders for approvals or payments.
  6. Honeybook can automatically remind clients to sign, pay, or review something. Saves you nagging time.

Pro tip:
Set expectations from the start. At your project kickoff, tell clients what milestones you’ll update them on, and which ones you’ll handle behind the scenes.

Step 4: Use Automations—But Keep It Simple

Honeybook offers automations, but it’s easy to overdo it and end up with a mess. Automate the stuff you do every time, and leave the rest manual.

How to do it:

  1. Automate sending contracts, invoices, and feedback forms.
  2. Set triggers like “when project starts” or “after payment received.”
  3. Set reminders for you and your team.
  4. Automations can notify you when it’s time for your next action—think “follow up 3 days after proposal sent.”
  5. Don’t automate anything that needs a personal touch.
  6. Sending a congratulatory email or a custom proposal? Do that yourself.

What works:
Automations save you hours on admin.

What to ignore:
Don’t try to automate your whole workflow. If you need to tweak every project, automating too much just creates more cleanup.

Step 5: Stay on Top of Deadlines (and Don’t Rely on Memory)

The best system is one you actually use. Honeybook’s dashboard gives you a bird’s eye view of what’s coming up, but only if you check it.

How to do it:

  1. Check your Honeybook “Projects” dashboard daily.
  2. It’ll show you what’s due soon and what’s overdue.
  3. Use calendar sync.
  4. Honeybook can sync with Google Calendar and others. Just make sure the right events are being pulled in (and not cluttering your personal calendar).
  5. Turn on email notifications—just the essential ones.
  6. Get alerts for overdue tasks, upcoming meetings, and client messages.

Pro tip:
If you’re more of a paper-and-pen person, print out your project timeline at the start. Crossing things off physically is still weirdly satisfying.

Step 6: Review and Tweak After Each Project

No project plan survives first contact with a real client. After you finish, take five minutes to look at what worked and what didn’t.

How to do it:

  1. Open the project and review the timeline.
  2. Which milestones slipped? Which were useless?
  3. Update your templates.
  4. Remove unnecessary steps. Add anything you forgot.
  5. Make notes for next time.
  6. Even a sticky note works. Next time you update your template, you’ll remember.

What works:
Iterating beats perfection. Your process will get better every time you review.

What doesn’t:
Don’t skip this step. The “set it and forget it” approach guarantees your templates will get stale (and you’ll keep making the same mistakes).

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often

Honeybook can absolutely help you keep projects on track—but only if you set up your timelines and milestones in a way that fits your business, not someone else’s idea of “best practice.” Start simple, use templates, stay consistent, and don’t be afraid to update your process as you go. The goal is to spend less time managing projects and more time actually delivering great work. If a feature doesn’t help you do that, skip it. You’ll thank yourself later.