How to Switch From Hello Bonsai to ClickUp

If you are ready to move from Hello Bonsai to a more flexible workspace, ClickUp can become your all-in-one hub for projects, clients, and collaboration. This guide walks you through a practical, step-by-step process to migrate your work and set up a clean, scalable system.

The instructions below are based on the workflows and use cases described in the Hello Bonsai alternatives article, adapted into a clear how-to format.

Step 1: Plan Your Move to ClickUp

Before changing tools, outline what you actually need from ClickUp. Hello Bonsai focuses on freelancers and agencies, but you may need more robust project and collaboration features.

Clarify your goals for ClickUp

Define what you want this move to achieve:

• Better task and project visibility
• Centralized client communication
• More flexible views and reporting
• Room for a growing team or agency

Write these goals down. You will use them to decide how to structure ClickUp and which features to enable first.

Audit what you use in Hello Bonsai

List the core items you rely on today:

• Clients and contact details
• Projects, tasks, and milestones
• Invoices and payment tracking
• Contracts, proposals, and templates
• Time tracking logs and notes

This audit helps you decide how to map each item into ClickUp (for example, projects into Spaces or Folders, tasks into Lists, and so on).

Step 2: Design Your ClickUp Workspace Structure

ClickUp is highly flexible, so designing a simple structure first prevents confusion later.

Set up Spaces in ClickUp

Use Spaces to group work by big areas of your business. For example:

• Client Work Space
• Internal Operations Space
• Marketing or Content Space

Each Space can host its own Folders, Lists, custom statuses, and automations, giving you a clear separation between client-facing and internal work.

Create Folders and Lists for your clients

Inside your ClickUp Spaces, use Folders and Lists to mirror your existing client and project structure:

• Create one Folder per client, or one Folder per service type.
• Within each Folder, add Lists for projects, retainers, or recurring services.

For example, in your Client Work Space:

• Folder: Client A
  • List: Website Redesign
  • List: Monthly Retainer
• Folder: Client B
  • List: Brand Strategy

This way, all tasks, files, and comments for each client sit neatly together in ClickUp.

Step 3: Configure ClickUp Task Statuses and Custom Fields

ClickUp allows you to model your workflow using custom statuses and fields, giving you better control than a generic to-do list.

Define ClickUp statuses that match your process

Map your existing stages (from Hello Bonsai or your manual process) into ClickUp task statuses. A simple client project workflow might be:

• Backlog
• In Discovery
• In Progress
• Client Review
• Revisions
• Completed

Keep it lean at first. You can always add more statuses later if you see consistent stages that need their own label.

Set up ClickUp custom fields for freelance work

Use custom fields to capture data that matters across clients and projects, such as:

• Client Name (dropdown)
• Service Type (dropdown)
• Hourly Rate or Fixed Fee (number / currency)
• Invoice Status (dropdown)
• Due Date Confirmed (checkbox)

These custom fields make reporting and filtering much more powerful, especially when you start managing many clients in ClickUp.

Step 4: Import or Rebuild Your Data in ClickUp

Now that your structure is ready, bring your existing information into ClickUp in a controlled way.

Export data from Hello Bonsai

From your Hello Bonsai account, export what you can, typically as CSV files:

• Clients
• Projects
• Tasks or to-dos
• Time entries
• Invoices and payments

Save these exports in a secure location. You will reference or import them as you configure ClickUp.

Import tasks into ClickUp

Use the CSV import feature to quickly populate your new Lists:

1. Create the target List in ClickUp.
2. Open the List and choose the CSV import option.
3. Upload your file and map columns to ClickUp fields (task name, due date, assignee, custom fields).
4. Complete the import and check that tasks display correctly in List and Board views.

For complex or outdated data, consider importing only active work to keep ClickUp clean and focused.

Step 5: Rebuild Client Workflows in ClickUp

To fully replace Hello Bonsai, you need workflows in ClickUp that support proposals, projects, and ongoing collaboration.

Create ClickUp templates for recurring work

Turn repeatable processes into templates:

• Client onboarding template List
• Monthly retainer task template
• Design or development project template

Each template can include task checklists, assignees, and dependencies, so every new client or project in ClickUp starts with a proven process.

Use ClickUp views to manage your pipeline

Replace scattered spreadsheets with dynamic views:

• Board view to visualize stages like Lead, Qualified, Proposal Sent, Active, Completed.
• List view for detailed task work.
• Calendar view for deadlines and deliverable schedules.

Filter by custom fields or clients to see exactly what matters at any moment.

Step 6: Enhance Collaboration and Communication in ClickUp

ClickUp shines when you centralize communication with your team and clients.

Use comments and mentions in ClickUp

Instead of email chains, use task comments:

• @mention teammates to assign follow-ups.
• Attach files directly to tasks for easy reference.
• Use comment threads to capture decisions and revisions.

This keeps project history in one place, so you are not searching multiple tools to remember what was agreed.

Share ClickUp views with clients when needed

For transparent client communication, you can:

• Share read-only views of project timelines.
• Use guest access to let clients review tasks and leave feedback.

Use this selectively for clients who are comfortable working inside a workspace like ClickUp.

Step 7: Streamline Time and Finance Tracking Around ClickUp

While Hello Bonsai focuses heavily on invoicing, you can still connect your time and billing workflows around ClickUp.

Track time with ClickUp tasks

Log time directly on tasks for better visibility into project effort. Use:

• Time estimates to plan work.
• Time tracked to compare against budgets.

You can then export time data or sync it with specialized billing tools depending on your stack.

Create a reporting hub linked to ClickUp

Set up reporting dashboards or use companion tools like Consultevo to design more advanced analytics, financial summaries, or agency-grade reporting around your ClickUp data.

Step 8: Optimize and Scale Your ClickUp Setup

Once the basics are in place, continuously refine how you use ClickUp to keep your workspace fast and efficient.

Review your ClickUp structure regularly

Every few weeks:

• Archive old clients or projects.
• Merge overlapping Lists or Spaces.
• Simplify statuses that do not add value.

Small, regular improvements keep ClickUp manageable as your freelance work or agency scales.

Automate repetitive actions in ClickUp

Use automations to handle routine tasks, such as:

• Changing status when due dates pass.
• Assigning tasks when they enter a new stage.
• Posting comments or reminders on key dates.

Start with a few high-impact automations and expand gradually, so your ClickUp workspace supports you without becoming overwhelming.

Conclusion: Make ClickUp Your Operations Hub

By planning your structure, importing data thoughtfully, and rebuilding your workflows step by step, you can confidently shift from Hello Bonsai to ClickUp. The result is a flexible, scalable workspace that supports projects, clients, collaboration, and reporting in one place.

Use this guide as a checklist, adjust it to your own processes, and continue refining your ClickUp setup as your business grows.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

Get Help

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