advice for new user and new consultant

Hello,

I am experienced in my field but very new to the business of consulting--recent layoff forced me to go it alone. I have been using Zoho Invoice for the past year and as my projects and client list grows I am questioning whether my project/invoicing "structure" is appropriate.

I am looking for advice with respect to setting up Zoho Invoice projects for the long-term.

Here is my situation:

Scientific Consultant;
currently one-man-show but looking to grow;
multiple clients;
a mix of defined project work for which I submit formal proposals and random hourly work at clients request;
would like to bill at different rates depending on the type of work and the client (i.e. field work vs desk work, discounted rate for preferred clients);
I have billable expenses such as travel, materials, etc. that I currently handle separately through Expensify.

I am currently considering the following approach:

Create Customer in standard fashion;
Create "General Consulting" Project that is evergreen for on-demand hourly work for each Customer;
Create additional "defined" Projects for new, "defined" work;
Bill monthly, submitting a separate invoice for each Project (i.e. one for General Consulting, one for Project X, one for Project Y, etc.).
Mark "defined" Projects as inactive upon completion.

Am I on the right track? Any tips, tricks, advice? I haven't managed to find a guide anywhere specific to different businesses and would equally appreciate a nudge in the right direction if I missed it.

Thanks in advance,

Scott

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