Solo Professionals are a unique group when it comes to managing their business efficiently and effectively.

• First, the trend is that most solo professionals work at home, giving them all kinds of freedom to do what they want, when they want, since there's no "big brother" looking over their shoulders.
  
• Second, boundaries for work hours are practically non-existent since they never now where the next dollar will come from - and that causes you to grab at anything that zooms by.
  
• Finally, how they do things - such as tracking/managing clients/projects - is very unique.
  

If "chaos" is a term used to describe how you manage what you do, then maybe the following questions can help:

• How you handle clients/projects now? Are you an email junkie such that your entire life revolves around what you have in your Inbox and the subsequent folders? Or maybe you prefer a combo of keeping communications electronically in your email, while invoices and billing items are kept as hard copies.
  On the other hand, maybe you're a "must have it in print" kind of person.
  Pick the one you think works best with your skill set and apply it to everything.
  
• How do you schedule projects? If you don't schedule projects, don't feel that you're alone.
  Scheduling projects is hard - especially when at any given time, a new project (or emergency) could come in and upset the apple cart.
  Instead of making a specific schedule with times and durations, try scheduling them for specific weeks or days in general.
  Start small and work your way up to minute-by-minute scheduling.
  
• How do you prioritize? Unless you only work local, the chances are you have clients all.
  And time zones differences can mean that when you open your Inbox in the morning, there could be tons of stuff waiting.
  But what if several clients send the "I need this ASAP" email? First, say to yourself, "lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
  " Then make a decision as to how you will handle these situations.
  Choices are to handle the easiest one first and so on.
  Or, handle the one for the most important client.
  The key element is to communicate to the client that (a) you've received their request and (b) when they can expect it to be completed.
  Don't be afraid to charge a premium if the client really wants to move to the top of the pile!
• How do you plan ahead? Pipelines and funnels are typical sales terms and they're a hard concept for the solo professional to comprehend.
  Yet, if your sales cycle is more than a few days, you need to plan ahead - all the time.
  Ask your clients what is coming your way.
  Try to get dates.
  Just be careful you don't give the impression that you're laying around, eating bon bons and watching TV and waiting for their work.
  A simple indication that you are working on your calendar for "X" month and you want to make sure to squeeze them in.
  You'll be surprised at how much additional business you get when you plan ahead for the client.
  

If you really feel the above is just beyond the time, capability, and energy you have, hire someone to help, if only short-term.
A project like this may look bigger than it is for you, but not for someone else.