Understanding Client Types: Individual and Business

Nizam supports two client types to help you organize your contacts appropriately. Understanding the difference between Individual and Business clients ensures your workspace stays organized and your client information displays correctly throughout the app.

The Two Client Types

Individual Clients

Individual clients are perfect for:

Freelancers and independent contractors
Sole proprietors
Personal contacts
Consultants working under their own name

What makes Individual clients unique:

The client’s personal name (first and last name) is used throughout the app
Display name format: “John Smith” or “Sarah Johnson”
Company name is optional
Best for one-on-one relationships

Business Clients

Business clients are ideal for:

Companies and corporations
Organizations and nonprofits
Any entity with a business name
Clients where you work with multiple contacts within the organization

What makes Business clients unique:

The company name is used as the primary identifier throughout the app
Display name format: “Acme Corporation” or “Smith & Associates”
Company name is required
You still capture the primary contact’s personal information

How Client Types Affect Your Workspace

Display Names

The most visible difference is how clients appear throughout Nizam:

Individual Clients:

Client lists show: “John Smith”
Invoices display: “John Smith”
Proposals address: “John Smith”

Business Clients:

Client lists show: “Acme Corporation”
Invoices display: “Acme Corporation”
Proposals address: “Acme Corporation”
Primary contact information is still stored and used where appropriate

Visual Indicators

In your client list, each type displays a different badge:

Individual clients show a person icon
Business clients show a building icon

This helps you quickly identify the type of client at a glance.

Choosing the Right Type

Choose Individual When:

✓ You’re working directly with one person
✓ The person operates under their personal name
✓ You want invoices and proposals to show the person’s name
✓ The client is a freelancer or solo practitioner

Choose Business When:

✓ You’re working with a company or organization
✓ You want the business name on all documents
✓ There may be multiple contacts within the same organization
✓ Professional documentation should reference the company

Switching Client Types

You can change a client’s type anytime:

Open the client’s detail page using the three dots at the end of the client record.
Click Edit Client
Select a different client type
Update the company name if switching to Business
Save your changes

What happens when you switch:

The display name updates immediately throughout your workspace
Existing invoices and proposals keep their original formatting
New documents will use the updated display name

Best Practices

✅ Be consistent: Decide on your naming convention early. For example, if a freelancer has a business name they use professionally, decide whether to use Individual (their personal name) or Business (their business name).

✅ Think about invoicing: Choose the type based on how you want client names to appear on invoices and proposals.

✅ Use Business for entities: If your client is a legal business entity that will sign contracts and pay invoices, use the Business type.

✅ Individual doesn’t mean small: The type isn’t about the size of the work or the value of the client. It’s about how you want to reference them in your workspace.

Common Questions

I have a freelancer who uses a business name. Which type should I use?
Use Business if you want their business name to appear on all documents. Even though they’re a solo practitioner, the Business type might better reflect your professional relationship.

Can I have the person’s name AND the company name on invoices?
The display name is determined by the client type, but you can customize invoice templates (if that feature is available in your plan) to show additional information.

Does client type affect any functionality beyond display names?
No. Both types have access to the same features—projects, invoices, proposals, notes, and tasks. The type only affects how the client is identified in your workspace.

What if I’m not sure which type to choose?
Start with Individual for person-to-person relationships and Business for companies. You can always change it later if needed.