Keep freelancers and vendors separate from client companies so shortlists and labels stay useful.
Where
CRM → Suppliers.
Add supplier companies or people you hire (editors, DOPs, studios, and so on). This is not the same list as CRM → Companies (clients).
Use shortlists and labels when your process needs a quick pick-list for a job.
How it fits with the rest
Client work still starts from companies, contacts, and deals. Suppliers are the production side of the network, not the buyer.
Things that trip people up
- Creating a client as a supplier (or the other way around): portal and invoicing get confusing.
- Expecting suppliers to appear in the client portal company list: they don’t.