If you're a freelancer, time tracking is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. It's not just because clients will want to know how much time you've spent on their projects—time tracking also helps ensure that your business is running smoothly and efficiently when it comes to billing clients. While we're here to help with our own templates and strategies, it's still up to you to set aside some dedicated time every week (or day!) to track how much time you're spending on each project (and actually use those times wisely).
1. Track your time every day
It's important to track your time every day so that you can see how much work you're doing, how much money you're making, and where your time is going. If you don't keep track of this information, it will be hard for you to make changes or plan out the future.
You should also take note of which hours were productive and which ones weren't so that when reviewing your schedule at the end of the week or month, it will be easier for you to decide whether or not something needs changing.
2. Break down your projects
Here's what you do:
- Break down your projects into smaller tasks
- Define what each task is and how long it will take you to complete it
- Only focus on one thing at a time. If you need to multitask, use tools like Rescue Time or Rescue Me from 37signals to track the hours spent on different tasks. But don't forget that these tools don't account for distractions or other factors that can affect productivity (and thus, your overall billing rate).
- Keep track of how long each task takes. To do this easily and accurately, use the Pomodoro Technique! The basic idea is simple: set a timer for 25 minutes (or whatever time block works best for you), work without any distractions until the timer rings—then take a five minute break (with no phone!). Repeat again until all your tasks are done.
3. Use tools to help you track your time
If you're a freelancer and want to get the most out of your time, then it's important to use a tool that can track it for you. There are many different types of tools available—some better than others—but here are three examples:
- ClickTime: Freelancers who need to keep track of billable hours should use reliable time tracking software. Platforms like ClickTime offer a range of features to help you monitor the time you spend on clients, keep an eye on your progress, and streamline the process of billing and invoicing.
- Toggl: This is a popular option that has been around since 2007 and works on all platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux). It can also be used with Android devices and iPhones/iPads! The free version is limited in its features but still gives users what they need without having too much access. The paid accounts come at $9 per month or $49 annually.
- Harvest: This tool is similar in pricing as Toggl with plans starting at $9 per month or $49 annually (or even cheaper if paid yearly). Harvest tracks time during phone calls as well as emails sent and received along with other productivity metrics such as project management tasks completed and billable hours spent on projects each day/week/month/etcetera!
4. Explore different ways to bill clients
When it comes to time tracking and billing, freelancers have a lot of options. For example, you can bill your clients for the hours you spend on a project (known as hourly billing) or you can use a flat rate or retainer model. To determine which method is best for your business, think about how much money you want to make each week/month and what type of clientele you want to attract.
If your goal is to make as much money as possible per hour:
- Hourly billing is ideal if all of your clients are local because it's easy to get paid right away.
- You may also consider charging different rates depending on what profession they're in—such as higher rates for lawyers or doctors than designers or developers.
5. Don't give up
Don’t give up. Even if you don't get paid for a few months, it doesn't mean your business is doomed. You have to have faith and keep working toward your goals.
If you’re not getting paid on time or at all, don’t take it personally. There are many reasons why clients might be late on payments: they might be going through personal problems, they've been fired from their job and can't pay their bills, etc. They may also need more time to evaluate how much work they want to order from you in the future — which means more money coming in later down the road! It's important that you remain patient during these times; remember that everyone goes through challenges at some point in their lives and often needs help getting back on track.
Time tracking is hard, but it's super useful and important if you want to work as a freelancer!
It's important to track your time, but it's also really easy to forget. This will happen when you're busy working on a project and don't realize that you've spent an hour working on something unrelated to the client's request or have spent 20 minutes going back and forth with someone who wants you to change something in their design.
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you some ideas on how to track your time and make sure that every hour is being spent as efficiently as possible. If you're just starting out with freelancing, then we recommend trying out a few different strategies until you find one that works best for you! Remember that it's important not only to track your time but also to keep good records of all the work that goes into each project.
Until a couple of months ago, remote teams was a concept practiced among the most advanced digital & wild SaaS companies.
But circumstances, have made adoption of remote work policies and managing remote teams effectively the need of the hour.Remote teams today are the lifeline of all businesses across industries and geographies.
Be it your banker, the local city council, your government, the departmental store in your neighborhood and your favorite apps that you rely during such times….The idea is to maintain order in all walks of life.We all are used to work 50-60hrs or more a week, commute to office, do daily chores etc.
And with the lockdown, you are all but restricted within your homes.
So confinement & restrictive movement is suddenly the new normal.
Read the full article at Orangescrum Blog
Tracking time “because someone told you to”, top nonprofits take advantage of the crucial data realized by tracking time.
With this data, they are better positioned to deliver on their undertakings and effect meaningful change.
