Time Tracking and Billing: Two Things Service Providers Need to Consider

As service providers, we have control over how much time we spend on projects given that we remain on budget and schedule. However, there are instances that we seem to lose track of the actual time we put on each task. When this happens, we also don’t get to bill clients accurately. With time tracking and billing software, you can prevent this from ever happening again.

For us whose professional lives depend online, we usually start our day checking our e-mails and responding to them. These can take time. Before you know it, an hour has passed and we did not even get to track them. Moments that we allot for planning also take considerable time. Performing all these things fall in the same category as doing the actual work. They need to be recorded because they are work-related just the same; thus, you earn money from them. As they say, when you get a hold of how much time you spend on every task, the more money you make. And when your income depends on the time you put on every project you have, you better track it to the last second.

Time tracking and billing is the appropriate support tool to get. Using this, you can track all tasks you perform related to the project you have. It can either be planning, e-mailing a client, responding to your client’s inquiries, talking to your client over the phone or through online chat, or doing the actual work. All these can be tracked so that you get to record every single activity you do for a client or project. You don’t have to worry about over-billing the client either because you can precisely describe every time reflected on the bill. When you start on an activity, there is an entry box where you can particularize it so your clients will know how each recorded time is spent. In addition, you can customize each task by determining the amount you are charging. The rate you charge may vary depending on what you do. For example, if you’re a copywriter, the amount you charge on researching and reading reference materials may be different when you actually start writing. Your rate may also be different when you’re merely corresponding to clients or communicating for clarifications or follow-ups. If you’re generous, you can also adjust your rates to show that you are giving them a discount.

Certainly, there is so much that you can do when you use the time tracking and billing tool. Time does not have to fly unrecorded. Everything is traced. This is really such a great support application if you want to change the manner in which you do your daily activities. This is more so if you want to promote professional billing practices.