Time and Time Again....

Keeping track of time for billing purposes?

[Syren_Song]

Just wondering how everyone keeps track of their time for billing purposes.

I know lots of folks are doing set pricing for web design and development (X number of pages and Y number of graphics for $Z), but sometimes you just need to bill for time spent on a project.

How do you keep track of your time? Use a program? Keep it in your head? Manually write everything down? Some time, some way, it's got to be done, no matter how painful a process it is.

[digitalghost]

I use BillQuick.

>>Keep it in your head?

That would make my accountant nuts.

>>Manually write everything down?

That would make me nuts. :)

>>Some time, some way, it's got to be done, no matter how painful a process it is.

Yep, that's why I like to be able to do it with a couple of mouse clicks.

[lorax]

I track my time manually and then enter it into a spreadsheet for the week. Minimum billing increment is 1/2hour unless the client wants me to track it closer - in which case they pay a higher rate for the Overhead it costs me.

[Mardi_Gras]

Wonder how many here use 1/2 hour minimum increment? In theory I am 15 minutes but I try to round everything beyond a simple phone call up to 1/2 hour.

[Syren_Song]

I tend to think in terms of 15-min increments, but then again, I didn't have any choice in a previous job.

I think when you're billing for your own business, there's more of a tendency to forgive 5 mins. here and there, but when it starts to add up, you're really hurting yourself if you don't track in 15-minute increments.

[DrCool]

I remember a couple years ago there was a program that some people in our office used. You basically clicked on it when you started working on a project and clicked off when you were done. It would track multiple projects at the same time. I can't for the life of me remember what is was called though but I do know there are programs like this out there.

[lorax]

I do tend to not-bother with 5 or 10 minute fixes but will make a mental note. If at month's end I feel those freebies have added up to a significant amount I'll bill the client - but I always tell them ahead of time and remind them of what they've asked me to do.

[Syren_Song]

Mostly, I'm trying to find a better way of tracking time and (if I'm lucky) a way to keep track of how much who is getting charged for what. I've been using Time Stamp, but it only allows for a single rate and it you change the rate, it changes it across the board.

In other words, I may be charging a different amount for graphic work than I am for adding a single new page to an existing site. Or I may want to charge for making significant changes to a message board the client wants to use so that it conforms to the site's look. I need to be able to track the various projects separately, since they don't necessarily bill for the same amount.

- OR -

I need to be able to track everything under one client, but at different hourly rates.

Any ideas? Suggestions? How are others doing this?

[heini]

Good topic here - as someone who tends to work at several things at a time ;) I really have problems keeping track.
At one point I made the test - taking notes of each and every minute I spent, incl. visits here, checking listings, news sites, on- and offline maintenance etc:
The amazing fact was I had spent much more time on the paid job i was doing inbetween all those things than I had thought - and charged.

[digitalghost]

Umm, I use BillQuick. Handles different clients, different rates, integrates with Quickbooks and it offers offsite time keeping via a web interface or a Palm Pilot and I can send the invoices via email with a click.

<added>30 day trial I started using it on the recommendation of my lawyer, he certainly manages to bill everything down to the minute :)</added>

[lorax]

I believe Day-Timer has a time tracking module. I also downloaded a freebie from Palm-Gear for my Handspring Visor which I've used off and on.

[Syren_Song]

As for the thread, heini, I figured there must be others out there wondering exactly what I'm wondering/ I'm just the one who thought to post it first! :)

And you're right, digitalghost, lawyers know how to get every penny out of their clients. ;)

Thanks for the suggestions. This is the kind of stuff I was looking for. I hope more folks post what they're doing too. There's an awful lot of programmers and esigners out there who've got to be billing per hour at least occasionally!

The more choices I've got to look over before I make my decision, the better I like it. I'm not in a rush, so I can afford to look at a bunch of different options.

[Brett_Tabke]

Great related post by Lawman:
[webmasterworld.com...]

[Syren_Song]

Thanks, Brett. I think I've read that one before, and it's definitely related.

I guess one of the things that got me thinking (besides the software issue) was that a woman on a list I subscribe to mentioned that she charges less for her time/work when she's learning from the design experience. In other words, if it's a new concept for her, or a new type of form or validation process, or language, she takes a percentage off what she charges the client. This makes plenty of sense to me.

My big problem, tho, is keeping accurate time of the time I spend on a project. I can decide to deduct whatever I want when I through with it, but I'd like to know exactly how much time I'm spending learning and how much time I'm spending doing things I already know. If I want to charge less for my learning experience, I've got to know what percentage of my time was spent doing research as opposed to the actual job performance.

I want to know how others are keeping track of their time. (The breakdown is neat too, as far as increments and such.) What tools they're using, etc. I'm trying to see if there's any concensus on tools for this -- like there's a general concensus for tools used for programming websites.

Anything else is pure gravy for me! ;)

<edit - typos>