When you’re a freelancer on the clock and charging by the hour, every second really does count. Keeping track of how long you’re spending on each task or project can help to determine if you’re charging enough, which clients are taking up the most time and how you can better improve how you work. We’ve scoured the internet for some of the best digital timekeeping tools to help you keep you ticking along efficiently – let us know your suggestions on Twitter!
- Toggl
For tracking time on individual projects, it doesn’t get much better than Toggl. With a simple interface and eye-catching design, Toggl makes the whole rigmarole of counting hours a far more tolerable affair. The best way to use Toggl would be to spring for the upgraded edition and add each project and task, alongside the cost for each. This will then generate a projection of how much each project is costing you and whether or not it’s profitable. From here, decide whether you’re charging enough or not and adjust your prices accordingly.
- Rescue Time
There’s no need to deny it, freelancers – we’re all guilty of a little bit of procrastination. The difference, however, is that yours is directly affecting how much money you’re making. Nip this in the bud with Rescue Time, a digital tool created with the aim of being non-intrusive and serving more as an objective look at what you’re doing all day. It will monitor what websites you’ve been on, how long you spent sending emails and how many of those Facebook articles you’ve been reading. With this information, you can form a battle plan – perhaps you work better in the mornings and evenings? Can you adjust your working times to suit that? No matter what you find, just remember not to be too harsh on yourself!
- Paymo
Throughout our research, Paymo kept cropping up as a very popular choice with freelancers for a number of reasons – all of which are down to their fantastic service offering. Not only is it free for a single user, with unlimited projects (limited to one invoice, however), but there are a number of features that will make your life a thousand times easier. The first of these is the Goal Calendar, a handy little feature that shows which projects are approaching their deadlines. Sounds simple, right? Well, with this knowledge you can prioritise your work load and keep you constantly up to date with your clients’ requirements.
Following on from Rescue Time’s time monitoring, Paymo tracks what time is being spent in which applications on your desktop, so don’t think offline games of solitaire can go under the radar! This is also a chance for you to see which programmes you rely on – essential for deciding if you really do want to pay for that upgrade.
Are you a freelancer looking for an accountant that understands your financial needs? Get in touch with Gorilla Accounting – freelance and contractor specialists – to talk to a member of our team about how we can help!
