keeping track of time/time sheet template

cathleencp

I am just starting out as a self-employed contractor and would welcome advice on the best way of keeping track of time spent on each client/project ................

ssbob

cathleencp wrote: »

I am just starting out as a self-employed contractor and would welcome advice on the best way of keeping track of time spent on each client/project ................

Be maticulous with a diary and at the end of every week enter the info into an excel spreadsheet.

EamonOSullivan

Can you let us all know what line of business you are in?

Also do you tend to charge customers for small slices of time, or large chunks of time? If its the first one, then you'd be better off to buy a time package, if its a day per customer type of operation then excel should work fine.

cathleencp

I provide an administratvie support service invoiced at a half day or a a full day rate. I will have approx 20 clients and some weeks I wont do any work for them and other weeks I may do a full day. I will also a few clients using me on a regular basis for a set fee.

ssbob

cathleencp wrote: »

I provide an administratvie support service invoiced at a half day or a a full day rate. I will have approx 20 clients and some weeks I wont do any work for them and other weeks I may do a full day. I will also a few clients using me on a regular basis for a set fee.

Like I said above, be maticulous with your diary and then excel should be fine, another way of doing it would be to have an invoice book and for every time you are with a client, you could issue them an invoice there and then, or you could use a dayworks sheet which the client signs off and you attach this to the back of their invoice when submitting!

EamonOSullivan

Excel should do you for now, combined with a desk diary to track where you have spent your time.

If you pick up more customers, you can get good timesheet program like the one available from Thesaurus called Timelink.

Once you are up and running, I would worry more about recovery rates i.e. how much of your time is actually charged out, and collecting money from customers, than recording time.

Best of luck with your new business.

smcgiff

Most phones now have programmes that would allow you to kep track, but personally you can't beat Excel.

EamonOSullivan

Phones have some programs but is it not a bit fiddly keeping records like that on the phone? I'd agree with the last poster, you should probably stick to Excel for the moment until your business becomes more complex.

YellowSheep

EamonOSullivan wrote: »

Phones have some programs but is it not a bit fiddly keeping records like that on the phone? I'd agree with the last poster, you should probably stick to Excel for the moment until your business becomes more complex.

Hi Eamon. There is a program out there called «Advanced Timesheet Solutions». We just implemented it. Its cost 48 euro and also lets you also billing your clients. You can download trial for free. Set it up, play with it and than you just buy a liscence. Regards Oliver

YellowSheep

Sorry Cathleen to call you Eamon. Oliver