Working as a freelancer can be hard work, while others can “clock watch” and wait for the end of the day, every minute wasted is income lost!
One of the biggest frustrations for freelancers can be figuring out where their time has gone, juggling clients and projects can be difficult and confusing. Fortunately, there’s a solution, time tracking software can make keeping on top of your projects and the time you spend on them much simpler.
Here are 5 of the reasons as a freelancer you should consider investing in time tracking software:
- Accurate Billing
As a freelancer it’s vitally important that you can provide fair, transparent billing, not just for yourself but for your clients.
Nobody wants to be underpaid for the work they undertake on a project and time tracking software allows freelancers to keep a clear and accurate record of time spent on projects.
This allows you to be paid fairly and provide clients with clear, detailed & accurate bills.
- Avoid Scope Creep
Time tracking provides you with detailed insight into how much time you’re spending on your projects. Tracking your time will reveal any tasks that are taking longer than planned.
If you’re allocating more time and resources to a project than originally on the contract, it’s better to identify during the project than when you’re finished.
Having access to this kind of data allows you to take a step back and reprioritise tasks if necessary. Having a clear record of the time you spend on tasks will allow you (and your client) to understand how time is being spent.
- More informed quotes
It can be difficult to estimate how long certain tasks might take, every project is different and so providing accurate quotes to potential clients can often be challenging.
With time tracking, you gain historical data on how long similar projects and their related tasks have taken.
With access to this information, you can make a more informed estimation based on data, avoiding over or under-estimating quotes for potential clients. This improves the expectation levels and reduces the chances of conflict caused by misestimating a quote.
- Assess The Profitability Of Your Clients
Working for yourself means you want to spend your time on the most profitable projects. By tracking the amount of time you’re putting into each account and assessing the profitability you get from the projects, you can ensure you are making the most out of your client base.
If you’re spending more time than the job is worth, it might be time to drop the client and focus on getting another in which might be a better fit and present a better return on the time you’re investing.
- Find Your Optimal Working Hours
Freelancers don’t tend to work conventional hours, when you work for yourself staying up and working those late nights to get a project done might seem like a good idea, but it may be hindering your productivity.
By seeing the hours you’ve put in and comparing it against the work you’ve got done you might realise you’re as productive as during the day. Maybe you’re more productive late at night and the mornings aren’t for you, time tracking allows you to find your windows of productivity and plan your workday around it!
1Time for Freelancers
If you’re a freelancer in any industry, 1time can help you get your time in order. We offer a whole host of features that can help you be your most productive, profitable self.
Access our software from anywhere from whatever device you’re using, desktop, mobile, or tablet, so you can work on the go! Use our notifications feature to remind you to log your times and ensure you keep an accurate recording of the work you’re undertaking.
You can track the probability and costs of client projects and provide them with custom reports and their own portal to check the progress of their projects, meaning you can build even better client relations and win repeat business!
The best bit? You can try any of the 1time price plans for FREE with a 30-day trial! Try it for yourself and see how 1time can benefit you.
