Techno Thursday: Time Tracking

In keeping with the time management theme, I want to talk about one of my most useful business tools: time tracking software.

I remember reading on a Virtual Assistant web site once that she does not use time tracking software.  That boggles my mind. Why? Because it  is essential to keep accurate records of the time you use doing client work. It is the only way to correctly and fairly bill your clients. Not only that, keeping accurate records will ensure that you are paid fairly and accurately, too. By the way, this doesn’t apply just to VAs. This applies to any independent contractor or service-oriented, micro-business owner.

Not only that, using a time tracking software can be used to track your personal time, too. A while back I did an experiement and turned my software on everytime I worked on a project, whether is was for a client or writing project or doing some online research. Was I ever surprized! not only did it make me keenly aware of how much time I was actually “playing” on the computer, it gave me a much more precise awareness of how much time it took me to do certain projects. I highly recommend you try this experiment, too. (If you do, let me know how it went. Were you surprized with your results?)

Okay, now comes the question: Which time tracking software should you choose?  There are a lot of software programs out there; however, for me, in this particular season of my business, Time Stamp suits my needs just fine. It is free (technically, donationware) and has a slacker feature that I like.

If you do a quick search on Google, you will find many  downloadable or web-based programs such as myhours.com, Task Capture, Harvest Time, and others. Most of the ones that aren’t free offer a free trial. My suggestion would be to pick a few and try them out before you pick one that suits your needs best.

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