Track Your Client Time to Maximize Flexibility in Your Schedule
Have you ever wondered exactly what it takes to run your business? Try tracking your time to understand exactly what how much time you’re investing.
I have been using Harvest to track my hourly work for clients. It’s been a game changer in terms of the organization of it all, and I have to tell you: I love the stop button even more than the start button. Before using a time tracker, I would just block my time in 20 minute increments. While time blocking can have its benefits, I felt stressed. Nothing else was allowed in once I started to work and as a natural multi-tasker, this was hard for me. Now that I’m working from home and homeschooling, I absolutely have to be able to pause and fit everything together.
Here’s a realistic view into how one 30-minute period of time might look for me:
10:15: Start work on a client newsletter (Hit start on the project timer for Client 1)
10:21: Someone needs help walking through a math problem (Hit stop on the project timer)
10:28: I got a text from another client with a question (Start timer for Client 2 for today)
10:30: Text is answered, back to the newsletter for client 1 (Stop timer for Client 2, Restart timer for Client 1)
10:38: Discussing the day’s schedule with another of my kids as she finishes school for the morning to get read for work (Stop timer for Client 1)
10:42: Everyone is focused, back to work (Start timer on Client 1 and hope to get at least 10 minutes in!)
It looks a lot crazier above than it actually feels as it’s happening (women are queens of multi-tasking right?!) AND I feel far less stressed. In my previous time blocking method, I wasn’t feeling the flexibility I should have felt. Time that was meant to be free and flow as I wanted to felt a lot more like a prison holding my hostage.
You can use the link below to try Harvest with $10 off your first month. If you have hourly-rated clients, I cannot suggest this service enough. Bonus tip for having a full understanding of your work profitability found below!
This is not sponsored, but I will receive a small credit if you choose to try Harvest ongoing. Whether you use my link or not, I still highly recommend!
Bonus Tip: Track your own admin time to fully understand your work profitability.
If you’ve ever wondered how much money you’re really making per hour, you’ll always be guessing unless you track your own work time. Whether you have a team or not, consider all of the various tasks that you put in and the ways it all ads up. From marketing, graphics and newsletters to any social media you might do, email management and even just paying your business expenses, you’re doing a lot. Having a full view of your own time can help you determine if you’re making enough to make it all worth while.
The truth is, it IS worthwhile, but knowing the numbers can help you determine your own value which can help you price out coaching packages, hourly design work or whatever your various services are.
