Confession: I'm terrible at tracking my time.
Most of my freelance work over the past few years has been fee-based or project-based, and when you're charging based on outputs it's not as crucial to track every second (plus it's an incentive to work more efficiently).
But recently I've been doing some work on an hourly basis, so I've had to up my game on the accountability front.
Now, if you're a FreshBooks user you'll already know that its platform incorporates a handy time tracking tool. Or, like me, you might have just started using it and realised how many features it offers to freelancers and business owners.
FreshBooks allows you to log your hours in its system, and then generate an invoice based on what you've entered. Magic!
Even if you're not charging by the hour, creating invoices in FreshBooks is a breeze. Save details to reuse in the future, from client information to project tasks. Add discounts or request a deposit at the click of a button.
Work predominantly online? With FreshBooks you can accept Paypal and Stripe as forms of payment.
And because getting paid on time has got to be one of the biggest hassles of self-employment, your clients are automatically emailed payment reminders if they're not keeping up. The reporting features in FreshBooks show you which clients are prompt to pay and which are not. If you're using FreshBooks to manage your expenses too, then you can keep tabs on your profit and loss summary in here.
If you ever need to quote on a project, it's quick and easy to whip up an estimate in FreshBooks and fire it through for approval.
The interface is super simple - and if you get stuck, there are hints and step guides all the way. So far, I can vouch that it is dummy proof.
You can try it for free for 30 days - grab your free trial of Freshbooks here!
(This post contains affiliate links - if you use my link, I get a referral bonus.)
