Tracking Time

You don’t have to pay for time-tracking software! Here are three ways to track your time for f-ree:

• Go to http://www.online-stopwatch.com/. There you’ll find an array of different and interesting timers that either act in stopwatch or countdown modes.
• Sign-up for a free myHours.com account (www.myhours.com). Create a new Project (and Task if you need to). Beside the Start box, click the link for Now. The clock is running. Beside the Finish box, click the link for Now. The clock stops, and you have your duration. (This is a good ongoing solution for tracking time for all sorts of tasks within all sorts of projects.)
• Use Excel. On a blank worksheet in cell A2, type the current time in 24-hour format and press Enter (e.g., 15:10 for 3:10 p.m.). In cell A3, type =A1-A2 and press Enter. Don’t worry about the # signs. When done, type your finish time in 24-hour format in cell A1 and press Enter.

Note from Pat: If you do want to invest in time tracking software, CyberCletch uses FreshBooks (referral link) which also allows us to track team hours and build client invoices from their recorded time. Saves LOTS of time! I’ve also been looking for a way to track just how much time I’ve been spending in my business – billable and non-billable hours. I’ve been using the timer on my iphone clock app to ensure I perform a minimum/maximum number of hours in and on my business each day. Love the ease of both used in conjunction. Total time on my iphone app – the billable time in Freshbooks = the non-billable time worked. For me it was easier than turning a timer on and off each time I switch tasks.