Time tracking specific to Bookkeepers

[sfdbooks]

I know there is a board for time tracking, but I thought I would ask the question specifically to our bookkeepers.

How do you track your time? There is a time keeper function in Quickbooks that I actually think is worthless. Anyone use this and make it work for you? I saw on the other board some recommedations for myhours.com and a few others. Anyone use those? How do they work for you?

Thanks!
Sarah
Accurate Office Help

[lanelt]

In the beginning I used the QuickBooks time tracker. You're right...it's worthless. LOL Personally, I use myHours and love it. I do wish there was a way to export it to QuickBooks but I have my system down now so it's OK.

Here's a couple reason's I like myHours:

• I subcontract for one company -- we're linked so she can view my hours from her company end.
• I have some subcontractors, I'm able to link to them and view their time whenever I want/need to. Plus, when it's time for me to do my billing I don't have to wait until they send me an invoice...I know how many hours they have.
• I like that it's web-based. Some people don't like this I do. I have a desktop that I usually work on and a laptop. I often will switch between the two and for me it's simple my client's books are all remotely accessed and my time is on the web -- easy to get to any computer.
• I've mentioned I don't go to client's offices but I do have one client that I'll run errands for. I can track my time on my phone via the mobile access (need web access). This comes in handy when I've had to deliver something for the client to a mall job and decide to shop for a bit since I don't get to that mall often because it's over 40 miles away.
• I find it very easy to swap between jobs. If I'm working on something and a client calls I can quickly change my timer.

I really like myHours. For some odd reason I've become known as the myHours guru and have actually had clients hire me to consult on how to use it for their companies. Weird but whatever...myHours should hire me. LOL

[Rebecka Melson]

I also use myhours, for the same reasons as Lanel stated. Your right, that the built-in QB timer is worthless, however, they do have a web-based timer you can pay for which will download into QuickBooks. I haven't used it because I don't see the point of paying for something I can get for free (myhours).

Another reason I like myhours is because I can set up the clients/projects to match the customer/jobs in QuickBooks. For instance, I have a CPA I do sub-work for occasionally, In myhours I have the CPA set up as the client (customers in QB), since that is who I bill, but then I have each of his clients that I work on set up as a project (job in QB). It makes the billing very easy and he can see a breakdown of the billing for each client.

[lanelt]

That's the same thing I do. Breaking down clients for the companies I've subcontracted for.

[sfdbooks]

Thanks so much for the input! I went and checked out their site and think I am going to give it a try. I also love the fact that it is free. I'm excited to get a bit more creative and get more out of the timetracking than I do with QB.

[lanelt]

If you want some tips on setting myHours up I wrote a three part blog on it a while ago. (Don't mind the fact that my blog has been very neglected lately.) I've actually had a lot of feedback that these posts have been helpful to others getting myHours set-up for them.

http://www.tayloredofficesolutions.c...yhours&x=0&y=0

[sfdbooks]

I have a question about myhours. Actually, maybe more of a "am I thinking this through right" type question.

Some of my clients are billed a different rates per hour for the same type of task. (New clients will be billed at new rate, existing clients will be stepped up to that rate over a period of time.) So do I need to set up two different tasks? Like "Bank Reconciliations - $25" and "Bank Reconciliations - $35".

Also, when you put a rate in for a Project, does that rate carry down to all of the Tasks for that Project? So if I make one of the existing clients a Project with a rate of $25, will that carry down to all of the Tasks for that client?

[lanelt]

I have to admit that I don't use the rate function in myHours, so I'm not really sure.

Do you charge a different rate for different activities or just for different clients? Also, do you breakout your time for your clients by activity or just the total hours for doing the bookkeeping? The reason I ask that is that I've found it's better not to put too much detail in your tasks. I leave it generalized: bookkeeping, administrative, coaching. The reason (and I've found this from they way I work and from others that I've helped set-up the system) if you get too many tasks that means you have to go in and change your timer fairly often and I've found that it doesn't get done. It might work for you...but just something to think about.

ETA: I forgot to explain why I don't use the rate function. I like the hours reports in myHours but the rate/cost reports didn't quite work for me. I didn't find them helpful enough to justify keeping the rates updated for my clients. So, I stopped using it.

[saturna]

I guess I must be "old school" because I track my time manually by writing my start & finish times into my daily journal and totalling my hours at month end. Old habits die hard. I might check out MyHours though.

Sylvia

[hbplifestyle]

I have an excel spreadsheet with tabs for each month. Within the month, there is a line for each day. I jot down the hours, a column for comments and the rate totals. After I complete my clients work I go right to the spreadsheet and fill it in.

It's simple, with a total I know how much I've made for the month and it's quick.