Harvest
Time Tracking
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Billable Hours Tracker

Many businesses lose up to 30% of fees due to inaccurate time tracking. Harvest solves this with precise billable hours tracking, maximizing profitability.

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How much revenue is your team leaving on the table?

Most agencies run at 55-60% utilization. Even a small improvement means significant revenue. See what closing the gap looks like for your team.

Number of people who track billable time
$
Blended rate across roles (junior, senior, lead)
55%
Percentage of total hours that are billable. Industry average is 55-60%.
75%
A realistic target for service businesses is 70-80%.
Monthly revenue gap $0
Revenue at current utilization $0/mo
Revenue at target utilization $0/mo
Extra billable hours needed per person/day 0h
Annual revenue opportunity $0

Start tracking team utilization

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

Understanding Billable Hours: The Foundation of Your Business

Billable hours are the cornerstone of revenue for service-based businesses, representing the time directly charged to a client. In contrast, non-billable hours cover internal tasks and overhead activities that cannot be invoiced. Accurately distinguishing between these is crucial for maximizing profitability and maintaining client trust. For instance, law firms can lose up to 30% of their fees due to inaccurate time tracking. This loss underscores the importance of precise record-keeping, not only to ensure proper billing but also to meet legal and compliance requirements such as those mandated by the FLSA.

Benchmarking your billable utilization rate is essential. A strong utilization rate typically falls between 65% and 75%, with top firms achieving rates as high as 85%. By improving utilization from 65% to 75%, a consultant charging $100 per hour can increase their annual revenue by $20,800. Understanding these metrics allows businesses to optimize their operational efficiency and financial performance, reinforcing the necessity of effective time management practices.

The Pitfalls of Manual Tracking and the Power of Automation

Manual time tracking is fraught with challenges that can significantly impact business efficiency and profitability. Errors, time theft, and administrative burdens are common issues that result in substantial revenue losses. For instance, time theft alone costs U.S. employers an estimated $11 billion annually, with buddy punching accounting for $373 million of that figure. Such inefficiencies highlight the need for automated solutions.

Harvest offers a robust automated billable hours tracker that mitigates these pitfalls with real-time tracking and one-click timers, ensuring every minute worked is logged accurately. This automation not only enhances accuracy but also frees up valuable time for employees by reducing administrative tasks. With Harvest, businesses can also integrate tracking with popular tools like Asana and QuickBooks, further streamlining the workflow and enhancing productivity.

Key Features to Look for in a Billable Hours Tracker

When selecting a billable hours tracker, it's important to prioritize features that align with your business needs. Essential functionalities include real-time tracking, customizable timesheets, and comprehensive reporting capabilities. Harvest excels in these areas, offering detailed reports that allow for in-depth analysis of time expenditure and profitability. Additionally, the ability to differentiate between billable and non-billable hours is crucial for accurate invoicing.

Advanced features such as mobile access, integration with payroll and project management tools, and expense tracking can greatly enhance the utility of a tracker. Harvest provides these capabilities, supporting businesses of all sizes—from freelancers to large firms. By choosing a tool like Harvest, businesses can ensure they have the right resources to optimize their billing practices and maintain financial accuracy.

Best Practices for Maximizing Billable Hours and Ensuring Compliance

Maximizing billable hours while ensuring compliance involves strategic time management and adherence to legal standards. It's essential to track time as tasks are completed, rather than waiting until the end of the day or week, to prevent loss of billable time. Automation tools like Harvest are instrumental in this, capturing time with one-click timers and reminders.

Compliance with regulations such as the FLSA is non-negotiable. Employers must retain accurate records of hours worked, with payroll records kept for at least three years. Harvest supports compliance by offering detailed reports and alerts, helping businesses manage their time and expenses within legal frameworks. Implementing best practices such as minimizing distractions and regularly reviewing time entries further ensures that all billable hours are captured efficiently, enhancing overall productivity and profitability.

Harvest Billable Hours Tracker

Discover how Harvest tracks billable hours accurately, ensuring precise billing and enhanced productivity for your business.

Harvest interface showing billable hours tracking features

Billable Hours Tracker FAQs

  • Freelancers can track billable hours using tools like Harvest, which offer one-click timers and manual entry options. This ensures all client work is logged accurately and invoiced correctly. Automation features help avoid errors common in manual tracking methods.

  • Tracking billable hours accurately increases revenue, reduces errors, and enhances client trust. It also ensures compliance with legal reporting requirements and optimizes resource allocation by identifying time spent on profitable activities.

  • Harvest allows users to mark tasks as billable or non-billable, ensuring accurate invoicing and reporting. This differentiation helps businesses maintain financial clarity and optimize profitability through precise billing practices.

  • Look for features like real-time tracking, customizable timesheets, and detailed reporting. Harvest offers these, along with integrations with other tools, mobile access, and flexible billing rates, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes.

  • Yes, Harvest offers a free 30-day trial with no credit card required, allowing businesses to test its features and see how it can improve their time tracking and billing processes.

  • Maximize billable hours by using automated tracking tools like Harvest, minimizing distractions, and delegating non-billable tasks. Regularly review time entries to ensure all billable work is captured and properly invoiced.

  • Manual time tracking can lead to errors, time theft, and incomplete records. Tools like Harvest automate the process, reducing these risks and ensuring accurate, efficient time logging for billing.

  • Harvest integrates seamlessly with Asana, allowing users to track time on tasks directly within their project management environment. This integration enhances workflow efficiency and accuracy in time tracking.