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Time Tracking
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Time Tracker for Small Business Owners

Harvest is the ideal time tracker for small business owners, helping reduce productivity leaks by up to 80% and improving revenue by 61% with accurate and efficient time management.

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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

The Indispensable Role of Time Tracking for Small Businesses

Effective time tracking is crucial for small businesses, offering significant benefits in productivity and financial management. Poor time management can cost businesses up to $588 billion annually, while effective time tracking has been shown to reduce productivity leaks by 80%, potentially increasing revenue by 61%. For small business owners, this translates into more accurate payroll processing, cost control, and streamlined operations.

Accurate time tracking is not just about efficiency; it ensures fair employee compensation, including overtime and breaks, and helps businesses comply with labor laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the U.S. This compliance is vital, as failing to maintain proper records can lead to penalties. Harvest provides a comprehensive solution for these challenges, offering features like real-time tracking and automated reminders that improve accuracy and compliance.

Essential Features of a Small Business Time Tracker

A robust time tracker should include core functionalities such as real-time tracking, manual entry, and automated timers. These features help capture every billable hour accurately, a must-have for small businesses managing multiple projects. Accessibility is key; having both desktop and mobile applications ensures that teams, whether in the office or on the go, can log their time with ease.

Customizable reporting is another essential feature, providing insights into labor costs, project profitability, and employee productivity. For example, Harvest offers project-based time tracking and detailed analysis to assess profitability and resource allocation. Integration capabilities also play a crucial role, allowing seamless connections with payroll, accounting, and project management software, which simplifies administrative tasks and enhances operational efficiency.

Streamlining Operations: Time Tracking and Payroll Integration

Integrating time tracking with payroll systems can significantly reduce manual data entry errors and the time spent on administrative tasks. Businesses that automate these processes report up to a 50% reduction in time spent on administrative tasks. Harvest simplifies this integration, offering options like direct API sync or CSV export, which allows for real-time data flow and ensures payroll accuracy.

Ensuring accurate overtime calculations and adherence to wage-and-hour laws is crucial. By mapping employees, setting pay rules, and aligning pay periods, businesses can streamline their payroll processes. Harvest's customizable reporting features and real-time budget tracking help maintain compliance, providing peace of mind for small business owners.

Implementing Time Tracking: Best Practices for Small Business Owners

To effectively implement time tracking, small business owners should establish clear policies and communicate them to employees. Encouraging daily and real-time time recording maximizes accuracy, reducing the need for corrections—up to 40% of timesheets typically require adjustments.

Regular manager review and approval of timesheets are essential to catch discrepancies early. Training employees on the chosen system and fostering a culture of accountability are also key. Harvest supports these practices with automated reminders and customizable reporting, ensuring that small businesses can scale their operations effectively and maintain strategic insights into time usage.

Harvest Time Tracker for Small Businesses

See how Harvest helps small businesses manage time efficiently, with real-time tracking and integrations to boost productivity and revenue growth.

Harvest time tracking interface for small business management

Time Tracker for Small Business Owners FAQs

  • Time tracking improves productivity by identifying inefficiencies and enhancing accountability. It provides data for accurate project costing and budgeting, streamlines payroll, and aids in better resource allocation and forecasting. With Harvest, you can achieve up to an 80% reduction in productivity leaks, leading to a 61% increase in revenue.

  • Key features include ease of use, automated time entry, mobile and desktop access, customizable reporting, real-time data updates, and integration capabilities with payroll, accounting, and project management systems. Harvest offers these features to ensure comprehensive time management.

  • Harvest integrates with payroll systems through direct API connections or by exporting CSV files for manual upload. This integration reduces manual data entry errors and ensures accurate payroll processing, saving time and improving administrative efficiency.

  • Yes, some time tracking solutions offer free plans with unlimited users and core features. However, advanced features like approvals and invoicing may require a paid plan. Harvest offers a free 30-day trial with no credit card required, allowing you to explore its full capabilities.

  • Yes, Harvest allows you to track billable hours for multiple clients and projects with flexible per-project or per-person rates. This flexibility is crucial for businesses managing various revenue streams efficiently.

  • Common mistakes include relying on paper timesheets, logging hours after the fact, skipping break and overtime tracking, and using different tracking methods across teams. Harvest addresses these issues with one-click timers and automated reminders to ensure accurate and consistent time tracking.

  • Harvest provides project-based time tracking and detailed analysis, allowing you to assess profitability and resource allocation effectively. This enables better decision-making and strategic planning for your small business.