Tracking time when working for multiple companies
Keeping track of charges to clients was a headache until I developed an Excel spreadsheet with formulas to help me. The following is my situation. I am currently working for 3 companies. Even though I get a lot of repeat business, I average working for about 8-10 companies every year. This year I have worked for 6 companies to date.
I work as a technical service veterinarian for one company. When a call comes in from them I have to drop everything else to focus on reporting adverse events as needed. My hourly rate varies depending on the urgency of the situation at hand. My wife works with me and screens calls, but even so, sometimes I must stop one project midstream and start another at a moments notice.
So I developed an Excel spreadsheet with columns for date, start time, stop time, and hours worked. There is also a place to log in my hourly rate. In addition I have a spot to log in travel miles and a formula that automatically calculates the total charge (currently figured at $0.505/mile). I keep a separate sheet for each company and have developed a habit of clocking in and out as needed. The hours are figured by a formula comparing starting and stopping time and a running total is available at the top of the sheet. I use freeze panes to keep the essential information such as column titles, running total invoice charge, and date of last invoice visible, because the number of rows with data entry can get quite high. It is not unusual for me to log in 5 rows each day as I time in and out.
What works for me is that I use quick keys to log in the current date (Ctrl-; for Mac) and time (Cmd-;) when I start working that day. Then when my wife intercoms me saying, “Mr. B is on line 1. Can you talk with him now?” I click on the spreadsheet that I have open for that company, select the cell for stop time and hit the quick keys for current time (Cmd-;) and save (Cmd-S) and I am ready to get on the phone with Mr. B.
If you want to check it out and give it a try or whatever, just leave me a comment and I’ll send you (via an e-mail attachment) a basic Excel spreadsheet with formulas you can use as a template (no charge). After you leave me a comment shoot me an e-mail to [coles at everestkc dot net] so I have your e-mail address to send the template to you.
I work as a technical service veterinarian for one company. When a call comes in from them I have to drop everything else to focus on reporting adverse events as needed. My hourly rate varies depending on the urgency of the situation at hand. My wife works with me and screens calls, but even so, sometimes I must stop one project midstream and start another at a moments notice.
So I developed an Excel spreadsheet with columns for date, start time, stop time, and hours worked. There is also a place to log in my hourly rate. In addition I have a spot to log in travel miles and a formula that automatically calculates the total charge (currently figured at $0.505/mile). I keep a separate sheet for each company and have developed a habit of clocking in and out as needed. The hours are figured by a formula comparing starting and stopping time and a running total is available at the top of the sheet. I use freeze panes to keep the essential information such as column titles, running total invoice charge, and date of last invoice visible, because the number of rows with data entry can get quite high. It is not unusual for me to log in 5 rows each day as I time in and out.
What works for me is that I use quick keys to log in the current date (Ctrl-; for Mac) and time (Cmd-;) when I start working that day. Then when my wife intercoms me saying, “Mr. B is on line 1. Can you talk with him now?” I click on the spreadsheet that I have open for that company, select the cell for stop time and hit the quick keys for current time (Cmd-;) and save (Cmd-S) and I am ready to get on the phone with Mr. B.
If you want to check it out and give it a try or whatever, just leave me a comment and I’ll send you (via an e-mail attachment) a basic Excel spreadsheet with formulas you can use as a template (no charge). After you leave me a comment shoot me an e-mail to [coles at everestkc dot net] so I have your e-mail address to send the template to you.
posted by Tad B. Coles, DVM | 9:07 PM
10 Comments:
Hi Tad,
I, too, use Excel to track my time. It sounds like you have developed a template slightly more sophisticated than the one I use. Thank you for your generous offer of sharing your template for free. Please send me a copy.
Colleen
Kristen said...
I would like a copy of your time management spreadsheet. I like the idea of using Excel since I have it open anyway. Plus I don't need to record a lot of complex information or record time for other team members.
(moved from posting on wrong date)
Hi Tad,
I have also used Excel to track time, but your template has some great tools added. Please send a copy to me. And, thank you so much for sharing. I hope sometime I can share something in a "pay it forward" fashion. That's what makes our professional organizations so great--
Lynda
Hi Tad
I too am interested in your Excel formula sheet - thank you for your generous offer.
Alex
Hi Tad,
I have 5 clients at the moment and track time in my datebook. Your Excel spreadsheet sounds great and much more sophisticated than my method. Please send me a copy.
Thanks,
Rebecca
Hi Tad,
Thanks for your offer to share your Excel time tracking spreadsheet. Please send me a copy while there's still no change, eg before they talk about you in the same breath as Bill Gates.
Let me ask another question (that I posted on the AMWA FREELANCE listserv). Do you know of a good source of info about setting up the business of med writing. Lawyers, accountants, insurance, contracts, etc? How does a new freelancer learn this stuff (other than presentations at the annual meeting)?
Thanks,
Larry
I liked your blog. I´m a medical translator and do project management and interviews for advice on publishing that I would like to keep control of. I would like a copy of your spreadsheet.
Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet and system Tad!
I found that the keyboard shortcuts for PC are CTRL+; (semicolon) for date and CTRL+SHIFT+: (colon) for time. Hmmm...a sheet for nonbillable work-related items such as reading blogs may also be in order. :)
Roberta
This looks like a great idea. It seems very much like some of the basic 'professional' time tracking sheet. I'd love to have a copy of it. Thanks so much for posting and sharing this!
Hi, Tad,
Thanks for sending me the spreadsheet. It does what I need and is very easy to use.
Kathy
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