It’s 2018. The 9-to-5 office day is long gone. People work remote, with flexible hours, teams are dispersed all over the globe. Whole businesses are being run from the cloud. So, you may ask, do you really need to track your time? Isn’t time tracking a useless remainder from days spent in a cubicle, getting paid for facetime alone?
Spoiler alert: In 2018, time tracking is as important as never before.
Why? You’ll find out soon. But first, let’s take the quiz.
Do you really need a time tracker?
Question 1: What’s the first thing you do when you start work in the morning?
- A - I start the computer, open my E-Mail account, and… check on Facebook. Just for a minute or so. Really. (1 point)
- B - How do you mean „in the morning“? Doesn’t answering my Slack messages in the middle of the night count as „work“? I suffer from insomnia, so I make use of those hours. (2 points)
- C - That’s easy: I sit down, update my to-do-list for the day and get to work. I usually write down how long each task on my will take, so I am very efficient. (3 points)
- D - I log into my time tracker, of course. Why? (4 points)
Question 2: What does your typical working day look like?
- A - I spend a lot of time on my laptop, trying to get things done. But there’s just so much distraction out there… sometimes it’s hard to focus. (1 point)
- B - What do you mean, „working day“? I must work day and night, otherwise I would not get anything done. Did I tell you I am an insomniac? (2 points)
- C - That’s easy: I complete the tasks on my to-do-list. Since I know how long each task on the list will take, I am very efficient. Except if someone calls. Or I have an emergency-meeting. Which happens nearly every day… (3 points)
- D - Have a look at my time sheet, I log all my hours assigned to tasks, projects and clients. Why do you ask? (4 points)
Question 3: Where does your team work from?
- A - What team? I am working freelance, on my own. I used to work from home, but that did not end well. I go to a co-working space now, that’s better. (1 point)
- B - What do you define as „team“? I am an entrepreneur, my start-up works with freelancers from all over the globe. With all the different time-zones, I am glad I am an insomniac! (2 points)
- C - That’s easy: I assign tasks with clear deadlines. We are very organized… and I like to keep track of things. I’m not a fan of flexible hours and remote work, though. Makes everything so complicated! Funny though, I seem to go through a lot of staff lately… (3 points)
- D - I totally trust my people, they work from wherever they want to. The time tracking thing is making our lives so much easier, though! We can see live who’s working on what, it’s very cool. (4 points)
Question 4: How do you get paid?
- A - Well… once a month I sit down and send out the invoices. Such a hassle! I used to get paid by the hour, but sometimes it’s hard to remember how much work I put in, you know? So I switched to lump sums. Sometimes I set them too low, though. (1 point)
- B - What do you mean, „get paid“? We’re still starting up, you know. But we have interested investors lined up – my plan is to retire early, once this thing has taken off. My freelancers are being paid by the hour. You’d be surprised by how much they charge, tough… (2 points)
- C - That’s easy: We write down our hours in an excel sheet. Once a month, I sit down and cross-reference that with my to-do-list, where I note if I’ve been working on a clients’ bill. My employees do the same… I just wish they wouldn’t keep forgetting! (3 points)
- D - Our time tracker does all the work, really: It automatically creates invoices out of billable hours, sends them out, and – get this! – even sends out payment reminders. Saves so much time! And I feel like we get paid faster… (4 points)
Question 5: What do you do at the end of your work day?
- A - Umm… I start working? Don’t tell anyone, but I have a serious procrastination issue. I’m most productive when I’m on a serious deadline. (1 point)
- B - What do you mean, “end of my work day”? I work a lot. Also, didn’t I tell you about my insomnia? (2 points)
- C - That’s easy: I prepare my to-do-list for tomorrow. There’s nothing more rewarding than checking things off. Except, lately, I haven’t been as efficient… too many calls, texts and emergency meetings. (3 points)
- D - When I’m done with work, I check out of the time tracker and enjoy dinner with my family. Why? (4 points)
Do you really need a time tracker?
Check your answers:
0 to 5 points: You’re in dire need of a smart time tracker!
Did you know that freelancers and entrepreneurs benefit the most from smart time tracking? More efficiency, better performance and a better work-life balance: Once you know what you spend your time on, your business – and your life – will improve.
5 to 10 points: You work hard – but do you work smart?
In 2018, using a time tracker isn’t about big-brother-style control over employees, but all about improving efficiency and performance. Keep a time-account, just like you’re keeping a bank account – and you’ll be able to make better use of your time. And, who knows, maybe it will cure that insomnia of yours, too?
11 to 15 points: You’re pretty organized! But there’s room for improvement.
Smart time tracking will help you keep your focus, and will make you and your team work smarter. Remote work and flexible hours? No problem with today’s cloud solutions. Don’t be scared! Try it – you won’t regret it. It will save precious time and money, and accommodate your team’s needs.
16 to 20 points: Congratulations! You are making good use of your time – and modern technology.
Using an integrated time tracking solution in the cloud saves you time and money: automated invoicing, sleek project management and total efficiency. So can focus on the things that really matter.
In 2018, time tracking is the path to success: Make most of the growing opportunities of remote teams and working in the cloud. Ultimately, time is the most precious resource we have. Spend it well.
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