Latest Posts
The Business of Effective Timekeeping
Today, successful law firm owners have to start thinking less like lawyers and more like business owners. These leaders are looking beyond billable hours, implementing business practices and metrics to increase time-billing productivity and the bottom line. Why You Should Measure Utilization Rates, Not Just Billable Hours The utilization rate is the measurement law firms […]
7 Tips to Successful Invoicing
One of the most stressful times for a small business of any size is when cash flow grow tight because payments are not being made in a timely manner. Sometimes the answer is how you invoice and your communication with the customer—setting expectations, defining roles and terms—all of which can create barriers in getting paid on […]
Tips to Time Tracking & Billing for Consultants
A key to a successful consulting business is accurate and timely billing for services rendered. Accurate, detailed invoices are more likely to get paid faster as the client can understand the information. However, if a consulting firm is not able to create prompt, clear and error-free invoices, clients delay or skip payments, questioning the accuracy of […]
10 Time Management Tips for Freelancers
Freelancers have a lot of information, tasks and responsibilities to manage day-to-day, hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute. Whether you work with one client at a time or manage multiple client engagements and projects simultaneously, keeping track of time, project deadlines, contacts and tasks, in addition to all of the other daily issues is not easy. Most successful […]
Tools to Help Architecture Firms Succeed
Many have chosen to forget the impact of the Great Recession on architecture firms. According to the US Department of Commerce, architecture firms nationally lost over $14 billion in revenue or 21% of their 2008 billings during the downturn. The loss of revenue caused downsizing of over 60,000 payroll positions with over half of these […]
Freelancing Tools That Make You Money
A “job” consisted of working every day from 8am to 5pm and getting a full range of benefits, including medical, dental, vision and if you were really lucky, a 401K and a matching contribution. But since the Great Recession, the word “job” has been redefined to include work done on a short-term basis. Hence, […]
How to Get Paid Faster
It’s frustrating to the point of inducing full-blown anger. Late paying clients can be the death of a small business—for that matter, any business! How are you supposed to pay your bills, much less grow your firm, when the money due you isn’t coming in the door? Here are a few tips that may […]
Tracking Time, Documentation & Other Best Practices for Contractors
Often General Contractors use Time & Material contracts for one main reason: lack of enough information to prepare a bid. Typically, the Owner hasn’t a complete set of plans or specifications for the project. And whatever plans that are available may only be enough to get a permit approved. What about the drywall finish? Light fixture schedule? […]
Secrets to Successful Invoicing
Many small business owners never really master the art of invoicing. Many find themselves spending hours of time creating and sending invoices, then following up to collect payment. An invoice is a statement you send to a customer that details what work you performed, how much it cost and when your payment is due. Even […]
Five Tips to Improve Your Website & Your Business
For more than 25 million small businesses, a website is crucial. Research shows that 45% of small businesses consider their website to be the most important digital marketing asset. For service businesses, a website can be the lifeblood of the organization. It introduces you and your service to a vast audience, extending your brand and […]