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A Customer Perspective by Brendon Shank
On the second day of my new business venture, I stared at a blank Excel spreadsheet for 15 minutes, trying to figure out a way to track my time that was easy and comprehensive at the same time.
Then I emailed FunctionFox to learn about their TimeFox demo package. Fifteen minutes later, a real, live person called me to walk me through the demo and the TimeFox features. He was patient and friendly – explaining TimeFox, not selling it (I don't know whether to attribute this to the company or its Canadian roots). Months later, I'm still sold.
Why I Called
As an independent communications and PR specialist, my time is more than my money. It is my clients' money.
That's why it is so important for me to track and balance my time as closely as possible. For my clients, I monitor for return on their investment. For my business, I monitor for profitability and efficiency. But those are only the foundation of a solid PR business model. I turned to an online timesheet application for its flexibility, transparency, metrics and cost-effectiveness.
Flexibility
One of the key attributes of working with a one-person shop is flexibility.
That flexibility bends both ways: clients know that few assignments are too small and the well-networked consultant can staff up by leaning on associates in other fields.
An online timesheet application like TimeFox enables a one-person shop to handle a diversity of assignments with ease. Larger clients and projects can be tracked using multiple project and task codes, while time dedicated to smaller or project-based clients doesn't get lost in the shuffle or over-serviced.
When is a one-person shop more than one person? When it leverages the skills of a broader network of associates and experts. An online timesheet system helps to monitor the time they've spent toward a project, ensuring no surprises at the end of a billing cycle. Simply setting up a new employee code and requiring associates to fill out timesheets is a pain-free way to stay on top of projects for clients.
Transparency
My clients demand accountability and transparency – often as a term of our service contract. Whether they pay a monthly retainer or a per-hour fee, they deserve to know how I am spending my time and their money.
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Online timesheets let me give clients up-to-the hour updates on account activity in minutes. The system doesn't require weekly billing cycles to provide accurate information (delaying reports by weeks – if not more). Plus, an online system means that the information is only as far away as the nearest online computer – no more "I'll be back in the office on Tuesday" excuses.
Goal-setting
I am a one-person shop right now, but I may not always be. Setting goals for business metrics like profitability and growth is only as effective as my ability to measure them. After all, a football game without a scoreboard is only practice. TimeFox is my scoreboard for business performance – pitting profitable time vs. administrative time.
Cost-Effectiveness
When I first mapped out my business operations, I knew that flexibility, accountability and goals were the keystone of a successful beginning. I also knew that – if I tried to do it by myself – I'd still be mapping out my time in an elaborate and bug-ridden Excel spreadsheet.
The monthly subscription fee of $35 a month was a tiny fraction of the potentially billable time I would waste developing and re-jiggering a system that I would develop myself. Plus, I have the comfort of knowing that a whole team of TimeFox support personnel is available to help iron out any questions I have.
The Internet has been a boon to one-person and small shops. Now, a good idea from a one-person shop can be just as competitive as a good idea from a mega-agency. And, with the help of online services like TimeFox, going out on your own doesn't mean being alone.
"I'm sure there are plenty of entrepreneurs like me who started their own gig, knew they had to track their time and spent the better part of a day staring down a blank Excel spreadsheet. A month's worth of TimeFox a fraction of my billable hour – that's an easy calculation to make for me."
- Brendon Shank
Contact us for information about how TimeFox can
create a revolution in your business.
Call Toll-Free 1.866.369.8463, or email
info@functionfox.com
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