LogMyTask, a collaboration-friendly time-tracking web app, launches into closed beta today, and we have an exclusive invitation code to let you try it out. Simply head to the LogMyTask web site and sign up using the invitation code “WWD” to get your free account.
Time entry in LogMyTask is done via a Twitter-like interface. You can view time data through a fully featured calendar view, making it easy to see what you — and your co-workers — have been spending your time on. Here’s a screencast showing it in action:
LogMyTask is free for up to two teams, each with two users. Larger teams are free for now, but after the beta finishes, it will cost 99 cents per month for each additional user.
Have you signed up for the LogMyTask beta? Let us know what you think of the service in the comments.
I’ll admit, I haven’t always tracked my time when it comes to my clients and their projects. Although I always knew roughly how long things took me to complete, until recently, I never kept a more detailed record.
The longer I continue this practice, the more I’m coming to appreciate it. Here’s why it pays to track.
#1: It helps with finding the “time sucks.”
You might realize after tracking your time for a while that certain types of projects are less profitable than others. For instance, if you’re a ghostwriter, you might make considerably more writing blog entries than in-depth white papers. If so, you can adjust your pricing or service offerings to compensate. Read the rest of this entry »
Though CRM, project management and invoicing are often separate applications, more companies are producing software that does more than one of these tasks by combining them into one package. Severa is web-based software that provides you with an all-in-one software solution for managing your business.
The price is unbeatable for lone freelancers and business owners, with a $0 price tag. If you work with a team that will need access to the software, it’ll cost 30 euros ($40) per user per month, with the first user free. Should the out-of-the-box package not have everything you need, Severa has add-ons available for a fee. Read the rest of this entry »
Last month, Aelgo launched the latest revision of its Manhour time-tracking application for Mac users.
WWD regularly covers time tracking, accounting and billing applications, but Manhour’s new release and its specific support for OS X users makes it a good time to cast our critical eye over this product.
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you may be interested in track-tracking and invoicing app Timewerks. Timewerks is probably best-suited for those who don’t have laptops with them all the time. But for web workers wanting a more portable invoicing solution, Timewerks is still a good option.
Overview
Timewerks creates invoices and tracks billable hours and materials used on a per-project basis. You begin by creating projects. The application contains five primary screens: Projects, Invoices, Clients, Work Items and More. The features in More include Data Export, Help and Invoice Color, while the Clients section integrates with your phone’s Contacts so you don’t have to enter contact information twice. Read the rest of this entry »
Based on the number of time tracking applications we’ve covered here on WebWorkerDaily, and the frequency with which new ones are being introduced, it’s obviously an area that’s in high demand.
Even among the team here we all seem to be on our own missions to find the perfect time tracking solution. Dawn recently wrote about her experience with Harvest and I’ve certainly tried my share of apps over the last few years. But after a couple of months of trialing, testing and tweaking, I’m ready to commit to freckle.
Some time-tracking applications come with invoicing built in and others don’t. There are a bunch of great invoicing apps out there; the trick is to find the one that matches your web working style. Fanurio may hold the answer for those seeking a combined time tracking and billing application.
A desktop app, Fanurio runs on multiple platforms including Windows, Mac and Linux, so virtual teams can use the same software regardless of their computer systems. You can switch computer systems and keep using Fanurio.
Getting up and running with Fanurio is painless. Upon first load, the app offers to open its tutorial for you in a web browser. The tutorial contains 11 lessons beginning with entering your business information and working through adding clients, projects and service items (tasks). The key lessons take about 10 minutes to do. By the time you finish, you’ll have a nice starting point.
I breezed through the first half of the tutorial and entered two service items along with the time spent on each, as the following image shows. But they didn’t appear anywhere on Project view. I verified I associated the items with the project. Then I realized the status of items defaults to “Invoiced,” so these items don’t show. I switch the status to “Not Invoiced” and there they are.
Lately I’ve been on a bit of a streamlining kick. That is, I’ve been trying to find simple, elegant solutions to multiple problems in one convenient package. Easier said than done, unfortunately. The problem is getting everything you need in one place, in exactly the way you want it. CreativePro Office is another entry that might fit the bill, and it’s designed for people just like me, apparently. Of course, they all claim to be designed for people just like me.
What CreativePro Office offers is one-stop shopping for project management, time tracking, invoicing and job quotes. That’s a lot to fit under one roof, and the solution is web-based, so you don’t have to clutter up your hard drive.
An account at CreativePro Office is free, which is priced perfectly for me, and probably for most independent contractors and small groups of creative professionals. For $150, you can also opt to install the CreativePro software on your own server. That’s definitely well-priced compared to other similar solutions, since it’s a one-time fee, not a subscription or a renewable license.
I’ll admit, I haven’t always tracked my time when it comes to my clients and their projects. Although I always knew roughly how long things took me to complete, until recently, I never kept a more detailed record.
Though 
Lately I’ve been on a bit of a streamlining kick. That is, I’ve been trying to find simple, elegant solutions to multiple problems in one convenient package. Easier said than done, unfortunately. The problem is getting everything you need in one place, in exactly the way you want it. 
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
