GUARANTEED GREAT IDEAS! Time Keeping Tips From Real Clients & Profits Users These Clients & Profits users share their tips on how they manage time better: Use status alerts Status alerts keep time off jobs that aren't approved, on hold, or closed. Every production and billing status code can have its own warning. They can warn users (showing a custom warning message) or stop them altogether-forcing them to choose a different (and probably more appropriate) job. This way, users can't add time where it doesn't belong. Use budget alerts If a time entry's hours are going to exceed the estimated hours for a job task, budget alerts can stop a user from going over the estimate. It's simple: users can't add too many hours to that task. Update job schedules and traffic while entering your time It's way too easy to change a job's due date, status, or next steps if you have the user access-just click on the Schedule or Traffic button on the Time Card or Time Sheet window. A pop-up window shows the job's schedule or traffic details. Any changes you make are published for any other Clients & Profits user to see-instantly. Use lookup lists Job and task lookup lists pop-up automatically whenever they're needed-just leave the job and task field empty, then press Tab. Use the stopwatch The time card's stopwatch remembers when you start and stop working on a job task. It's easy: Open the Time Card, enter a job and task, then click the Start button. Finished? Click the Stop button. The elapsed time is entered on the time card automatically.

Q. We use FileMaker to track time. Can it be imported into Clients & Profits?

Yes. Clients & Profits Pro imports a specially formatted tab-delimited text file (it's an option for Clients & Profits Classic). Importing creates unposted time entries which then must be proofed and posted. There are drawbacks though: nothing prevent users from entering incorrect job numbers, tasks, or the same hours twice-and the user's budget alerts aren't shown.

Q. How do I track freelancer time?

When freelancers work on your clients' jobs, it's important to record their hours and pay them for their work. Setup the freelancer as both a staffer and a vendor. (Make sure to use a different staff and vendor code so they are not confused with each other.) Enter only the hours and gross amount through time sheets for freelancers, independent consultants, or temporary agencies. Then add an A/P invoice to the job with only the net cost. The cost amount (from A/P) and the gross amount and hours (from time sheets) create a complete entry on the job ticket. Add cost notes to both transactions identifying them as belonging together. .

Q. What about overtime

Overtime rates for both cost and billable can be set up in the Staff file for each staffer. During time card entry, the overtime check-box can be selected for each task. Overtime rates, if selected, will be used instead of regular rates. A special Overtime productivity report tracks overtime hours.

Q. Are time sheets and payroll related

No. There isn't a connection between time sheets and payroll. You can either make payroll journal entries directly to the general ledger or purchase a payroll program called CheckMark Payroll by CheckMark Software (800/444-9922) that works with Clients & Profits software.

Q. Does time affect the financials?

Not directly. Entries made through time cards or time sheets have no effect on the general ledger. It's not until the time is billed through accounts receivable that it affects the general ledger and financial reports. Through the billing process, generally it's income accounts that will be credited by time's billable amount.

Q. Do I move time using job cost transfers?

In most cases, don't use job cost transfers to move time. The transfer leaves the hours and only moves cost and gross amounts. Editing the time entry is the correct way to "move" time. However, if time was added to the correct job ticket, but can't be billed from that job, use job cost transfer to move only the gross amount to another job ticket from which it could be billed. This transfer would make the original job less profitable because costs are on it that can't be billed. And the job that receives the gross amount would become more profitable when those gross costs are billed.