Timesheet Software

It finally struck me today. I need a comprehensive way to keep track of time and billing. After years of living without the need to punch the proverbial time clock, I'm looking into timesheet software. I'll admit it. It's tough to bill on an hourly basis when you don't know exactly how many hours are, in fact, billable. My current time and billing procedure is sorely lacking ...

I keep my timesheets on any scrap of paper I can find. But finding those impromptu timesheets once a project is done? Not exactly a simple task.

Everything is done manually. Once I gather the time information, I enter it into a spreadsheet, calculate the total hours, and type out an invoice ... by hand. The most expedient method it isn't.

I'm looking for a inexpensive timesheet software solution. (I'm strictly a one-man-band, so I don't have the need for a full-fledged time and attendance system.) I just need an elegant timesheet application to keeps track of time without crimping my work flow. Not to whine, but that's a big issue for me.

On this, I speak from gut-wrenching, butt-numbing experience.

Once upon a time, when I was a prisoner in the corporate world, I endured great hardships while at the mercy of an inflexible timesheet system. To be fair, the time tracking system lived on an HP mini, far from the PC world. We'd do our work on different systems (first a mini-computer, then on networked PCs and Macs), take notes on paper, and enter stacks of data into the time tracking system at regular intervals.

There was no way to work and track simultaneously. It was the dark ages, I tell ya! As you might imagine, the mere thought of producing formal timesheets sends chills up and down my spine ... ten years after.

The ideal timesheet software will run on the desktop, ticking away the minutes. It will export data into spreadsheets and generate invoices effortlessly. It won't cost an arm and a leg, but it doesn't have to lick postage stamps or make coffee. It'll just get the job done, with a minimum of fuss.

I'll let you know what I find ... but if you have a favorite timesheet app, please let me know. :) TIA!