Tracking time to the dollar is the lever that moves profits. It shows you exactly where your creative energy is paying off—and where it’s not.
If you’re a designer, photographer, or agency owner who dreads dealing with numbers, you’re not alone. Creative work takes heart. But profit takes data. Without visibility into your time, you could be working hard for nothing.
Here’s how to bring the two together—without killing your flow.
1. Know Your Baseline Before You Create
Before you dive into a project, you need to know what it costs you to deliver. Not just in materials or gear or software, but in your time, your brainpower, and your effort.
• Time is your most expensive resource
Track how long each part of your process actually takes—brainstorming, designing, editing, meetings, admin.
Compare it to what you’re charging.
• Don’t rely on gut feeling
Guessing leads to underpricing or burnout. Use real numbers instead. Tracking helps keep you (and your numbers) honest.
Pro Tip 1: Set a timer or use a time-tracking app for every phase of a project, even the short emails, notes and thoughts. You’ll be surprised where the hours go.
Pro Tip 2: This may be the toughest part of this whole process. Don’t beat yourself up if you forget – just keep doing it to build up the habit. Eventually it will become second nature. I started out with a desk timer, noting all my time and tasks on a spreadsheet. Now I’m switching to a couple of apps – to see which one I like better.
2. Use Tools That Track Without Breaking Your Flow
Tracking time to the dollar doesn’t need to be disruptive or stop your creative flow. Use tools that follow you in the background while you work.
• FreshBooks makes time tracking effortless
It lets you log hours by client or project automatically and convert them to invoices with a click. You can easily see what’s billable and what’s not.
• Xero integrates with apps like WorkflowMax
It combines project tracking with invoicing. This is helpful for agencies juggling multiple creatives and lots of transactions or contractors.
• QBO has time tracking, too
But its setup is less friendly for creatives unless you pair it with third-party apps such as TSheets or Harvest.
Pro Tip: Pick a system that works with the tools you already love. Clickup is an app that includes AI-powered assistant tailored to your role.
3. Break Projects Into Phases and Set Time Boundaries
Creative work can easily spiral. Structured phases keep your projects focused and your time protected.
• Break projects into clear stages
Design. Draft. Revisions. Final delivery. Put a time estimate on each phase.
• Watch where scope creep happens
If revisions double the hours, you’re losing money. Time tracking makes this visible fast. For more information on Scope Creep, see these articles: How to Prevent Scope Creep in Design Projects and The True Cost of Scope Creep: A Cost Reduction Strategy
Pro Tip: Build a creative buffer—10 to 15% of time to your estimates for the unexpected. That way, you don’t eat into profit. Because stuff happens!
4. Measure Which Projects Are Actually Profitable
Not all clients are worth the effort. But how do you know for sure? By tracking time to the dollar, you can see which projects eat up hours and which ones run smoothly.
• Compare project revenue to hours worked
If you earned $3,000 but worked 50 hours, your hourly return was $60. Was it worth it? A $10K project might sound amazing. But if it took 120 hours, your return isn’t so hot.
• Track how long each job actually took
Then divide profit by total hours. That’s your real hourly rate. This is the basis of tracking time to the dollar. It helps you know whether your creative output translates into real income.
• Spot the patterns
Which projects earn more per hour? Which ones just look good on paper?
• Spot your best clients and best work
Look for patterns. Do branding projects pay off faster than photo shoots?
Pro Tip: Build a “profit-per-hour” cheat sheet. Use it to price future work with clarity.
5. Don’t Wait Until Tax Time to Look at the Numbers
When you’re deep in the creative zone, tracking can feel like a distraction. But waiting too long to check in will cost you.
• Set a weekly money check-in
Just 15 minutes to review hours logged, open invoices, and project margins.
• Get help if you hate the numbers
Sometimes it’s just better to hire out the work you don’t like doing. A professional bookkeeper can handle the data so you stay focused on your zone of genius.
Pro Tip: Ask your bookkeeper to create a simple report showing profit per project. Seeing it all in one place shifts your mindset—from reacting to projects as they happen, to planning smarter, more strategic moves ahead of time.
6. Use Time Data to Raise Your Rates the Right Way
Raising prices isn’t just about confidence—it’s about math. When you know exactly how long things take, you can price them with power.
• Price for value, not just effort
Great design is worth more than the hours. But tracking helps you make sure your pricing still covers your costs.
• Use past data to explain new rates
Clients respect data. It shows you’re not guessing—you’re growing.
Pro Tip: Review your project data monthly. That’s how you spot trends and raise your rates with confidence. Share your process and value clearly in proposals. Time data backs up your professionalism.
7. Align Your Workflow with Your Money Goals
If your schedule is packed but your bank account isn’t, something’s off. Time tracking reveals the leak.
• Choose projects that match your profit goals
You don’t need more hours. You need better ones.
• Let go of underpaying work
Use your data to say no to the wrong gigs, and yes to the right ones. Drop the time-wasters. Focus on work that feeds your business.
• Let your data guide your decisions
Smart choices lead to freedom and financial peace.
Pro Tip: Here’s another hard thing to do. You need money, so you take any prospect you get, knowing it may be a difficult client or project. You do your best, but in the end, you spend WAY more time than you should have, for less money that you deserve, and little respect from the client. These are the situations that will rob you of your self-esteem, restful sleep, and time to do what you love. That time is better spent working on your business. Think twice about taking on those ‘iffy’ clients.
Final Thoughts
Creative energy is your gift. Tracking time to the dollar is how you protect it.
With the right tools and habits, your time becomes your biggest ally—not your biggest leak.
Let the data tell you what’s working, what needs adjusting, and where your real growth lives. And it frees you up to do your best work—without burning out.
Tired of trying to tackle the numbers by yourself? I admire creatives and love doing collaborative accounting. If you’re tired of doing it yourself, Let’s talk!
