How to Bill Clients Based on Task Time

Freelancers and consultants: Stop losing money on unbilled time. Here's how to track every billable minute using TaskRio.

The Freelancer's Dilemma

You work: 6 hours on client project
You bill: 4 hours
You lose: ₹4,000 (or $50)

Why? Because you forgot to track:

Over a month: ₹40,000 lost ($500+)
Over a year: ₹4.8L lost ($6,000+)

Time to fix this.

The WhatsApp Time Tracking System

Why Track in WhatsApp?

Traditional time trackers suck because:

WhatsApp wins:

Setup (5 minutes)

1. Add TaskRio to WhatsApp
Message: +91 99250 37581

2. Create client groups
One group per client:

3. Enable time tracking

@TaskRio enable time tracking

Done. You're ready.

Basic Time Tracking

Start Timer When You Begin Work

You: Start working on client's website

Type:

@TaskRio start timer: fixing homepage layout

TaskRio: "Timer started ⏱️"

That's it. Keep working.

Stop Timer When You're Done

You: Finish the work, take break

Type:

@TaskRio stop timer

TaskRio: "Timer stopped. Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes"

Time automatically logged.

Manual Time Entry

Forgot to start timer? No problem.

@TaskRio log 3 hours for client meeting yesterday
@TaskRio worked 1.5 hours on logo design this morning
@TaskRio add 45 minutes to proposal writing

Advanced Time Tracking

Billable vs Non-Billable

Billable work:

@TaskRio start billable timer: client presentation prep

Non-billable:

@TaskRio start non-billable timer: administrative work

Why separate?

Task-Based Time Tracking

Create task, track time:

@TaskRio Design 3 logo variations by Friday
T42 start timer
[work for 2 hours]
T42 stop timer
T42 done

Task shows:

Multiple Clients Same Day

Morning - Client A:

@TaskRio start timer: ClientA website updates
[work 2 hours]
@TaskRio stop timer

Afternoon - Client B:

@TaskRio start timer: ClientB proposal writing
[work 3 hours]
@TaskRio stop timer

Evening - Client C:

@TaskRio start timer: ClientC design revisions
[work 1 hour]
@TaskRio stop timer

Each client group tracks separately.

Creating Invoices

Weekly Time Summary

Every Friday:

@TaskRio time summary this week

TaskRio shows:

This week (Jan 15-21):
• Website updates: 8 hours

• Client calls: 2 hours

• Revisions: 3 hours

• Total billable: 13 hours
Rate: ₹2,000/hour
Invoice amount: ₹26,000

Export for Invoice

@TaskRio export time to CSV

Receives CSV file:
| Date | Task | Duration | Billable | Amount |
|------|------|----------|----------|---------|
| Jan 15 | Website header | 2h | Yes | ₹4,000 |
| Jan 16 | Client call | 1h | Yes | ₹2,000 |
| Jan 17 | Homepage layout | 3h | Yes | ₹6,000 |

Copy to invoice. Send to client.

Monthly Billing

@TaskRio time report January 2025

Full month breakdown:

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Web Developer

Client: Small business needs website

Monday:

@TaskRio start timer: Homepage design
[work 4 hours]
@TaskRio stop timer

Tuesday:

@TaskRio start timer: Contact form functionality
[work 3 hours]
@TaskRio stop timer

Client calls mid-work:

@TaskRio pause timer
[30 min call]
@TaskRio resume timer

Friday - Invoice time:

@TaskRio time summary this week

Result:

Send invoice. Get paid.

Scenario 2: Graphic Designer

Client: Needs logo + brand identity

Rates:

Track revisions:

@TaskRio Revision round 1
T25 start timer
[work 2 hours]
T25 stop timer
@TaskRio Revision round 2
T26 start timer
[work 1 hour]
T26 stop timer

Invoice:

Client pays. You're not losing money on "quick changes."

Scenario 3: Consultant

Client: Monthly retainer + hourly overage

Agreement:

Track monthly:

Week 1: 6 hours
Week 2: 8 hours
Week 3: 4 hours
Week 4: 7 hours
Total: 25 hours

Invoice:

Fair to both sides.

Best Practices

1. Start Timer Immediately

Don't wait. When you start work, start timer.

Bad: "I'll remember to log it later"
Good: Start timer first, then work

2. Be Specific with Task Descriptions

Bad: "working on stuff"
Good: "Homepage responsive mobile layout"

Why? Client sees line items on invoice.

3. Track Everything

If it's for client, it's billable.

4. Round Up (Within Reason)

Worked 1 hour 47 minutes?

@TaskRio log 2 hours

Fair rounding. Don't nickel-and-dime yourself.

5. Review Daily

End of each day:

@TaskRio time summary today

Make sure nothing missing.

Handling Client Objections

"Why did this take so long?"

Show task breakdown:

Homepage design: 4 hours
• Initial mockup: 2 hours

• Client feedback review: 30 min

• Revisions round 1: 1 hour

• Final adjustments: 30 min

Transparent = trust.

"Can you give me a discount?"

Know your numbers:

@TaskRio time summary

Shows:

Stand firm or negotiate from facts.

"I thought it was included"

Refer to time logs:

"Per our agreement, initial design was included. These 3 hours are additional revisions based on new requirements."

Data wins arguments.

Productivity Insights

Find Your Most Profitable Work

@TaskRio time report by task type

Example:

Decision: Do more logo work!

Identify Time Drains

@TaskRio time report this month

Discover:

Fix:

Advanced Tips

Value-Based vs Time-Based

For repeating work:
Track time for first 3 projects.

Project A: 10 hours
Project B: 12 hours
Project C: 9 hours
Average: 10 hours

Switch to fixed pricing:
"Logo design: ₹25,000 flat"

You get faster (8 hours). Earn more per hour.

Retainer Optimization

Track utilization:

@TaskRio time report this month

If consistently under retainer hours:

If consistently over:

Multiple Hourly Rates

Set different rates per task type:

Strategy: ₹5,000/hour
Design: ₹3,000/hour
Execution: ₹2,000/hour

Track accordingly:

@TaskRio start timer: strategy session (₹5k rate)
@TaskRio start timer: mockup design (₹3k rate)

Success Story

Rahul - Freelance Developer

Before TaskRio:

After TaskRio (3 months):

How?

ROI: ₹45,000/month extra income

Quick Start Guide

Today:

This week:

This month:

Conclusion

You work hard. Get paid for ALL of it.

Time tracking in WhatsApp:

Start today. Every hour counts.

@TaskRio start timer: building successful freelance business

That's billable too. 😉