DeskTime helps us earn more with confidence
“We don't use time tracking to control our employees. Rather, it's a tool that boosts self-accountability and billing transparency,“ say Krista Krumina and Julia Gifford, the co-founders of TrueSix.
TrueSix is a strategic content marketing and advertising agency based in Latvia, North Europe. The company was born when the co-founders Krista Krumina and Julia Gifford decided to quit working solo and join forces, combining their knowledge and experience in content creating and international PR.
Now, the team has doubled its size, found its home in a coworking space in the heart of Riga, the capital of Latvia, and has been using DeskTime for two years to track time and expenses, as well as boost productivity.
“We used DeskTime for time tracking right from the get-go - even when it was just the two of us working in Julia's apartment,” reveals Krista. “We found that it's a great way to comprehend how many hours we've put in for all the different tasks. And tracking time with DeskTime helps tremendously to write out accurate invoices to our clients.”
Transparent invoices without the guilt
One of the features that Krista and Julia appreciate the most is the fact that time tracking with DeskTime is 100% automatic and doesn't require any manual input at all.
“Another useful feature is document title tracking that lets you know which tasks your team is working on - and how many hours you've spent on that specific task,” says Krista.
“As writers, we spend a lot of our time using Google Docs. But instead of just displaying the total time spent on that program, DeskTime will record titles of documents and time spent on each one of them individually.”
Julia agrees that DeskTime greatly improves billing transparency. While you know how many hours were spent on that especially tricky landing page, the client isn't aware of that - and they want proof. “So, in a way, DeskTime allows us to justify billable hours and eventually earn more without us feeling guilty,” Julia adds jokingly.
Regaining control of your schedule
“In our team, time tracking is not seen as a means of control over the employees,” says Krista, and Julia agrees: “Even when our teammates are working remotely, we don't use the time tracking app to keep tabs on who is doing what. At the same time, DeskTime does help you know whether your colleagues are online or away from the computer. So, if it's something urgent, you know it's better to call than message them via Slack.”
Other than that, DeskTime is rather a tool that boosts self-accountability and lets you see your schedule in a more realistic light.
“You might think that you've been slaving at the computer for hours on end. But when you check the overview of that day, you start to notice little breaks here and there. You notice that late arrival in the office that morning, or social media breaks in between.
And in the end, you realize - you could actually get more done if you plan your day better.”
In a way, DeskTime works like a digital pat on the back. Krista explains: “When you've worked really hard and crossed off all the tasks in your to-do list, checking the day's overview in the DeskTime dashboard is very satisfying. Seeing all those hours of non-stop productivity is a confirmation of how much we can get done during the day.”
Time tracking made fun
Krista admits that DeskTime has a positive image in their team. “Nobody ever minded or resisted DeskTime, besides it just runs in the background and you never feel it bothering you throughout the day. What's more, you can even make time tracking fun - and analyze your own productivity.”
“For example, I'm a natural night owl which means I'm noticeably more productive in the afternoon hours, from 3 PM and onward,” she reveals.
By tracking time with DeskTime, Krista realized - it's okay to plan the work day according to your own inner rhythm because not everyone is a morning person. In the end, sticking to your natural flow will help you stay more productive which will be more beneficial for the company as well.
All things considered, the co-founders of TrueSix agree - time tracking is an essential factor that boosts your company's performance.
“If you're working as a freelancer, a writer, a blogger, or you're simply billing by the hour, DeskTime is the right kind of time tracking tool for you,” concludes Julia.