Blog
Practical articles on agency operations, time tracking and project management.
Relationship Management Software: What It Is and What to Look For
Relationship management software explained: what a relationship management tool must do at minimum, how it differs from CRM and client management, what it costs and six things to check before choosing.
Keeping a Client Database: From Excel to a System
Keeping a client database: which fields belong in it, how to set it up in Excel, where the spreadsheet breaks down, what the GDPR requires and how to move it to a system in four steps.
Improving Your Proposal Win Rate: Measure and Steer
The win rate of proposals: how to calculate it, what a normal rate is for an agency, why most proposals fail on follow-up and six changes that demonstrably raise the percentage.
The Marketing Agency Software Stack (2026)
Which software does a marketing agency actually need, and what does it cost per employee? A stack in four layers, with a worked example and checklist.
Project Administration for Engineering Firms
How to set up a long-running technical project: phases with their own budget, an installment schedule that invoices itself, and sharper post-calculation.
Choosing API-First Software: Why It Matters
An open API decides whether you can integrate, automate and ever leave. Seven criteria, the hidden costs of a closed API and a 30-minute test.
Calculating Your Hourly Rate as a Consultancy
Calculate your hourly rate in four steps: billable hours, fully loaded cost, target margin and a market check, with a full worked example.
Agency KPIs: The 8 Numbers You Want to See Weekly
8 agency KPIs to review weekly, each with its formula, target range and the action that follows, from utilisation and WIP to capacity and missing hours.
AI Assistant in Business Software: What It Does
An AI assistant answers questions about your own hours, projects and invoices in plain language. How it works, what it delivers, and the limits.
Time Tracking in Excel: Free Timesheet Template
Free Excel timesheet template, no email required, plus the formulas for hours, billable utilization and invoice amounts, and when Excel starts to cost you.
Project Budget Overruns: How to Prevent Them
Project budget overruns explained: the formula, what variance is acceptable, who pays on T&M versus fixed price, and the five most common root causes.
Milestone and Installment Invoicing: A Setup Guide
Installment invoicing for fixed-price projects: which billing schedules work, how to keep VAT and your books correct, and how to stop missed installments.
What Is a Retainer? Models, Pricing and Tracking
Retainers explained: fixed monthly fee, prepaid hour bundle or monthly budget with time-and-materials billing, plus how to price and track usage.
Leave Tracking for Small Teams: A Practical Guide
Leave tracking for small employers: whether it's legally required, statutory minimums, expiry rules per leave type, and a setup without a spreadsheet.
Invoicing Out-of-Scope Work Without the Argument
How to invoice out-of-scope work without pushback: flag, document and get sign-off before the hours are worked, with concrete phrasing and tracking tips.
Billable Utilization: Calculate and Improve It
Billable utilization explained: the formula, which hours count as billable, realistic billable hours per year, and the five leaks that cost agencies time.
From Quote to Invoice: The Agency Workflow
How to build a quote-to-invoice workflow without retyping: one continuous flow with digital acceptance, budget tracking and automatic draft invoices.
E-Invoicing, UBL and Peppol: What You Need to Know
Is e-invoicing becoming mandatory? Where Europe stands in mid-2026: what already applies, what's coming with ViDA, and how to get your invoicing ready now.
Capacity Planning for Small Teams, Made Simple
Capacity planning for teams of 5 to 25: three numbers per week are enough - contract hours, leave and planned allocation. Here's how to set it up.
Calculating and Reducing Work in Progress (WIP)
How to calculate work in progress (WIP) as a services firm: the formula, a worked example, why high WIP is money standing still, and five ways to cut it.
What Does Project Software Cost in 2026?
What you really pay for project software in 2026: per-user pricing, base fees, add-ons and hidden costs, with a worked example for a 10-person agency.
Time Tracking Software for Agencies: 7 Must-Haves
Agencies need different things from time tracking than freelancers. The 7 requirements that truly matter, from approval workflows to retainer visibility.
Switching Project Management Software: A Checklist
A complete plan for moving to new project software: what to bring, how to verify the trial migration, avoid double invoicing and go live in one weekend.