I am far from a model of sophisticated record keeping. I just keep a paper log in 1/4 hour increments which notes the client and roughly what was involved (obviously I'm not breaking the specific tasks into 15 minute intervals). For something like plant shopping for multiple clients I track the total time and then ballpark the percentage per client.
Eventually it will be dumped into QuickBooks for billing.
Maybe a PDA would be useful but I'm a pencil and paper guy.

It works better if you start with a time sheet and fill it in with beginning times and end times that are the beginning times for the next project. If you are working all morning then all of the time should be charged. It should not be just the time of active engagement. You prepare for a meeting, you drive to it, you meet, and then you either drive back or drive to the next one. In other words a fifteen minute meeting does not bill out at 15 minutes.

Account for all of your time first, then attribute it to which jobs it goes to. Then there are no gaps.

My time sheet/ recording method is called 'a big black book'.
It is basically a 'day timer' and is glued to my hip. It is more important than my wallet, which is usually empty , so I guess that doesn't say much anyway. : ~ )
Everything goes into The Big Black Book of Good and Evil Numbers.
Makes it easy for billing because I am still a pencil and paper kinda gal .

As a back up system I also use the clients file folder to write in my time.
As soon as the contract for work is accepted and the retainer check is in the bank I start a file on the client.
On the inside of the file I staple a time sheet which serves as a back up time system to my day time/ AKA : 'The Big Black Book of Good and Evil Numbers'.

On good and evil numbers...
After years of laboring away for other design/build firms I'm relatively newly off on my own. Laag's post touches on the nasty realm of billable versus non-billable time. As an employee all my time during work hours was billable to my employer and I was able to blishfully ignore any grey areas save when questioned by the office staff. Now things are much less black and white. Sharpening my tools - probably not billable unless part of a massive pruning project. Ordering new drawing supplies - again my time. Driving - yes, billable but sometimes a little grey in how it is divided among clients. Preparing for meetings? I don't have much of a dog and pony show so it just involves making sure I have all the material together, that I look semi-presentable, and leave early enough to arrive on time - probably not billable. Research for a specific project - billable. Looking at photos and drawings of Miss Jekyll's or James Rose's work in the evening - not billable even though I might "borrow" a concept on some future job.
If I manage to bill 90% of my total work-related time I'm ecstatic and I don't really worry as long as the billable percentage stays above 80%.
Miss Rumphius, can you define a bit more what sort of time you gave away that you hope to capture?

I schedule everything on my Palm Pilot, and add the notation "act" (actual) after each completed scheduled item, adjusting the time to reflect the actual time spent. For non-scheduled items, I add them into the Palm as I go. The Palm is backed up to my computer at least twice a week, and the computer is backed up once a week. I used to keep it all on paper, but after losing my daytimer once, and losing a month of documentation of my billables along with my phone numbers, I changed my ways. If I were less of a flibertygibbet, I would probably still be on paper, but paper and I part ways too quickly. I love that I have backups of my backups.

Lately, I have started automatically billing clients for a minimum 1/2 hour every time I look at their file, return a phone call that requires anything more than a quick confirmation, handle email communications related to the job, or follow up with contractors, etc. Usually the action item takes me about 10-20 minutes, but I spend the extra 10-20 minutes updating my punchlist for the client, scheduling meetings, pro-actively trying to head off problems with the contractor, updating and organizing the file, documenting the phone call, etc. In the past, many of these actions went unaccounted for, as they were just part of my day, and didn't seem to add up to that much. Now that I've begun to be more concious of them, I see how much of my day they whittle away.

The change in my life since I started this practice has been pretty remarkable. I feel more on top of things, more proactive about jobs, and more caught up. I can always find a productive way to fill in that last 10-15 mintues, the client gets better follow-up communications from me, and they feel more aware of the status of the job. It's a win-win, and so far no complaints.

I've also started billing for a weekly "status check" of the pending items for each job. I send a quick email updating the status of each punchlist or pending item, and the client is up-to-date on the process. It keeps me honest, and because I know I have to do this at the end of the week, I am less inclined to put things off.

The struggle to get paid for all of my time has been a constant one, and adding these two practices into the mix has been a real boon. Oh yeah, one more. Site checks during construction, even for jobs with minimal travel time (I now have two within a block of each other), are a minimum 1/2 hour, because they invariably result in a string of follow-up phone calls to contractors, subs, and clients. I get to the site, and before going onto the property, I book 1/2 hour.

Howdy Beanie,
Where in Northern California do you work ?

Hey, Mich, I've really enjoyed your contributions to this forum. Hope you are considering a book.

I work on the peninsula mostly. Moved to Marin two years ago, but have all of my contacts down there, and feel I need to get to know the microclimates and most of all, grade issues better before I focus my practice in Marin and environs. This all adds up to a 6:00am commute on 19th Ave/280 two days a week, studio time the other three.

Can't complain. Crystal Springs with sunrise fog can be an amazing sight, and driving through GG Park for a quick walk through Strybing on the way home gets the creative juices flowing.

We'll have to do lunch sometime ....during our slow period ( yeah sure ! )
I usually meet with a few landscaping gal pals for a cocktail either before or after the monthly Cal Hort meeting ( third Mon. of every month )
Or maybe someday we can meet up for a bite to eat together on Fridays, when it is strictly sculpture studio time for me down in Kentfield @ C.of M.

If you're going to the Landscape Show , stop by the Sunset Magazine display garden ( in front entry area ) and check out some of their vignettes, there will be about 6 or 8 different designers doing container garden designs for them. I'll be there along with Davis Dalbok from Living Green , John Greenlee The Ornie Grass guy and a few other designers whose work you might be familiar with.

I work for a medium sized design/build company and am the main designer/estimator, and since I now have an assistant (what a luxury!) we try to keep all of our time tracked on our MS Outlook calendar, on the one networked 'puter we share. This enables the front office to see our work load + how far we are out on appts and when bids are due, etc. Works out really well, but I also hand enter stuff in a black book like Mich, but mine is pretty skinny compared to hers I am sure. The Palm pilot thingy sounds really interesting, but I am a reluctant person when it comes to electronic gadetry - still trying to figure out my zippy new Olympus digital camera that replaced my very user friendly old HP camera.
((Mich! I am seriously thinking about trekking over to the show next week - would like to chat w/ you, and I lost your email due to computer death...drop me a line!))

Hey, Kmac-

The Palm networks to Outlook or Entourage, so you can sychronize them. That's one of the reasons I like tracking on my palm- because I can back it up to my computer calendar. I use Entourage, which I think is just like Outlook. Anyway, sounds like what you're doing is working for you.

Mich- Was planning to visit family during the SFGS this year, but turns out I'll be in town. I'll definintely look out for your work there. Boy, a container sounds like a much more civilized endeavor than taking on a whole garden. Have never done it myself, too overwhelmed by the whole idea, but I participated in the installation and creation of a mosaic and ceramic tile labels for one done by Foothill College in 2000. It was a remarkable experience. Oh yeah, and the labels for the APLD garden a couple of years ago... Now, every year, right around now, I thank my lucky stars that I am not involved in a show garden!

I need to make it to one of the CalHort meetings, it's been a few years. I seem to always be too exhausted from a long day on the Peninsula whenever those meetings roll around. When I can make it, I'll drop you a line. Do you drink Appletinis or just straight tequila? Or does it depend on the topic of the evening?

What a wonderful idea to reserve one day for purely creative pursuits, or the non-drafting table sort. Hope you'll share some of your sculptures with us one day.

Karen- my email : dervissdesign@earthlink.net
You're always welcome to hang your hat at my place... just park in the driveway !

Beanie, haven't tried Appletinis , but I'm up for anything that sounds tantalizing.
I remember the Foothill College exhibit from 2000. It was one of the very best designs of the show and two of my closest best friends did display gardens that year ! I Loved the choice of plants and the hardscaping / building layout (great color scheme!) . That was one of the more creative and original shows since the Garden show has move to the Cow Palace.
It's funny how the really good designs can stay with your memory for years and years.

Even doing a couple of containers for the show is time consuming.
The search for the holy grail of nice looking plants available at this time of year is a challenge , as is the set up for the transportation of the containers, soil and plants and the time that it takes to set it all up and then break it all down.
Gawd , I'm glad it's only a few containers !

I've had my fill of doing the big display gardens back in the days when it was at the elegant Fort Mason Center with all that fabulous natural light and spectacular Bay views.
sigh... I am waxing nostalgic for the days when Anne Gregory, Richard Turner and Janet Tabor Coppola were Show Directors and Alan Bagshaw was the Production Manager and Holtzmuller did the lighting design. Those were the great old dazes !!!
sigh...................

Awww, *blush*, thanks, Mich, it means a lot coming from you. It was a fun design, and the cohesiveness of the piece (it is a set piece, after all), can be attributed to Brian Maloney, the lead designer, who did a lot of work with Bernard Trainor in years prior to that installation. He also managed to "herd the cats", and keep dozens of ambitious students who wanted to leave their mark engaged and excited about the project as he ever-so-softly imposed his structure onto the process. Very impressive work on his part, on all counts.

I can't tell you the countless hours that went into the details on that garden. We figured that it had to be at least 2000-3000 student hours. I know we spent at least 200 hours alone on the mosaic. I think I still have carpal tunnel syndrome from using a dremel to create ceramic labels that all had to be fired at the last minute as the ever-changing plant list mutated up until two days before the show.

It felt wonderful to complete that garden, and everyone involved fell in love with it and kept returning, just to be hear it, even though we were completely exhausted and drained. That's a sign that you've done good work. You just want to be in it, and keep going back, even when you have other things to do, just to see it.

Oh, you've got me waxing nostalgic, as well, and indeed, the Fort Mason location was magical, the gardens all inspired, at least they were on the one wonderful occasion I got to see it. This was the year I moved here, and the next year the show was uprooted to the aptly named Cow Palace.

Anyhow, Appletinis are good, or so I've heard!

(Sorry for hijacking the "Tracking Time" thread!)