WLN's (Kind of Magical) 2017 Billable Hour Tool
7370441902662Sick of having no idea where you are on your billable hour goals?
Wasting time each week doing billable hour estimate math?
Staying in the office longer than you need to because you're not sure if you're billing enough?
Instead...
- Keep better track of your progress.
- Know where you are on your billable hour goals every day.
- Feel comfortable taking time off.
- Dial back the billable hour stress.
Just enter two simple pieces of information into this WLN Billable Tool, and your whole billable hour year is instantly updated, including:
- your estimated year-end billable hour total,
- the amount by which you are currently over/under your billable target,
- the current number of hours you should bill daily to meet your target by the end of the year (adjusted daily as you bill hours), and
- estimated billable hour totals for each month.
Also includes options (use only if helpful) to:
- enter potential conference, sick, or other days off and your daily target will instantly update to give you a buffer for that time off, or
- adjust your targets to reflect non-billable hours that count for billable hour credit at your firm, such as pro bono hours, or
- adjust your targets to account for billable hours that are written-off by your firm.
Use to Estimate and Plan Ahead
For example, fill in estimates for a few potential slow days on your calendar and instantly see how it affects your year-end goal and the amount you need to bill every other day to stay on track. Always have accurate and up-to-date billable hour goals and estimates available at a glance without any extra effort or constant recalculating. You can even share your sheet with your assistant and they can keep it updated for you.
60-Second Setup
Just enter your billable hour goal for the year and how many vacation days you have - your WLN Billable Tool will then tell you how many hours you need to bill each day to meet your goal. It then updates that daily amount every day so you always know where you are in terms of your yearly target. (Automatically takes your vacation days and holidays into account.)
What are people saying?
“The spreadsheet is amazing...Thank you so much!”
“We love Kate’s Billable Hour Spreadsheet, a fantastic tool to track your billables—stress-free!”
“Hi Kate, Thank you for putting this spreadsheet together – I can see that it will be very useful!”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q: After you tell me my daily target, do I have to enter that same amount of time into the tool for every work day of the year?
A: No that sounds like a pain, we wouldn't do that to you. Your daily target will be automatically calculated and entered for you each work day, but you can also click to change any individual day that you would like then instantly see the effects of that change.
Q: Does this Tool automatically update when I make a change?
A: Yes, and your targets do too.
Q: What format is this Tool?
A: Microsoft Excel. Please email us at contact@womenlawyersnews.com if you are interested in another format.
Q: So is it easy to use? Do I need to be good with spreadsheets?
A: Yes, it's easy to use, even if you're not familiar with spreadsheets. The instructions are right in the tool for you, just take 60 seconds or less to fill in the blanks and you're good to go. We even highlighted the two spots where you need to enter info (billable target for the year and number of vacation days), as well as the places where you can enter in optional info if you want to. It's actually more like using a fillable form than using a spreadsheet.
Q: Is it hard to download and start using once I buy it?
A: Not at all, it's very easy. Once you provide your credit card info and pay, just click the download link that appears to download the file, then choose File --> Save As and store wherever you would like on your computer.
Q: Was this created by an attorney?
A: Yes!
Q: Who can use it once I buy it?
A: If you buy the Individual copy, only you (and an assistant that helps keep your time). If someone else wants to use it, you can send them to this page to buy a copy. If you by a firm copy, anyone that is a current owner or employee of that firm can save and use their own copy.
Q: Can I buy a copy for multiple people in my whole firm/company/group to use?
A: Yes. See immediately above, and be sure to buy the correct one based on the number of people in your firm.
Q: Will I get a receipt?
A: Yes. You will get a confirmation email when you pre-order. When the Tool is released on 12/15, you will receive it by email, along with a receipt.
Q: What does it mean to pre-order this WLN Billable Tool?
A: You'll be signed up to receive a copy, locked in at the current price (the price will increase after December 15th, and will be charged when the product is delivered to you by email on December 15, 2016. Note that in the meantime you may see a $1 temporary charge appear on your credit card as typically happens when you pre-order an item.
Q: Can't I do this math on my own?
A: Yes, but you will either have incorrect estimates and risk missing your target, or end up re-running these calculations over and over again, wasting time. You can lose a surprising amount of time making sure you’re on track for your year-end billable hour goals ( I used to). Plus, it's more complicated than it appears. Dividing your goal by 12 months doesn’t work - each month has a different number of days, holidays, you will have vacation time (hopefully!), sick time, conferences, busier weeks, etc.
Q: Would this make sense for other professions?
A: Totally. Although this was designed by a lawyer for lawyers, it can be a valuable tool for any professional who bills hourly.
Q: I still have a question, what do I do?
A: Email me (Kate) directly at contact@womenlawyersnews.com so I can help.