Using Job/Project in H&B


Using Job/Project in H&B

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Subject

Author

Date

Using Job/Project in H&B

The Streets

09-06-2007

Re: Using Job/Project in H&B

Andrew DeFaria

09-06-2007

Re: Using Job/Project in H&B

The Streets

09-06-2007

Re: Using Job/Project in H&B

Andrew DeFaria

09-07-2007

Re: Using Job/Project in H&B

The Streets

09-07-2007

Posted by The Streets on September 6, 2007, 8:00 am

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I've tried understanding the Job/Project feature in the H&B version
of Quicken by reading the Help topics. But I can't seem to figure
out how to use it. Maybe I'm trying to use it in a way that it wasn't
intended.

For example ... in my handyman business I might work on a project
for a client a few hours at a time over a week or more, and buy
materials along the way. I track the materials purchases easily
enough using the Exp field in the register. But I end up keeping
track of my time manually on a slip of paper until I finish the job
and create a single invoice.

I'm thinking that the Job/Project feature should somehow enable
me to keep track of my time in Quicken and then pull it into the
one invoice I create at job completion. I just don't see how to do
this.

Any help/suggestions/enlightenment appreciated.

Posted by Andrew DeFaria on September 6, 2007, 11:17 am

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The Streets wrote:

> I've tried understanding the Job/Project feature in the H&B version of

> Quicken by reading the Help topics. But I can't seem to figure out how

> to use it. Maybe I'm trying to use it in a way that it wasn't intended.

> For example ... in my handyman business I might work on a project for

> a client a few hours at a time over a week or more, and buy materials

> along the way. I track the materials purchases easily enough using the

> Exp field in the register. But I end up keeping track of my time

> manually on a slip of paper until I finish the job and create a single

> invoice.

> I'm thinking that the Job/Project feature should somehow enable me to

> keep track of my time in Quicken and then pull it into the one invoice

> I create at job completion. I just don't see how to do this.

I don't see what you might have seen to give you the impression that the
Project/Job facilities would track time at all. It would be extremely
nice but AFAICT that's not what it does.

Going to Help and searching for "project" the first entry on the list is:

Creating and tracking projects and jobs

Projects and jobs are _a convenient way to track related income and
expenses_. Though you don't need to assign a business form to a
project/job (Quicken tracks the form for you by customer anyway), we
recommend using projects/jobs; if you have multiple projects
underway with a single customer, you can track each project separately.

In Quicken, a project/job consists of one or more transactions with
a particular customer. The transactions could be any
business-related transactions---estimates, invoices, payments,
credit memos, even bills for reimbursable expenses.

Noticeably absent is any mention of time. As such what made you thought
that it would track time? (The only time I see tracked is in the
beginning and end dates of the project).

--
Andrew DeFaria <http://defaria.com>
(A)bort, (R)etry, (T)ake down entire network?

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The Streets wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:8ZRDi.54121$U24.33184@bignews5.bellsouth.net"
type="cite">I've tried understanding the Job/Project feature in the
H&B version of Quicken by reading the Help topics. But I can't seem
to figure out how to use it. Maybe I'm trying to use it in a way that
it wasn't intended. 
 
For example ... in my handyman business I might work on a project for a
client a few hours at a time over a week or more, and buy materials
along the way. I track the materials purchases easily enough using the
Exp field in the register. But I end up keeping track of my time
manually on a slip of paper until I finish the job and create a single
invoice. 
 
I'm thinking that the Job/Project feature should somehow enable me to
keep track of my time in Quicken and then pull it into the one invoice
I create at job completion. I just don't see how to do this. 
</blockquote>
I don't see what you might have seen to give you the impression that
the Project/Job facilities would track time at all. It would be
extremely nice but AFAICT that's not what it does. 
 
Going to Help and searching for "project" the first entry on the list
is: 
<blockquote>
<h3>Creating and tracking projects and jobs</h3>
Projects and jobs are a convenient way to track
related income and expenses. Though you don't need to assign a
business form to a project/job (Quicken tracks the form for you by
customer anyway), we recommend using projects/jobs; if you have
multiple projects underway with a single customer, you can track each
project separately.
In Quicken, a project/job consists of one or more
transactions with a particular customer. The transactions could be any
business-related transactions—estimates, invoices, payments, credit
memos, even bills for reimbursable expenses.
</blockquote>
Noticeably absent is any mention of time. As such what made you thought
that it would track time? (The only time I see tracked is in the
beginning and end dates of the project). 
 
<div class="moz-signature">-- 
<a href="http://defaria.com">Andrew DeFaria</a> 
(A)bort, (R)etry, (T)ake down entire
network?
</div>
</body>
</html>

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Posted by The Streets on September 6, 2007, 12:13 pm

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Andrew,

I should have been clearer on the "Time" point -- although I keep track of
my time, in the end it's
dollars since I bill my time at a flat per hour rate. So I pretty much
treat labor time and dollars as
interchangeable.

So would this be considered job related income? Or is it an expense? And
if so, how would I go
about tracking it in my case?

Posted by Andrew DeFaria on September 7, 2007, 12:43 am

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The Streets wrote:

> Andrew,

> I should have been clearer on the "Time" point -- although I keep

> track of my time, in the end it's dollars since I bill my time at a

> flat per hour rate.

Join the club! I bill my time at a flat per hour rate too.

> So I pretty much treat labor time and dollars as interchangeable.

If you wish to think of it that way then fine. It doesn't change the
fact that Quicken H&B is not designed to track billable hours.

> So would this be considered job related income?

Would what be considered job related income? Your time? No it would not
be treated as job related income. Job related income is $$$ that come in
for work performed. Now you may bill be the hour but again Quicken H&B
does not track hours. You can invoice and when you do there are fields
for *Quantity* and *Rate*. And you could consider and enter hours for
*Quantity* and $/hour for *Rate*. In fact that is what I do. However,
aside from that, there is no tracking of billable time. Quicken H&B is
trying to fit business people who bill by hour as well as those who
don't. That's way it says "Quantity" instead of "Hours".

> Or is it an expense?

Is what an expense? Your time? Only really in the sense as you "spent"
your time doing "X" where you could of "spent" your time doing "Y".

> And if so, how would I go about tracking it in my case?

Again, Quicken H&B does not track time. Damn even the help says it
doesn't. So stop thinking that way. You keep track of your time using
some other mechanism. For example, in my computer consulting business I
bill per hour, much like you. And I must fill out this thing called
timesheets for the client. This timesheets detail and track the hours I
work per week. The client pays based on the timesheet but I bill
differently. So while the client may pay for 2 weeks of work based on
the timesheets for those two weeks I bill (i.e. invoice with Quicken H&B
on the 15th and the last day of the month. That's the way it works.
--
Andrew DeFaria <http://defaria.com>
I've had amnesia for as long as I can remember.

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The Streets wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:EGVDi.35345$wN3.25068@bignews2.bellsouth.net"
type="cite">Andrew, 
 
I should have been clearer on the "Time" point -- although I keep track
of my time, in the end it's dollars since I bill my time at a flat per
hour rate.</blockquote>
Join the club! I bill my time at a flat per hour rate too. 
<blockquote cite="mid:EGVDi.35345$wN3.25068@bignews2.bellsouth.net"
type="cite"> So I pretty much treat labor time and dollars as
interchangeable. 
</blockquote>
If you wish to think of it that way then fine. It doesn't change the
fact that Quicken H&B is not designed to track billable hours. 
<blockquote cite="mid:EGVDi.35345$wN3.25068@bignews2.bellsouth.net"
type="cite">So would this be considered job related income? </blockquote>
Would what be considered job related income? Your time? No it would not
be treated as job related income. Job related income is $$$ that come
in for work performed. Now you may bill be the hour but again Quicken
H&B does not track hours. You can invoice and when you do there are
fields for Quantity and Rate. And you could consider
and enter hours for Quantity and $/hour for Rate. In
fact that is what I do. However, aside from that, there is no tracking
of billable time. Quicken H&B is trying to fit business people who
bill by hour as well as those who don't. That's way it says "Quantity"
instead of "Hours". 
<blockquote cite="mid:EGVDi.35345$wN3.25068@bignews2.bellsouth.net"
type="cite">Or is it an expense? </blockquote>
Is what an expense? Your time? Only really in the sense as you "spent"
your time doing "X" where you could of "spent" your time doing "Y". 
<blockquote cite="mid:EGVDi.35345$wN3.25068@bignews2.bellsouth.net"
type="cite">And if so, how would I go about tracking it in my case? 
</blockquote>
Again, Quicken H&B does not track time. Damn even the help says it
doesn't. So stop thinking that way. You keep track of your time using
some other mechanism. For example, in my computer consulting business I
bill per hour, much like you. And I must fill out this thing called
timesheets for the client. This timesheets detail and track the hours I
work per week. The client pays based on the timesheet but I bill
differently. So while the client may pay for 2 weeks of work based on
the timesheets for those two weeks I bill (i.e. invoice with Quicken
H&B on the 15th and the last day of the month. That's the way it
works. 
<div class="moz-signature">-- 
<a href="http://defaria.com">Andrew DeFaria</a> 
I've had amnesia for as long as I can
remember.
</div>
</body>
</html>

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Posted by The Streets on September 7, 2007, 7:39 am

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> You keep track of your time using some other mechanism.

OK -- I'll keep using those slips of paper. I just wanted to be sure that I
wasn't
missing some aspect of the Job/Project feature that would eliminate them.

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