From monthly billing to per-project invoicing
Monthly invoicing adds a 30-day cash delay before payment terms even start. Here's how to switch to per-project billing without disrupting clients.
Adrien
Founder, Timescanner
Developer, then CTO for seven years. I built and managed a technical team from 3 to 30 people, went through a public listing, and learned what it means to run an engineering organization that actually ships.
Before that, I was an entrepreneur twice — building products from scratch with limited resources, deciding what to cut and what to keep.
In 2024, I shifted to independent consulting — working as a fractional CTO for early-stage SaaS startups. That’s when billing by the hour became a personal problem. Calendar open, spreadsheet open, trying to reconstruct the month: which client, which project, how many hours, which calls were billable. Two hours of administrative work to recover information that was already in my calendar.
I built Timescanner to fix that. The data was already there — it just needed something to read it. 158 hours of development later, end-of-month billing takes minutes instead of hours.
I now run Krma alongside Timescanner — a team of developers, product managers, and designers helping early-stage startups move faster with better technical foundations. Both exist for the same reason: I needed them before I built them.
Areas of expertise
- Calendar-based productivity
- Freelance billing workflows
- Building tools for independent workers
Articles
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How to set payment terms that clients actually respect
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How context switching costs you billable time
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How to track time across multiple clients
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How to bill for project overruns without losing the client
The project ran over. The brief changed, scope grew, and now you're choosing between invoicing correctly and starting an argument. Here's how.
Track billable time in Outlook Calendar
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iCal billing: turn your calendar into an invoice
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Google Calendar for time tracking (no timer)
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The bracket method for calendar time tracking
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Why start/stop timers don't work for most freelancers
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How to handle a client who disputes your invoice
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How to invoice for meetings without making it awkward
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How to manage irregular freelance income without running out of money
Feast-or-famine income doesn't require a feast-or-famine lifestyle. A system — not a budgeting lecture — for making irregular income feel predictable.
The billable hours you're not billing — and how to find them
Kick-off calls, feedback rounds, the 20-minute Loom review. Billable time that never makes it onto invoices. Here's where it hides and how to recover it.
How to stop being undercut on price — and why competing on rate is a trap
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How to write a scope of work that actually prevents scope creep
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Why your contract needs a kill fee (and how to set one)
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What to do when a client pays late — and what to say
One polite email and then silence. Most freelancers stop there. Here's the escalation sequence that actually gets overdue invoices paid.
The purchase order problem: how to get paid faster by big companies
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Scope creep: how to detect it before it costs you
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How to calculate your real freelance hourly rate
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How to raise your freelance rates without losing clients
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Which clients are actually profitable (and which ones cost you money)
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How to manage multiple freelance clients without burning out
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Day rate vs hourly rate: which fits your work
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Why freelancers lose billable hours without noticing
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The freelance year-end review: numbers worth tracking
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How to end a client relationship without burning the bridge
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From chaotic end-of-month to a 15-minute invoice
Most freelancers lose 2–3 hours every month tracking down billable hours. Here's a calendar-based method that cuts your invoicing time to 15 minutes.
How to track client time with your calendar (no new tools required)
Your calendar already tracks everything you work on. Here's a simple naming convention that turns it into a billable hours report — no extra tool needed.
Billable vs non-billable hours: the ratio killing your real rate
Most freelancers work 40 hours and bill 25. The 15-hour gap is invisible — until you measure it. Here's how to improve your billability ratio.
How to audit your calendar and find revenue you forgot to invoice
If you invoice from memory, you're leaving money on the table. Your calendar already has the complete record. Here's how to read it.
How to get your first freelance clients without a portfolio
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What to include on a freelance invoice (so clients actually pay it)
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How to price a fixed-fee project without losing money
Fixed fees put all the risk on you. Here's how to set them correctly — and what to do when a project runs over scope anyway.
The real cost of switching between clients in the middle of the day
Every time you switch clients, you pay a cognitive tax. For freelancers managing 3+ clients, it compounds fast. Here's what it costs and how to reduce it.
Why most freelance proposals lose the job (and what to write instead)
A proposal isn't a price list. It's where you show you understood the problem. Here's the structure that wins more projects without competing on price.
Value-based pricing for freelancers: when hourly stops making sense
Hourly pricing punishes expertise — the better you get, the faster you work, the less you earn per project. Here's when to price on outcomes instead.
How freelancers survive slow months without panicking
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What every freelance contract should include (and what most miss)
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Why specializing as a freelancer earns more than staying generalist
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Why freelance project estimates are always wrong (and how to fix them)
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How to raise your rates without losing clients
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The hours that predict freelance burnout (before you feel it)
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The 15-minute Friday review that keeps freelance work on track
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What to do when a client doesn't pay on time
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The real cost of being a freelancer (beyond your time)
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Retainer vs. hourly: which model actually pays more?
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Time blocking for freelancers: structure your week around client work
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7 client red flags to spot before you sign
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