Working more billable hours without working overtime? It sounds like a dream, but it's achievable. Many consultants lose valuable time in administration and unregistered hours unnoticed. In this blog, you can read how to prevent that — and get more value out of your working day.

The most important insights

• Many consultants miss billable hours due to poor registration
• Smart tools and automation provide more billable time
• Direct registration prevents valuable time from being lost
• Integrations make your workflow faster and clearer
• You don't have to work anymore — just smarter

Where does it go wrong? The invisible hours

On average, consultants do not charge customers about 15% of their billable time (Consultancy.nl). Those hours disappear into the daily hustle and bustle: a quick call to a customer, some preparation, a meeting with a colleague.
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Common causes:

• Hours are only filled in afterwards
• Short tasks are not noted
• Uncertainty about what is or is not declarable
• Registration is considered time-consuming
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In addition, knowledge workers spend an average of 19% of their time looking for information (McKinsey), at the expense of focus and efficiency. You can't invoice time that you don't register. And that is direct turnover that you are missing out on.
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So the problem lies not only in what you do, but mainly in what you record. Here, awareness and good registration make the difference between “being busy” and “working profitably”.

Where is your billable time lost?

much consultants at the end of the week, they feel: “I worked hard, but where did all those hours go?” That 'disappeared' time has often been spent on customers — but is nowhere.
registered.
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Typical pitfalls:

• Only fill in hours afterwards (and then forget a lot)
• No system for recording short tasks
• Uncertainty about what is billable
• Time-consuming administration that is postponed
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If you do not lay this down structurally, you will miss out on turnover. Not because you're doing too little — but because you're not making it visible.
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📚 Read all about the difference between declarability and productivity.

How to recover billable hours (without extra work)

Invoicing more does not mean working more. It's about awareness, structure and a smart way of registering. Here are a few practical tips for consultants to increase their visible and billable hours:
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1. Register immediately

The shorter the time between the task and registration, the less likely you are to forget something. Record your hours directly from your laptop, mobile, or even from your calendar or task manager.
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This is how you keep it accessible:

• Start a timer or register with one click
• Register via a mobile app after an appointment
• Connect your calendar so that appointments are automatically suggested
• Add short notes to keep context
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Schedule 5 minutes daily at the end of your work day to complete your registration.
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2. Structure with labels

Insight starts with structure. By labeling your hours as billable or non-billable, you can quickly see where your time is going to be spent — and what it brings in money.
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Examples of non-billable tasks:

• Create quotes
• Internal administration
• Networking or own marketing
• Knowledge development
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By regularly analyzing how much of your time is billable, you can choose more consciously what to spend your hours on. And: where you can take a profit.

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3. Automate recurring tasks

Many registrations are repetitive work. By smartly linking your processes, you avoid duplication of work and waste less time on administration.
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Examples of automation:

• Link appointments from your calendar to your time overview
• Automatically provide project tasks with time registration
• Synchronizing hours with your billing system
• Automatically approve hours per customer
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This makes registration part of your workflow — not something you have to do “on the side”.
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4. Make clear agreements about declarability

Activities are often not registered because you are unsure whether they can be declared. Discuss this with your customer or employer beforehand.
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Tasks that you can usually invoice:

• Preparation for presentations or sessions
• E-mail traffic and telephone reconciliation
• Travel time and waiting time
• Reporting and reporting
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Record these agreements per project and link them to default settings in your registration process.
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5. Evaluate your week and adjust

Recording hours is one thing, but reflection is where the growth lies. By analyzing your week, you can see where your time 'leaks' and which projects can be more efficient.
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For example, do this every Friday afternoon:

• Which hours were not registered but worked?
• What percent of your time was billable?
• Which customer or task took longer than planned?
• Are there recurring non-billable tasks that you can cancel or outsource?
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A dashboard or weekly report helps you get that overview quickly and visually.

6. Choose the right tools that provide an overview

Saving time starts with an overview. Tools that bring project management, time tracking and reporting together help you switch faster.
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Think of functionalities such as:

• A central dashboard with real-time progress per customer or project
• Built-in reports by team member, customer, or type of work
• Chat or communication options linked to your time registration
• Insight into budgets and pending approvals
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All of this ensures that you have control over your schedule, your performance and your billing - without having to switch endlessly between tools.
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7. Make conscious choices in your work week

Insight helps you choose. What do you spend time doing that doesn't pay off? Which tasks can you delete, automate or outsource?
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Examples of small choices with a big impact:

• Mail less, chat more (faster and more organized)
• Plan social media ahead instead of posting in between
• Outsource your bookkeeping if you structurally lose time doing so
• Bundle small tasks at fixed times so you can work focused
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Every minute you don't waste on unnecessary distractions can be spent on declarable work or rest.
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Summary in a nutshell

• Consultants miss up to 15% of their billable time unnoticed
• Direct registration and the use of labels increases insight
• Automation reduces administration and increases accuracy
• Clear agreements prevent discussion about billing
• The right tools provide an overview and control your work week
• Reflection and conscious choices ensure permanent improvement
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👉 More control over your time? Try TimeChimp free for 14 days.

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