Marbles and monkeys: tracking your hours and expenses

Even though Richard Florida’s 2004 brain child, “the creative class”,  has come under fire in the last few years, many cities trying to redefine themselves in the wake of an increasingly dominant technological economy have still spent considerable time and capital trying to accommodate young urban creatives – freelance writers, graphic designers, computer programmers, artists, and media workers, as well as people working in healthcare, business and finance, the legal sector, and education.  As a matter of fact, a 2010 report predicted 40% of American workers will be earning their living as part of the “gig economy” by 2020.

 The next few blog posts will be focusing on accounting issues and challenges that face entrepreneurs whose work falls under the category of “the creative class” in a “gig economy.”

So either you’ve been sucked in by allure of being your own boss or you’re unable to find a single, stable job in your chosen career field. Now here you are. You are part of the gig economy. You have several clients with rotating deadlines, or you have a slew of single-project clients.  You get to work from home. You get to work in your pajamas. Sometimes you can grab your laptop and go to your favorite coffee shop and work. You might even be able to work from the beach! You have more control over your schedule than your parents did. And it’s awesome being your own boss.

But unlike the days of The Organization Man, you also have to shoulder the responsibility for tracking your hours and being more aware of your expenses. Even though sources like Forbes Magazine and Investopedia praise the gig economy and the idea of a mobile creative class, you know there’s a large part of your job that isn’t creative even if it is mobile.

Depending on the client, you will charge for your time differently: by the hour, by the project, or even by the word if you are a copy editor/copy writer. There are a lot of marbles to keep track of when you work for yourself. Different hours worked on different projects on any given day. Different hourly rates for different clients. Record keeping is essential. If you’re good with spreadsheets, that’s helpful. If not, consider finding some accounting software, cloud accounting, or — if you have a large enough client base – find an accountant to take the guess work out.

Not only do you want to keep a precise record of your work hours so you can bill your clients correctly, you also want to keep track of any taxes you will be required to pay. Why? Because now you’re now your own boss, without anyone in human resources or payroll to arrange for deductions. You are responsible for making sure Uncle Sam gets his cut. With all the joys and challenges of being your own boss in the “gig economy,” you don’t want that big angry monkey on your back weighing down your success.