For an entrepreneur, time can seem to disappear among client work, administration and small questions. In 2011, I wrote about Toggl and its timer for recording time spent on a task. The value is not only a timesheet for an invoice. It can also show which tasks repeatedly take longer than expected.
Track with a purpose
Start with a few clear categories such as client projects, sales and administration. Give each session a short description. Do not make the system so detailed that tracking itself becomes work. After a week, see which categories help you make decisions and which only add noise.
Toggl Track describes summary reports that show recorded time by activity. You could compare an estimate with actual hours, for example. That comparison only helps if you use the timer fairly consistently. A report full of gaps says more about the measurement method than the project.
Time is not revenue
The old article suggested Toggl showed what work earned. A timer primarily measures time. To understand revenue or profitability, you also need rates, costs and project results. Many hours can belong to a valuable project, or indicate unclear scope. The number needs context.
Use the data for a concrete decision: change a schedule, discuss scope with a client or reserve more time for work that is routinely underestimated. Tracking is most useful when it helps you choose better, rather than turning every quarter-hour into a score.