actiTIME vs competitors: Pricing, features, and which to choose

How to set up actiTIME for your small business (step-by-step)

Setting up actiTIME for a small business is straightforward. This guide walks you through a practical, step-by-step setup so your team can start tracking time, managing projects, and generating accurate reports quickly.

1. Prepare before you start

• Decide account type: cloud (hosted by actiTIME) or on-premises (self-hosted). Small businesses typically choose cloud for faster setup and no maintenance.
• Gather team info: names, email addresses, roles.
• Define initial projects/tasks: list 3–10 projects and common task types (e.g., Development, Design, Meetings, Admin).
• Set billing preferences: hourly rates or fixed-price billing if you’ll invoice clients.

2. Create your actiTIME account

1. Go to the actiTIME signup page and choose the cloud plan (trial if available).
2. Enter your business name, admin email, and password.
3. Confirm your email and sign in to the admin dashboard.

3. Configure company settings

• Company profile: upload logo, set timezone, and choose default currency.
• Date/time formats: match your region to avoid confusion in reports.
• Work schedule: define working days and default daily hours (e.g., Mon–Fri, 8 hours/day).
• Permissions: enable or disable features (e.g., invoicing, expense tracking) depending on your needs.

4. Add users and assign roles

1. Go to Users > Add New User.
2. Enter name, email, role (Administrator, Manager, Employee), and initial permissions.
3. Invite users—each will receive a signup link.

• Tip: Start with Managers for project leads and Employees for staff. Keep admin rights limited.

5. Create projects, tasks, and customers

• Customers/Clients: add client records if you bill clients.
• Projects: create projects under corresponding clients or internal projects for company work.
• Tasks: add task types (e.g., Coding, QA, Support). Assign default hourly rates per task if needed.
• Project managers: assign a manager to each project to control task lists and approvals.

6. Set up time tracking workflow

• Timesheets: choose weekly or daily timesheet view for your team.
• Auto-start/stop options: decide whether timers are mandatory or optional.
• Time rounding rules: set rounding (e.g., nearest 6 minutes) if required for payroll.
• Approval rules: enable timesheet approval for managers if you need control before payroll or invoicing.

7. Configure billing and rates

• Hourly rates: set rates per user, per task, or per project.
• Expense tracking: enable and configure expense categories if you’ll bill expenses to clients.
• Invoicing: connect templates and billing periods (monthly, per-project) for client invoices.

8. Integrations and automations

• Integrate tools: connect with issue trackers (Jira), communication tools (Slack), or calendar apps to streamline workflows.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): set up SSO if your company uses Okta/Azure AD (mostly for larger teams).
• API: note API access if you plan custom integrations with accounting or payroll systems.

9. Train your team

• Quickstart guide: share a short checklist: start timer, add description, assign project/task, stop timer, submit timesheet.
• Run a live demo: show typical workflows, how to edit entries, and how to submit timesheets for approval.
• Documentation: provide links to actiTIME help articles or internal SOPs for recurring questions.

10. Launch and monitor first month

• Pilot group: launch with a small team for 1–2 weeks to identify configuration tweaks.
• Review reports weekly: track time distribution, project progress, and unreported hours.
• Adjust settings: refine task lists, rates, rounding rules, and approval flows based on real usage.

11. Maintain and optimize

• Monthly review: check billing accuracy, project budgets, and user activity.
• Archive old projects: keep the workspace tidy by archiving finished projects.
• Solicit feedback: ask team members for usability improvements and iterate.

Quick checklist (copyable)

• Create account and confirm admin email
• Set company timezone, currency, and work schedule
• Add users and assign roles
• Create customers, projects, and tasks with rates
• Configure timesheets, approvals, and rounding rules
• Connect integrations and enable invoicing/expenses
• Train team and run a pilot, then adjust settings

Following these steps will get actiTIME running smoothly for your small business, enabling accurate time tracking, simpler billing, and better project visibility.