Part 1: A Timely Interview with Matt Rissell of TSheets

A SERIES in the quest to know more about the offline world

Part 1 in a 4-Part Interview with Matt Rissell

At Tech Cocktail8, I met Matt Rissell, CEO of TSheets. He’s a great conversationalist and in a business that serves folks who work solely offline, those who work mobile, and those who work mostly on the web. He seemed a perfect catch for an interview to find out more about closing the gap between the online and offline business worlds.

Matt, your tagline says “Time is money. Track it.” What does that mean exactly?

Great question Liz. First, let me begin by saying that we are passionate about helping people â€“ in this case, specifically, the business leader. More than ever, time has become more and more valuable as we cram as much into each day as possibleâ€¦

The old saying, “time is money”, has been around since, well, probably the beginning of time, but for some reason people seem to ignore this simple truth. 80% of the population is actually unaware of how valuable time is, how they invest it, and if they have employees, how much is wasted. TSheets wasn’t created because “I had a great business idea” but rather, I was the small business owner who was frustrated with managing labor expenses. With approximately 20 employees I went on a hunt for a time tracking solution. What I found were tools that weren’t practical for the small business owner. Thus, I had my friend build one. After our first month using TSheets for our time tracking, we reviewed the timesheet reports, and it became blatantly obvious that there was some serious time timecard fudging going on. Literally, my companyâ€™s ROI in the first month was $2,000 in reduced labor expenses and increased efficiency! I began to realize that time really does equal money.

To answer your question on a personal level – have you ever found yourself at the end of a busy day, week, month or even year when you realize that things are coming to a close and you begin to get this feeling of, “I know I have been busy but what the heck have I been doing? Where did the time go?â€ It happens to me all of the time. However, now I have a time tracking tool that tells me where I have been investing my time. I set up Job Codes and can now track how much time I have spent with my family, at work, exercising, and even the time I spend volunteering. It’s incredible to have a clear picture of my timeâ€¦ and to be honest, it gives me a real picture what my real priorities are.

I work with are businesses, universities, and individuals. Their needs are different. Their days are varied, often stuffed with meetings, research, or thinking. Many are professionals who find tracking time is not among their favorite things to do. Why would they even look at it?

Liz that’s a great point! We understand that time tracking probably isnâ€™t going to rank very high on the personal â€œTo Doâ€ list. It’s funny, because we are always saying around the TLab (the TSheets Office) that tracking time is as much fun as getting your teeth pulled. But our PASSION truly is – to simplify the life of business leaders by making time tracking fun and easy! Truly, everyone has the opportunity to be a business leader, whether they own their own business, are an employee or student. It’s a mindset not a position. We believe that time is just as valuable for the student, as it is for the professor or the business owner — so our service accommodates each person’s life â€“ regardless of their role.

Because of TSheets’ mobility, it has practical applications for all types of people at each stage of their life For instance, freelancers can track their time spent with each client. Bloggers can track their time writing, researching, or time spent surfing the Web. Students can set up job codes such as homework, internships, and class time. Businesses can track their hourly employee times. Sales Managers can identify areas of weakness to train behavior as opposed to simply managing results. Athletes can track Cardio, Weight Training, and sleep. The impact of having a clear picture of your priorities can literally be life changing.

Would you be interested in knowing how TSheets can track time from a cell phone?

Sure, how do you do it and why would I want to?

That’s the cliffhanger until tomorrow. . . .

Thanks, Matt!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!
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