Field notes
The freelancer handbook.
Practical writing on running a freelance business - billing, taxes, time tracking, client work. Short, opinionated, no fluff.
09
How to track time on fixed-fee projects (and why it pays the most)
Most freelancers skip time tracking when they bill flat fees. That's exactly when it pays the most. Here's why - and how to do it without making it feel like billable accounting.
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How to track freelance receipts in 10 seconds (without a shoebox)
The shoebox-and-spreadsheet approach loses you money at tax time. Here's the modern way: snap, auto-extract, export.
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When does a freelancer actually need a CRM?
Most freelancers either hack notes in Notion or buy enterprise CRMs and bounce. Here's the actual moment a CRM starts paying for itself - and which features matter.
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What to put on a freelance invoice (and what to leave off)
Every required field, every optional one, and the small details that separate invoices that get paid in 7 days from invoices that age into 60-day overdue territory.
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QuickBooks Self-Employed alternatives for freelancers (2026)
QBSE was sunset and replaced with QuickBooks Solopreneur. If you're shopping for an alternative, here's the honest comparison of Wave, FreshBooks, Bonsai, Hurdlr, and Durvy.
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Freelance tax-deductible expenses: the 50+ item checklist
A quick-reference checklist of expenses freelancers can deduct on Schedule C, organized by IRS category - plus the common mistakes that trigger audits.
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How to chase an overdue invoice without burning the client
An escalation ladder for chasing late payments - what to say at day 1, day 7, day 14, and day 30 - with email templates you can copy.
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How much should a freelancer charge per hour? (with worked examples)
Stop asking 'what's the average rate' - it's the wrong question. Here's the formula working freelancers actually use, with examples for $50K, $80K, and $120K target take-home.
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The freelance tech stack we actually use (2026)
An honest look at the tools we use to run Durvy - the freelance suite for freelancers. By category, with prices and what we'd pick differently.
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