Given QuickBooks Time has only been around the last 10 years or so, the product has gone through some pretty big changes and updates. When asked about what it’s been like to go through that product journey with us over time, Dan laughs. “When we first got started with QuickBooks Time, it was really kind of Excel-y, I guess you could say,” he says. “But I’ve loved the improvements and enhancements that have been done, especially the stuff that’s been happening over the last 18 months. The evolution has been fantastic.”

For Dan, part of what’s kept Ignite Spot with QuickBooks Time, even as the product’s interface and backend capabilities have changed, is the intuitiveness of the software. “You know, it’s always been user-friendly. That’s part of the reason we’ve always loved QuickBooks Time. It’s very simplistic when it comes to getting the data in the system and moving around in it. And I like the simplicity because when we recommend it to our clients, not all of them are technically minded. It helps that the product is so easy for them to use.”

But QuickBooks Time isn’t just a simple solution for employees who need to clock in and out. The product was built for business owners and accountants, after all, so it makes sense that everything the admin touches should be user-friendly as well.

“On our side, we’re looking at it for specialized reporting, and it’s still fantastic,” Dan says. In fact, QuickBooks Time plays a critical role in helping his business stay profitable.

Ignite Spot doesn’t bill per hour. Instead, their goal to be able to say, “Here’s your projected billing, and if it’s different than what we planned on, we’ll just assess it in another three to six months to make sure that wasn’t a one-time fluke.”

Dan uses QuickBooks Time not just to understand where the company’s time is being spent, but also to track how much money they’re making on their clients. Then based on that knowledge, he’s able to create efficiencies or make adjustments as needed.

“Tracking our processes individually within QuickBooks Time has really helped a lot in giving us the visuals we need to better understand what’s going on within each of our projects and see which ones are taking more time than what we initially budgeted or planned for,” he says.

Here at QuickBooks Time, we love our PROs, and we do our best to make a product worthy of their referrals. That said, we know how hard it can be, sometimes, to get a client to accept a new app or piece of software — even one they’re sure to love!

According to Dan, though, getting clients to add QuickBooks Time to their technology arsenal is a cinch!

“For us, when it comes to QuickBooks Time, honestly, I don’t think there’s ever a client we wouldn’t suggest it to. It’s great for anybody who’s tracking time or who has hourly employees. The cost is low enough that any size firm can afford it, from those with only two or three employees to those who have hundreds.”

But for Dan, it’s not just the price that makes QuickBooks Time a winner — he also loves the product’s easy integrations. “Your integration is so clean between QuickBooks Time and Gusto. It’s seamless, making it easy for us to recommend you and make sure both [payroll and time tracking] needs are taken care of. The two systems sync seamlessly back and forth, so even those who aren’t tech-minded or who don’t want to make their employees learn two software systems can do PTO tracking and scheduling within your guys’ system. That makes it even better for our customers who want all those benefits and capabilities, along with a time tracking software that manages everything in the same place.”

Dan’s process for referring clients is simple. “We recommend a bundle of software to all of our clients,” he says. QuickBooks Time is part of that bundle because employers who have projects or hourly employees need to know the profitability of their projects. And to figure that out, it’s necessary to track time.

Ignite Spot has named QuickBooks Time their preferred time tracking supplier, so when they give their recommendations to clients, it’s inherently part of the overall conversation. “It’s kind of at the forefront of all our conversations with our clients. If you have staff or employees, and you need to track their time for something, you need to use QuickBooks Time.”

Like all bookkeepers, Dan has a lot of clients who come in with paper timesheets. “They’re used to Excel or using a Google doc or something,” he says, “so moving them into this interface where they have the ability to use an app or track time from their phone versus having a desktop icon or whatever can create a lot of versatility for them.” When Dan needs to convince a client to try QuickBooks Time, he talks about the product’s ability to boost the accuracy of the client’s timesheets. “And the GPS tracking capabilities are huge for some of our clients as well,” he says.

Another way Dan is able to guide his clients toward automation is by getting them on the phone with QuickBooks Time support. For him, that support often comes from Connor, a PRO account executive here at QuickBooks Time. “We love Connor. Connor’s fantastic. We sing nothing but praises for him. He’s gotten on the phone with a few of our clients and talked them through some of their bottlenecks and hiccups and things.” Dan says Connor has been instrumental in helping Ignite Spot convince their clients to make a change that’s turned out positive for them.

“The worst part about being an accounting professional and having recommendations for people is convincing others to try it, then training, teaching, and coaching them,” he says. “Most of that is removed through the system you guys have created, and whether it’s just the user-friendliness of the software or the support staff you have available, it makes it so much easier for me to be able to recommend you as a software.”

Here at QuickBooks Time, we love Dan and everyone else at Ignite Spot, and we’re so thrilled they love us as well! We love our product, but hearing from our QuickBooks Time PROs why they like it and how they use it just makes our job all the more fun and rewarding.

Interested in taking the QuickBooks Time plunge? Here’s one last thought from Dan: “My recommendation to anybody is if you are using a time tracking software that’s not QuickBooks Time, think about all the problems you’re used to having: A) the sync’s not working, B) it takes extra time to go through and review because there’s no approval process, or C) there’s no support staff — it’s just a software you download to the desktop and have to figure it out on your own. QuickBooks Time makes all of that better, and everything is included in the base service price and offerings. For me, without a doubt, nothing compares to QuickBooks Time.”