A consultant sells knowledge, not a product. That means the assignment itself is the product: the scope, the rate, the number of days and the agreements about what is and is not included. If those agreements stay vague, that comes back at the end as discussion and as hours you cannot invoice.
Administration for consultants: from day rate to retainer
Consultants
Check the assignment, record the agreements, keep your hours and invoice a retainer monthly. At the end everything is ready for your bookkeeper.
Start free, no credit card.
SmartWerk follows the order in which a consultant works. You first check whether the assignment is worth it, then record the agreements in a contract, keep hours in a project and invoice afterwards or as a fixed retainer. If your assignment is short, you simply skip steps.
Where it goes wrong in practice
An assignment you accept too cheaply
A nice day rate disappoints once you count the hours for preparation, travel and administration.
Vague agreements about scope
What is the scope, how many days and what happens with more work? Without a written agreement there is discussion.
Hours that are written nowhere
A phone call here, a report there. Without tracking, hours you could have invoiced disappear.
Retainers you have to make again every month
For a fixed number of hours per month you invoice the same every month. That takes discipline.
How a job moves through SmartWerk
Every step is an existing SmartWerk feature; click through for the details.
Check the assignment
Work out what an assignment yields per hour before you say yes. This is an indication, not a verdict.
Make a proposal
A quote with day rate or fixed price and a validity date.
Assignment agreement
You record the agreements in a service agreement and have your client sign it.
Project per client
A project per client, to which you link hours and costs.
Keep hours
Hours per day and per client, with a view of what is not yet invoiced.
Retainer as a recurring invoice
For a fixed number of hours per month a draft on a schedule.
Invoice for the days
Make the invoice from your hours or from the project.
Handover to your bookkeeper
A package with invoices and VAT overview.
The tools that matter most here
Why this fits SmartWerk
01
Check first, then accept
Assignment check comes before the quote. That is where a consultant has most to gain: not another invoice, but the right assignment.
02
Agreements visible
The contract and the quote belong to the same client as the hours and the invoices. If there is discussion, everything is in one place.
03
No timesheet for the client
Hours are for your own administration; there is no approval by the client.
Frequently asked questions
Is Assignment check a verdict on false self-employment?
No. Assignment check works through profitability and is not a legal verdict. For false self-employment read our checklist, and ask for advice if in doubt.
Can I invoice a retainer monthly?
Yes, with a recurring invoice. SmartWerk prepares a draft monthly that you review and send. There is no direct debit.
Do I need contracts and projects?
No. Assignment check, hours, recurring invoices and invoices also work without them; you use contracts and projects when a job calls for it.
Can my client approve my hours?
No. Hours are for your own administration; there is no approval or locking by a client.
SmartWerk is invoicing and administration software for self-employed people, not a full accounting package and not a replacement for your bookkeeper or adviser.
Try it with your own clients
Create a free account and start with one client. Upgrading can wait until you really need a feature.