Time billing, the Xero way
Guides on turning tracked time into Xero invoices, billing retainers, and the numbers that decide whether the work was worth it.
Written by Jonathan Bird, a freelance developer in Brisbane who bills his own client hours this way.
Harvest + Xero: What Syncs and Where to Invoice
How Harvest copies invoices to Xero, why payments can disagree, and what to check before changing your billing workflow.
How to Leave Harvest Without Losing Unbilled Time
The exports to keep, a cutover example and a final check for work that could be missed or billed twice.
Toggl vs Harvest for Xero Billing
Harvest copies invoices to Xero. Toggl’s standard connection adds a timer. Here is what that means when you need to bill clients.
Client Request Management for Agencies: Turning Email Into Billable Work
Unlogged client email is a common source of lost margin. How to run client requests as a shared queue, and how to make sure the hours around the work reach an invoice.
How to Send Tracked Time to Xero as Draft Invoices
Turn billable hours into a Xero draft invoice you review before sending, with descriptions intact and four ways to group the line items.
How to Track Billable Hours and Invoice Through Xero
The complete walkthrough from logging the first billable hour to sending a finished Xero invoice, with the rate, tax, grouping and review steps in order.
Agency Profitability: 2026 Benchmarks and How to Improve It
Agency profitability benchmarks for 2026, the levers that move the margin, and why client and retainer-level profit matters more than project averages.
Best Xero Time Tracking Add-ons for Agencies (2026)
Compare six time trackers by how they turn client work into Xero invoices, with plan costs and integration limits.
Retainer Billing Explained: How Agencies Bill Retainer Clients
How retainer billing works, drawdown versus logged hours, over and under-servicing, and how to invoice a retainer period straight through Xero.
How to Set Consulting Rates That Actually Cover Your Costs
A utilization-adjusted method for setting consulting and agency rates that cover your real costs, plus why a good rate still fails if the hours never get invoiced.
How to Invoice Only Approved Timesheets to Xero
Put a review gate between tracked time and your Xero invoice so only approved hours can ever be billed, with entries locked once submitted.
Billable Utilization Rate: Formula and Benchmarks
The billable utilization formula, realistic benchmarks by role, and why high utilization still leaks money if the hours never reach a Xero invoice.