As my volume of freelance blog writing continues to grow, I’ve found it increasingly important to track where my earnings are coming from. This is key for several reasons:
1) Less headaches. You’ll save yourself from scrambling at the last minute when it’s time to file taxes.
2) You can identify trends. For example, if your skills have greatly improved and your blogging profile becomes more marketable, it might be time to increase your rates. Keeping tabs on what you are earning from each client will help you recognize which jobs you should keep and which you should ditch, should you be fortunate enough to have an overflowing plate.
3) Get paid. By being in tune with how much money you should be earning, you’re less likely to forget that a certain client has forgotten to pay you. Most blog network owners are busy folks. They don’t mean not to pay you – or pay you late. Sometimes, they just need a reminder.
Up to this point I have relied on MoneyTrackin to keep my blog finances in order. Simply input the amount you’ve made, add some keywords, and you have access to a bevy of charts that will make it easy to see where the money is coming from – and where it’s going.
There might be a better tool out there that I’m unaware of.
Do you guys keep track of your blogging income? If yes, how?
