I'm logged in as a free user to test your platform, and it looks pretty good.
I would like some guidance on how to set this part up for this billing scenario. On most service calls, the initial truck roll is billed at a fixed rate $XXX, and this includes 1 hr of time. Each subsequent hour is billed at $YYY. I'm having trouble figuring out how to do this as I don't want to double bill that first hour.
Thanks
Founder Team
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Jun 27, 2026
A: Hi,
A way to handle this is by using Expenses for the fixed truck roll / service call fee.
You could record the initial service call as a billable expense against the client or project, for example:
Expense: Service call / truck roll — includes first hour Amount: $XXX Billable: Yes
Then, when creating the invoice, add that billable expense to the invoice. After that, only track and bill the...
Of course, You can also mark some time entries "Unbillable" so that can avoid your double billing issues doesn't happen if you go with the custom line item route.
We are a nonprofit organization and are evaluating your platform for volunteer management.
Can volunteers create their own accounts and enter their hours directly into the system for approval and tracking?
We would like to track volunteer hours, generate reports, and monitor volunteer engagement across our organization.
In addition, while most of our volunteers are unpaid, there are times when...
Founder Team
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Jun 22, 2026
A: Hi, thank you for the thoughtful questions, and for being specific about what you need. I want to give you an equally specific answer, which means being upfront that Hoursmith isn't really the right fit for what you've described, and I'd rather tell you that now than have you find out after purchasing.
Here's where the gaps are:
Volunteer self-registration and hour submission. Hoursmith...
Q: Site is beautiful but is the company sustainable?
The UI/UX alone is wonderful. Great job there but I have to ask about the financials. What's the runway on your product? Investing now feels risky, without understanding how long the company can stay in business while it builds a customer base. I've gone through your reddit and producthunt and didn't see much traction but you're less than a month old, so it makes sense. Would love to understand more about the financial stability of the product.
Founder Team
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Jun 21, 2026
A: Hey, really fair question, and I'd rather answer it straight than dance around it.
Hoursmith is bootstrapped. Just me, no investors, no funding round, no exit timeline I'm trying to hit. I've been building software since 2012, it's the only thing I've ever done for a living, and Hoursmith isn't a side bet I'm testing before moving on to the next idea. I'm not going anywhere because this is the...
Q: Interested in HourSmith but I need to know more
I run a monetized blog, and I also do freelance work, including writing sponsored content and career services for job seekers. Currently, I use Google Forms for client intake and Square for invoicing. I'm curious if Hoursmith could streamline these processes and offer better organization for my freelance creative business. Specifically, I'm interested in how Hoursmith might integrate with or replace my current tools for managing clients, projects, and payments and deliverables.
Founder Team
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Jun 21, 2026
A: Hey, thanks for the detail, that actually makes it easy to give you a real answer instead of a generic one. Let me go through it piece by piece.
Client intake: honestly, this isn't something Hoursmith does, and I'd rather tell you that than dance around it. It's not a forms or lead-capture tool, so Google Forms would stay exactly where it is for that first step. Once someone signs on as a...
Q: Pricing
On your site, you have cheaper lifetime pricing, how does this differ from the plan on your site?
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Edited Jul 4, 2026A: AppSumo comes with a refund window, the website's doesn't. And the website's are for a very very limited time.
Share Hoursmith
Q: 1st Hour service call
I'm logged in as a free user to test your platform, and it looks pretty good.
I would like some guidance on how to set this part up for this billing scenario. On most service calls, the initial truck roll is billed at a fixed rate $XXX, and this includes 1 hr of time. Each subsequent hour is billed at $YYY. I'm having trouble figuring out how to do this as I don't want to double bill that first hour.
Thanks
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Jun 27, 2026A: Hi,
A way to handle this is by using Expenses for the fixed truck roll / service call fee.
You could record the initial service call as a billable expense against the client or project, for example:
Expense: Service call / truck roll — includes first hour
Amount: $XXX
Billable: Yes
Then, when creating the invoice, add that billable expense to the invoice. After that, only track and bill the...
Share Hoursmith
Thank you for the response and the suggestions.
Verified purchaser
Of course, You can also mark some time entries "Unbillable" so that can avoid your double billing issues doesn't happen if you go with the custom line item route.
Q: Tracking volunteer hours
We are a nonprofit organization and are evaluating your platform for volunteer management.
Can volunteers create their own accounts and enter their hours directly into the system for approval and tracking?
We would like to track volunteer hours, generate reports, and monitor volunteer engagement across our organization.
In addition, while most of our volunteers are unpaid, there are times when...
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Jun 22, 2026A: Hi, thank you for the thoughtful questions, and for being specific about what you need. I want to give you an equally specific answer, which means being upfront that Hoursmith isn't really the right fit for what you've described, and I'd rather tell you that now than have you find out after purchasing.
Here's where the gaps are:
Volunteer self-registration and hour submission. Hoursmith...
Share Hoursmith
Q: Site is beautiful but is the company sustainable?
The UI/UX alone is wonderful. Great job there but I have to ask about the financials. What's the runway on your product? Investing now feels risky, without understanding how long the company can stay in business while it builds a customer base. I've gone through your reddit and producthunt and didn't see much traction but you're less than a month old, so it makes sense. Would love to understand more about the financial stability of the product.
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Jun 21, 2026A: Hey, really fair question, and I'd rather answer it straight than dance around it.
Hoursmith is bootstrapped. Just me, no investors, no funding round, no exit timeline I'm trying to hit. I've been building software since 2012, it's the only thing I've ever done for a living, and Hoursmith isn't a side bet I'm testing before moving on to the next idea. I'm not going anywhere because this is the...
Share Hoursmith
Q: Interested in HourSmith but I need to know more
I run a monetized blog, and I also do freelance work, including writing sponsored content and career services for job seekers. Currently, I use Google Forms for client intake and Square for invoicing. I'm curious if Hoursmith could streamline these processes and offer better organization for my freelance creative business. Specifically, I'm interested in how Hoursmith might integrate with or replace my current tools for managing clients, projects, and payments and deliverables.
Nivesh_Hoursmith
Jun 21, 2026A: Hey, thanks for the detail, that actually makes it easy to give you a real answer instead of a generic one. Let me go through it piece by piece.
Client intake: honestly, this isn't something Hoursmith does, and I'd rather tell you that than dance around it. It's not a forms or lead-capture tool, so Google Forms would stay exactly where it is for that first step. Once someone signs on as a...
Share Hoursmith